Honored to Be Your New President Amanda Larsh, DMD AGpO President I am excited to embark on my year as president of this close-knit community dedicated to educa-tion, excellence, and comradery. For those of you who don’t know me, I began my journey with the AGpO in 2019 in Toronto, Canada, at a 12-session course with Dr. Fred Der. It was clear from my first day that this was a course unlike any other I had taken. Over the years since then, I have formed many close bonds with instructors, fellow classmates, and AGpO staff in what has become a pivotal turn-ing point in my clinical career. Mentorship has been a big part of my growth, and I would encourage you (if you have not already done so) to reach out to any Academy instructor or fellow member and find a mentor to help you through not only what the Academy has to offer, but also to gain insight into how best to implement orthodontics in your practice, ask about life skills or management pearls others may have, and discover a sense of belonging in a field that so often leaves us isolated. With that in mind, we have an exciting year ahead with incredi-ble opportunities for every member of our community. The most recent addition is the Mastermind sessions. This is an online platform where members can share cases, ask for guidance on diagnosis and treatment plan-ning, or even troubleshoot next steps for ongoing cases. Our next Mastermind session will be on Nov. 4. I encourage you all to join a session and bring your cases and your questions. The experience is made all the better by active participation. Our next Early Treatment course with Dr. Keith Wilkerson— perfect for doctors looking to enhance their interceptive treat-ment skills—kicks off in April. Dr. Milton Ntragatakis has just released a 10-session Clear Aligner On-Demand Webinar Series you can start anytime, and he’ll be hosting a live Clear Aligner Summit at his office in Brunswick, OH, on April 16-17, 2026. Expect to see me there! Since we can’t accomplish any of our professional goals without a great team, our orthodontic assistant’s course featuring Dr. Charles Young returns July 30 to Aug. 1, 2026, in Grapevine, TX. Be sure to visit academygportho.com for details— there’s never been a better time to get involved. Finally, make sure to mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting, being held in Plano, TX, Sept. 24– 26, 2026. It’s an event you don’t want to miss. Our past annual meeting in Chicago hosted excel-lent speakers, relevant and helpful sponsors, a beautiful landscape and a chance to network and form friendships with other like-minded practitioners. I hope to see you all in Texas and look forward to intro-ducing myself in person. Wishing you a fabulous fall! Amanda Larsh, DDS www.orthodontics.com Fall 2025 33
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Fall 2025: Page 33
