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From left to right: Dr. Amarjit Singh Rihal, Past President, Dr. Jim Richardson, Dr. Stefan Haas-Jean, President

On the heels of our 2024 Annual Meeting, we have the pleasure and opportunity to thank Jim Richardson for his leadership and many contributions over the past 10 years. Jim has now completed his term as the British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP) representative to the Board, passing that mantle over to Dr. Bertrand Chan.

During his tenure on the Board, Jim held many roles. He served as Chair of the Examinations Committee, Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, held the role of Assistant Chief Examiner for the Assessment of Clinical Judgment (ACJ) for four years, and was a mentor to new Board members.

As President, Jim led us through some of the most challenging times in the history of the NDEB. During the COVID crisis, Jim was charged with guiding the organization through unprecedented events. This health crisis made it impossible to gather in numbers, making exam administration challenging to say the least. “Jim’s unwavering support as we navigated the ever-changing protocols during the pandemic was invaluable” stated Marie Dagenais, NDEB Executive Director and Registrar. During that same period, we also moved offices, built a simulation clinic to bring the NDECC exams in-house, transitioned from paper-based exams to digital delivery, and expanded operations to accommodate the increasing number of people who are looking to take up a career in dentistry in Canada. For all of that, NDEB came out more capable than ever before.

This is not the end of Jim’s involvement with the NDEB. He will continue working with us in his role as Chief Examiner for the ACJ. We are grateful for everything Jim has done for us and look forward to continuing to work together in the future.