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Dr. Erbes Named FDA Dentist of the Year for 2012

Each year, among its thousands of members, the Florida Dental Association (FDA) awards one member the distinction of “Dentist of the Year” for distinguished service to the association and the dental profession. For 2012, the FDA has honored Dr. Donald Erbes of Gainesville.

Dr. Erbes wife Joy arranged for his children, grandchildren, office staff and other family members to surprise him at the award presentation and other festivities that followed. He truly had an entire day of much deserved congratulatory celebrations.

For the past several years, Dr. Erbes has served as the FDA’s primary liaison to Florida’s licensing body for dentists, the Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD). He is a member of the FDA’s Board of Trustees where he serves as an alternate trustee for his district, valued for his understanding of the history and importance of many complex dental regulatory issues. One of his key attributes is his ability to carefully outline all angles of an issue without intimidation and in a genuine interest of resolving issues in the most sincere and constructive fashion possible. Dr. Erbes does all this while maintaining a solo dental practice where his patients value him for his restorative skills.

Dr. Erbes works at fostering ongoing relationships while shouldering the burden of educating and often collaborating with others in leadership positions within the dental profession. This is a heavy responsibility for any practicing dentist and underscores the incredible reliance and confidence that the FDA has placed in him. Dr. Erbes is a key player in the FDA’s efforts to revamp its governance structure. As chair of the FDA’s Governance Committee, he recently undertook producing five important initiatives in a very tight timeframe in advance of the FDA’s recent House of Delegates meeting in Orlando.

Despite having to deal with often controversial issues, Dr. Erbes always manages to remain calm and use his excellent reasoning power to find a solution. He has been described as trustworthy, honest, focused, an excellent communicator and collaborator. The FDA congratulates Dr. Donald Erbes for his outstanding leadership, dedication and professionalism in his service to the dental profession.