ADA to conduct governance and organizational health study in 2026
Final report to be submitted to House of Delegates next fall
The American Dental Association’s governance structure will be evaluated by an outside firm in 2026.
In October, the 2025 ADA House of Delegates adopted Resolution 521H, which calls for a comprehensive governance and organizational health study to be administered next year, with an interim progress report ready in April 2026 and a final report submitted to the 2026 House of Delegates next October.
“The governance and organizational health study signals a pivotal opportunity for the ADA, allowing us to thoughtfully assess what our Association does well, identify areas for improvement and understand how we can better design our processes to deliver continued value to our members and profession,” said ADA President Richard Rosato, D.M.D. “The study is just one key way that the ADA is positioning itself for long-term success.”
The ADA has issued a request for proposals to select a consultant to conduct the evaluation, which will include both a review of the Association’s governance structure, internal controls, leadership and management culture, and accountability expectations, as well as an analysis of the causes behind the ADA’s recent financial and operational challenges. The evaluation will provide recommendations for a path forward for the ADA and the tripartite, designed to ensure governance and operational health are in alignment with long-term financial sustainability. The recommendations will ultimately go to the ADA Board of Trustees and House of Delegates for their consideration.
To ensure a balanced blend of perspectives, the resolution calls for the Board and its governance committee to ensure the consulting firm collects input from the following stakeholder groups: early-career dentists, past ADA leaders and/or presidents, state executive directors, House members and state dental leaders.
Following the House’s adoption of the resolution, the Board authorized Dr. Rosato to form a task force with members representing these stakeholder groups. The task force will advise the governance committee as the process moves forward and be chaired by Karin Irani, D.D.S., J.D., ADA trustee and chair of the governance committee.
“By bringing together voices from various stakeholder groups, I’m confident the task force will provide insights that help the ADA refine its structure and culture to advance our mission with excellence,” Dr. Rosato said.
