The Unexpected Leader
Dr. David Lewis never envisioned leading the Chicago Dental Society, but the UIC College of Dentistry alum is doing just that today.
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When Dr. David Lewis ’81 was installed as president of the Chicago Dental Society (CDS) last November, he stood before a room of his peers for whom he had great respect. Feelings of amazement, trepidation and elation all filled his mind as he spoke of his unexpected path to the position of CDS President.
Though Lewis knew the honor was coming, the result of a four-year climb up the 159-year-old professional organization’s governance ladder, a reserved Lewis never considered himself as a leading figure. He was anxious about public speaking. He held no formal leadership training, only learning on the job by observation. And the language of Parliamentary Procedure was another mystery to unravel and learn to apply. Public speaking and parliamentary procedure were not in his usual wheelhouse.
For much of his 39-year clinical career, Lewis simply put his head down and worked, earnestly committed to doing the best he could for his patients and colleagues. Leadership in organized dentistry was not at the forefront of his thoughts, but roles supporting those in leadership positions felt more natural.
“If you were to tell me back when I was in dental school over 40 years ago that I’d someday be president of the Chicago Dental Society, I’d say that was about as likely as the Cubs winning the World Series,” Lewis opined before his CDS colleagues at a suburban hotel on November 12 for his installation.
And while the Cubs shattered 108 years of futility in capturing the World Series on November 2, 2016, Lewis completed the second piece of that long-shot bet by accepting his one-year term as CDS president 2,566 days later.
“Opportunity knocked and I opened the door,” says Lewis, who retired from clinical practice in 2020.
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Devoted to his career
After earning a BS degree from the University of Notre Dame, Lewis enrolled in the UIC College of Dentistry in 1977. Though initially thinking he would follow his father into medicine, the Springfield, Illinois, native was attracted to the pace of dentistry and the opportunity to still provide positive care for others.
UIC granted him the technical foundations to practice with confidence and treat a wide variety of issues and people. He received encouragement from instructors like Dr. Daniel Mackey, support from classmates similarly enduring an accelerated rate of learning, and gained an appreciation for even the most challenging clinical experiences.
Upon receiving his DDS degree in 1981, Lewis was accepted to and greatly enjoyed a general practice residency (GPR) at Illinois Masonic Medical Center (IMMC) focused on special patient care, helping a diverse population often neglected by the greater healthcare field. Upon completion of the one-year program, he worked in a local dental office and at IMMC in a home-bound program. He also was hired as a part-time clinical instructor to teach fourth-year UIC dental students. It was a great opportunity to huddle with seasoned instructors, review clinical techniques, and discuss cases.
“The five years I had working as a part-time instructor at UIC were so valuable because I could apply what I learned in the GPR program and early private practice and develop my own processes for diagnosis and treatment,” Lewis says. “I always felt that I learned as much as I taught while there.”
By the late 1980s, however, Lewis had married his wife, Dr. Christine Culp (a co-resident in the GPR program), became a father, and was ready to head to a suburban practice to call home. In 1991, he joined Glenview’s Colonial Dental Group as a partner, after having worked there as an associate since 1984.
For the next 30 years, Lewis devoted his professional time to optimizing patient care with colleagues and shepherding the growth of employees, including three who would earn dental degrees. When it came to organized dentistry, he volunteered in supporting roles for his branch, CDS committees, and leadership roles in the local Rotary club.
“Honestly, I couldn’t imagine keeping so many plates spinning and doing everything well,” says Lewis, a father of two. “I admired those who could.”
Stepping up to propel the profession
But as the 2010s evolved, Lewis felt a call to do more. His children were raised. Retirement loomed on the horizon. He thought of his father, who hustled to professional meetings even as his patient duties alone commanded enough time and energy.
“If I don’t do it, who will?” Lewis recalls his father saying when asked about his dedication to his profession. “He felt a responsibility to help younger physicians, in particular, grow in the profession.”
Lewis was now feeling the same tug and duty to serve as others had for him.
After holding positions in the North Suburban Branch of CDS, Lewis served as program chair of the CDS’s annual Midwinter Meeting in 2015 as teammates with two other outstanding UIC dental alums (CDS President Dr. Susan Becker Doroshow ’83 and Midwinter Meeting General Chair Dr. Mark Humenik ’88). Two years later, he became a CDS director, serving a three-year term. Then, he was asked to commit to a five-year run as an officer for CDS, a robust group boasting more than 4,100 members across Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties. Lewis accepted the overture.
“It was my time to give back,” he says. “People had done it for me, so I could grow. Now, I needed to be the one doing it for others in my profession.”
After one-year stints as treasurer, vice president, secretary, and president-elect, Lewis officially began his duties as CDS president on January 1, 2024. The role nudges Lewis beyond his comfort zone, tasking him to speak at local CDS branch meetings, drum up attendance for the organization’s massive Midwinter Meeting, and steer the organization’s strategic plan, including investigating new approaches to build revenue and membership to ensure the group’s long-term health.
“It’s so fulfilling to work with a great administrative team of people at CDS and the Board of Directors, who are in sync with achieving the goals of the organization and serving the common good of its members,” Lewis says.
Lewis, knowing how fortunate he is to be in this position, appreciates the opportunity to lead the CDS and champions the value of a strong, active professional organization.
“The hope is to enable a future for the CDS and the profession that the next generation of dental professionals can enjoy and thrive in as much as I had the good fortune to do,” he says.
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“No one knows better than us, the working professionals, what’s best for our profession and patients. That’s why it’s important to volunteer in situations that will enhance the profession and impact people’s lives in positive ways.” – Dr. David B. Lewis, Jr.