Nominate someone for a 2008 Pyramid of Pride

Make sure you, your colleagues, or your component are recognizing the efforts of others that go above and beyond.  Nominations may come from an individual, a group of individuals, or from a component.

Categories include:

• Lifetime Achievement
• Community Outreach
• Dental Care for Older Persons
• Media Relations
• New Dentist Leadership
• Outstanding Leadership in Mentoring
• Outstanding Service
• Political Action
• President's Award of Honor

View detailed descriptions and category criteria

Download a 2008 nomination form

2007 Pyramid of Pride Awards
Dr. Paul Gruber recognized for Lifetime Achievement

The WDA's top honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, will be presented to Dr. Paul Gruber, a general dentist from Sheboygan at the 2007 WDA Pyramids of Pride award dinner in November.

Dr. Gruber leads by example, as members of the Sheboygan County Dental Society (SCDS) can attest to. Over the years, he ha  been SCDS president three times, more than any other member. He has served on many committees too numerous to mention. He volunteers to see patients from the local Salvation Army clinic, volunteers at the Lakeshore Technical College Clinic and for Give Kids a Smile Day.

When it is time for local members to rejoin the Wisconsin Dental Association Political Action Committee (WIDPAC), he calls each local member to urge them to join as 4PAC members. It is a tremendous time commitment, year after year. That is why, for many years, Sheboygan County has been at the top of the WDA’s 4PAC participation list.

Dr. Gruber also urged all SCDS members to contribute to the construction of our new dental school at Marquette University.

Dr. Gruber and his wife, Barb, are well-known hosts for political fund-raisers, keeping our profession in the minds of local, state and national politicians.

Locally, he has served on different boards that help contribute to the overall quality of life in Sheboygan County. Dr. Gruber is one of those individuals who works behind the scenes when one of his colleagues has concerns of any kind to help them through their difficulty.

Dr. Gruber’s participation on the communications, legislative, program, long range planning and auxiliary committees spans decades of WDA activity. He continues to be an active participant in the mentorship program, the Dental Forum and the WIDPAC Board of Directors.

His commitment to education is not only represented by his leadership in those organizations, but also by his presenting table clinics to WDA membership.

On a regional and national level, Dr. Gruber is easily recognized as a leader in the International College of Dentists, representing District Nine (Wisconsin and Michigan) as the Vice Regent. Perhaps of greater significance is his current position representing District Nine to the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC) Board of Directors. In that capacity, Dr. Gruber has spent many hours representing us in Chicago or our nation’s capitol.

Dr. Gruber’s good deeds don’t end at the border; he has donated his considerable clinical skills to the indigent people of Haiti in 2000 and to those in Guatemala earlier this year. This is no small measure of his character.

• Community Outreach - Dr. Rich Labinski (Dousman), Dr. Ron Labinski (New Berlin) and Ms. Barb Tylenda (Racine)
• Media Relations - Dr. John Mueller (La Crosse) and Dr. Meghan O'Brien (Antigo)
• Media Awareness - Mr. Jerry Resler (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and Ms. Lisa Malak (Green Bay's WFRV-TV Channel 5)
• New Dentist Leadership - Dr. Barrett Straub (Port Washington)
• Outstanding Service - Dr. Roger Comeau (Appleton)
• Political Action - Dr. Nicolet DeRose (Racine) and Dr. Steve Lindstrom (Howards Grove)
• President's Award of Honor - Ms. Emily Comeau (Appleton) and La Crosse Area Dental Care Advocacy Coalition

View a listing of all past Pyramids of Pride winners