As the newly elected president of the National Dental Association (NDA), Dr. Joy, as she is fondly referred to by those she serves throughout the Cleveland area, plans to address issues that impact the African American community throughout the nation. Her tenure will address the importance of education. An alumna of Howard University undergraduate program (1984) and School of Dentistry (1988), she actively encourages our youth to attend our nation's historically black colleges and universities.
At the NDA installation, from left: Mrs. Deana Turner, Ms. Norja Haygood, Dr. Joy Jordan, Dr. Elsie Casimir, Ms. Lavette Henderson (NDA staff member), Dr. Gail Hurdle, Dr. Kim Bradford, Dr. Rhodonna Koger (podiatrist friend), Dr. Allison Fletcher, and Ms. Desirnai Hicks.
She chose "Building the Future of the NDA through Education and Partnerships" as the theme of her NDA tenure because of recent research that reveals a declining number of African Americans who are considering careers in dentistry. Furthermore, research indicates that increasing numbers of minority students are deficient in the mathematics and science backgrounds necessary to properly consider any career in the health services profession. Dr. Joy plans to call greater attention to this issue and work within the NDA to engender long-term support of initiatives that will increase the number of African Americans who will consider a career in dentistry and other health-related professions.
Dr. Joy's family is dedicated to health care. Her father, Eugene, is a past president of the NDA; her brother, Martin, practices dentistry; and her younger brother, Michael, is a psychiatrist who practices in California. She credits her family for cultivating her interest in the field of medicine, and a former Howard University undergraduate professor with helping her crystallize her desire to continue her family tradition of work in the field of dentistry.
She currently serves as the dental director for the Cleveland Job Corps Program and the Trumble Correctional Institution. She is a member of several organizations that serve the Cleveland community, including the Junior League, The Coalition of 100 Black Women, and the local Black Women's Political Action Committee. Dr. Joy is a former board member of the YWCA of Cleveland. She has served as a member of the East Cleveland School Board for 12 years, and is currently seeking election to her fourth term on the School Board.
Dr. Joy's dedication to humanitarian efforts extends far beyond her community. She has been recruited to speak on a variety of topics related to medicine and education. In May 2003, she spoke on managed care as a representative of the NDA in Chicago, Ill. She also addressed the same topic at the University of California, San Francisco. In June 2003, Dr. Joy addressed the issue of women in leadership in Göteborg, Sweden. Dr. Joy was the youngest individual to receive the Outstanding Leadership Award from Howard University's College of Dentistry (May 2000).
From left: Mrs. Deana Turner (elementary friend), Dr. Jocelyn Tina Kidd, Ms. Norja Haygood (college friend), Ms. Desirnai Hicks (college friend), Dr. Joy Jordan, Ms. Beatrice Harris (college friend), Dr. Elsie Casimir, and Dr. Allison Fletcher
In addition to her duties as president of the NDA, an organization founded in 1913, Dr. Joy is co-authoring three articles. She desires to advance the scope of the NDA's mission to promote education among school-age children, thereby ensuring that as college entrants they will have the foundation needed to pursue careers in dentistry and other health service fields. Dr. Joy is proud of the history of the NDA, and recognizes her own family's unique contribution to the organization and to the field of dentistry. She hopes to continue to bring honor to the organization through increasing its visibility and membership for generations to come.
AAWD welcomes with open arms Dr. Joy Jordan, our newest member, into our organization. Dr. Jordan exemplifies the excellence and leadership of women in dentistry. She and many of our wonderful sisters at NDA are such a wonderful asset and so fun to be around. With Dr. Jordan on board, we hope to strengthen AAWD's relationship with NDA by joining synergistically, wherever possible, to enrich and nurture the diverse lives of women dentists everywhere. We at AAWD are very proud to be a friend of Dr. Joy Jordan and wish her every success in her tenure as president of the National Dental Association.
