Southern Orthodontic Partners 2022 Leadership Summit: “Together Towards Tomorrow” – Official Conference Recap

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Southern Orthodontic Partners 2022 Leadership Summit kicked off Friday, May 6th at The Joseph Hotel in Nashville TN, with over 125 attendees throughout the weekend. The conference theme, “Together Towards Tomorrow”, represents SOP’s mission to work together in partnership and alignment, to create positive impacts on the industry & instrumental growth for the platform.

Day 1 included engaging presentations from CTS and doctor leadership, afternoon breakout groups, and a panel session with Q&A. The Summit began with an introduction from Michael Burcham, SOP’s Lead Board Director, and a presentation from John Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, on “Building a Great Company” – outlining SOP's 2021 achievements, future strategic plan, and key points of differentiation among industry players. Additional presentations from SOP stakeholders covered 2022 platform initiatives, including digital growth, clinical innovation, SOP’s Doctor Advisory Committee (DAC), and business services. Day 1’s breakout session was moderated by Emily Leonard, Chief People Officer, and Dr. Becky Schreiner, who facilitated the group discussion around human capital considerations.

Highlights of the afternoon included sessions by John Hennegan, Founding Partner at Shore Capital, as he addressed “Maximizing Value Creation” and Dan Clark, a world class speaker, with the keynote speech. Additionally, the SOP Leadership Panel covered topics around economic headwinds, associate recruitment and development, and industry threats through Q&A. Panelists included Dr. Scott Blackman (Board Doctor), Dr. Diana Almy (DAC Member), Mike Oleferchik, (VP at Shore Capital), Will Peeples (COO), Emily Leonard (CPO), Jeremy Garner (CDO), Derek Walsh (COO), and Ben Goodman (VP of Marketing). The day closed out with a happy hour for all session attendees.

The next day, Saturday, May 7th, Derek Walsh, Chief Operating Officer, kicked off with his presentation on Project Alignment, a deliberate strategic planning effort designed to align all stakeholders behind the work that advances the SOP mission. Dr. Michael Hess supported Walsh’s message with an overview of strategies that fueled the significant recent growth of his practice, Hess Orthodontics. Afterwards, Chief Development Officer, Jeremy Garner, took the stage to outline business development momentum in 2022. VP of Marketing, Ben Goodman, and VP of Operations, Shannon Brockway, then guided participants through Day 2’s breakout session around patient intake, with a focus on creating a best-in-process for new leads and increasing exam availability for consumers.

The weekend concluded in celebration at the Doctor & Leadership Dinner Banquet, providing attendees and their significant others the opportunity to mingle and toast to the platform’s success. Outstanding team members and practices were recognized at the First Annual SOP Awards Ceremony.

Team member award winners included: the “Rising Star Award”, received by Dr. Nic Bisig (Reflections Orthodontics) and Jamie McManus (Fredericksburg Orthodontics); the “SOP Champion Award”, received by Dr. Bart Weis (Charlottesville Orthodontics); “CTS Team Member of the Year Award”, received by Kevin Ryan; and the highest honor of the “Living the Values Award”, received by Marion Alderete (Garrett & Boyd Orthodontics).

Practice awards distinguished remarkable teams of SOP, including the “Highest Growth Practice Award”, received by Alizadeh & Schreiner Orthodontics; the “Exceptional Team Award”, received by Reflections Orthodontics; the “New Partner Award”, received by Hanigan & Johnson Orthodontics; and the “Practice of the Year Award”, received by James River Orthodontics.

A very special thank you to all attendees and speakers who made the event such a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for next year’s 2023 Leadership Summit!