This anonymous tip was sent by an ODA staff whistleblower who is unhappy with how our board operates and treats its new board members. To all ODA councillors and members please read this letter. It was a confidential letter sent by one of the newly elected female board members, to ODA President David Brown. It shows clearly how our current President and our CEO Frank Bevilacqua have breached board confidentiality by sharing this highly personal confidential email with 8 ODA staff. This is an example of how ODA staff have had access to confidential board discussions and communications. How many other ODA staffers have had access to such information? Our president decided to expel one female board member for supposedly “breaching board confidentiality,” yet in the same breath he breaks his own code of conduct. He is unfit to be president and must resign. Staffers are tired of being bullied by the ODA CEO, and he must also resign. This is just one confirmed example of a string of improper actions taken by our current president, CEO and Office of the Chair. ODA members could not and should not accept such behaviour. Members have lost all confidence in this ODA leadership.
23 Responses
The CEO Mr.Frank Bevelaqua actually runs the ODA and has transformed it into an organization that serves his own needs instead of the needs of it’s members.He uses the ODA funds as his own personal bank account
The CEO has threatened to sue the ODA with the support of David Brown and Janet Leith.This is a betrayal of trust by people we pay. The president and vice president get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars every year and they still pretend to be volunteers .The 3 of them need to be fired
Would love to see the documentation on this.
The documentation has been requested – but not provided by the office of the chair.
There seem to be two camps currently in our association. The first is the camp of sycophants that parrots everything the ODA CEO, President, and OOTC members dictates to them. They fear the ODA CEO and continue to believe (rather naively) that all is well at the ODA. They answer planted questions at General Council, warp and shame their component society members, benefit themselves with ODA volunteer positions and speaking opportunities at the ODA ASM. These “pro establishment folks” do not realize how Trumpian and self serving our current ODA Leadership has become. People who ask hard questions are portrayed as “dissenters” and are expelled. People who speak out are threatened and prevented from ODA involvement. The ODA Board is an old boys club that treats its women leaders badly and diminishes their contributions. Just ask four past female board members if you really want to know the truth. The second group is being portrayed as “too radical.” This means their ideas are too contrary to the old ODA order. This may be true. But as a young female dentist in a dental partnership, things are not easy, especially with a shortage of staff, over regulation by the RCDSO, increasing overhead expenses, and the low pay back from government dental plans. So from someone who is in the “political middle,” I would think the solutions would be for both sides to meet, and sort it out before our government does it for us. Our current leaders need to get their heads out of the sand, stop wasting members’ money on going after those that call out their failings, and actually listen to people that are unhappy with their behaviour. I mean really, kicking out a female board member, demoting other women leaders from volunteer positions, planting fake questions at General Council, sticking their noses into component societies and trying to deter all candidates while promoting others. Our president seems ineffective in his role at motivating and creating consensus among our members. He came to our component society and I heard nothing but the same old “ we are so great and look at how much we have accomplished” speech. Where is our dental fighting spirit? And now, one of our future presidents makes public remarks regarding his own personal views on one particular ethnic group? Really? Shouldn’t he be neutral? Sure everyone is “entitled” to their own opinions, but as our future leader, this shows poor if not stupid judgment. His words are hurtful to some members, whether intended or not, but he shouldn’t have posted them. Further he breached our own members’ code of conduct. Why is he not championing our cause with government instead of insulting the very people that could make our pay back better? Infighting helps no one. But lack of change only tells our members that our leadership is unwilling to change, wants to protect its own perks, or simply does not care. Self righteous words like “ego,” and “radical trumpian” are being thrown around all over social media. We should all stop taking sides, pick our own champions and lead by example. We have our ODA rules and ByLaws and a chance to voice our concerns at General Council. These have served us well, and we need to stick to them so that everyone can have a say. There are reasonable, well respected and very experienced past leaders that can bring people together and repair this “rift.” If only our current leaders would LISTEN, I am sure our “radicals” would calm down.
Didn’t you just use the term “trumpian” in the first part of your comment to describe the current ODA leadership?
Amanda Trotti it’s you again. How does a dentist with a failing practice present himself as a financial expert.?.When you favor the CEO over your own members there is only one choice. You need to be voted off the board.
As a long time volunteer and councillor who has stayed silent and watched everything devolve over the last year and half, I am disgusted by the conduct of my colleagues both at GC and in this public space.
First of all, don’t call me and others a “sycophant” just because I don’t take issue with the current ODA leadership and I’m not screaming and foaming at the mouth that this organization is “corrupt.” They have served me and the profession well. Talk to our colleagues in the states and see how things go there, what has organized dentistry done for them with respect to government advocacy, COVID recovery, access to care, our fee guide and the low costs of our CE. Never mind itrans and electronic billing. What are you all complaining about? Food and booze? Staff? Not having a free annual convention that hosts thousands of dentists each year? I might be more receptive to what the “dissidents” have to say if you didn’t all come across as a bunch of whiny and entitled spoiled children.
Second, Dr. Ahmed’s missive talks about “bullying.” I don’t know if any of you were at the the very first council meeting she attended AS AN ALTERNATE where she not only demand Carlos Quinones be removed from council (and btw he had every right to be there as an observer and not a voting member unless the session is in camera – showing a complete lack of governance knowledge that she claims to be so well-versed in) she did not stand or clap and literally turned her back on him when he received his service award, a complete sign of disrespect for a colleague who has done so much to serve our profession. This was not lost not only on me, but on other councillors who attended. I’m sure some of you saw this. Maybe you have forgotten, but I didn’t. Is this how you treat people who disagree with you? After being elected to the board, she and another boneheaded colleague then proceeded to heckle him at his category 1 course at the ASM in May. You talk about code of conduct – Dr Ahmed, look to yourself and maybe some reflection will help you realize why people don’t take you seriously. Also, what “fresh ideas” are you bringing to the table? I would love to see and hear them.
I supposed releasing confidential information about salaries and email addresses without consent, calling our CEO an “dictator” and malevolent misinformation about previous board members does not count as “bullying”? I see that Dr. DominicTrotti is still labeled as “shamefully discharged by GC” on this site, can someone please explain to me why this label is on him and not anyone else who was voted off? What exactly did he do that was so “shameful”? I also suppose no one has any concern about our leaky and dysfunctional board. Seems like the problems started after June 2025 with this new crop of people. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck….
We all want what’s best for the profession. But the nastiness I have seen here is just a bunch of complaints about how terrible everything is and yet NO ONE has any solutions as to how to make it better, especially this newly elected board. This reminds me of a dog who chases a car. Once the dog gets there, what do they do with that car? These questions are still unanswered.
Please see this for what it really is. A bunch of garbage bordering on libel. I’ve never been more embarrassed for our profession.
One more thing, for all of you complaining about being “silenced” let’s see how long my comment stays on here.
“ A bunch of garbage bordering on libel”. Are you describing the pure vitriol that Vice President Jonathan Mayer has continuously posted on his social media? It is, using your own words “garbage.” But to point it out is NOT “libel.” It is fact. To be clear, it is NOT a personal opinion on the state of Palestinian versus Jewish situation. That would be digressing. It is simply:
1. He breached the ODA’s very Code of Conduct with confirmed statements that are unbecoming of an ODA elected official and contrary the moral standard we expect of ODA members – Dr. Janet Leith take note. Jonathon Mayer is guilty.
2. He broke confidentiality when he spoke at the Muskoka Simcoe Dental Society in regards to the removal of an ODA board member. By then ODA President Dr. Manesh Jain’s own Presidential Memo “members are not to discuss this matter outside of this special meeting.” Jonathan Mayer did so, it’s been confirmed, and letters objecting to his behaviour to Dr. David Brown have gone unanswered. Further, our current ODA President Dr. David Brown, at our most recent ODA General Council Meeting said he would provide Jonathon Mayer’s statement to anyone who asked. Well, there were numerous asks… but he has not provided any statement. Jonathon Mayer is guilty.
3. By making numerous such disgusting statements, using foul and perverse language, as well as insulting our current Prime Minister, he presents a reputational risk to our profession and association at a time when we are trying to negotiate a federal CDCP remake. How is this helpful? How is this professional? How does this serve our members? Jonathon Mayer is guilty.
Again, this is not an argument about pitting one spiritual group against another, it is about a breach of moral, ethical and standard of behaviour. Simple as that, and with that if he had any respect or dedication to his profession and association, he would resign immediately. If our current board does not ask him to step down then THEY condone his behaviour.
Clearly you didn’t read any of the above comment, or this post, which was not about Dr. Mayer – at all.
I think the OP was referring to the defamatory nature of this website, which you don’t have to be a legal scholar to identify it as such. Do you know what “libel” is?
To my knowledge, there is an independent investigation regarding the Dr. Mayer situation. Why don’t we let them do their job and then continue that discussion when the time comes.
Amanda Trotti it”s you again. I heard there was a past board member who was telling people he wanted to be the ODA president as it was an easy way to get paid over 400 K and pretend to be a volunteer .He should concentrate on his failing practice instead.
did it ever occur it to you that maybe people other “Amanda Trotti” are done with your nonsense and are now finally starting to speak up
The “nonsense” keeps coming and piling up. Just can’t understand how anyone, even Amanda Trotti can support the absolutely stupid things Jonathon Mayer keeps doing himself to make our leadership look even more dysfunctional and corrupt.
the new board members cannot effect change because they are ignored, bullied and pre meted from tabling any new initiatives.