James Schulz Jr. named ADA senior vice president of government and public affairs

The American Dental Association named James (Jim) Schulz Jr. senior vice president of government and public affairs Aug. 2. Mr. Schulz, who will oversee lobbying activity, set legislative agendas, and hold staff accountable for performance metrics, officially started his new role Aug. 1.

While Mr. Schulz will work out of the ADA’s office in Washington, D.C., he will lead the strategic plan on legislative advocacy in collaboration with volunteer agencies and ADA staff in both D.C. and the Association’s Chicago office.

“Advocacy is one of the most powerful tools our ADA community has to improve the lives of the profession and the public,” said Raymond Cohlmia, D.D.S., Executive Director of the ADA. “Jim’s ability to galvanize stakeholders on both sides of the aisle, coupled with our best-in-class government and public affairs ADA team, ensure future advocacy work that will benefit the public and profession.”

Schulz previously served as director of governmental and public affairs for the New Jersey Dental Association and was executive director of the New Jersey Dental Political Action Committee. During his 20-plus-year NJDA tenure, Mr. Schulz played a key role in ensuring oral health care professionals were classified during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in New Jersey and securing the reinstatement of a full-time New Jersey dental director by a licensed dentist for the first time since 1989, according to an ADA news release. 

Mr. Schultz served on the ADA Task Force for Strategic Planning in Public Policy and was a consultant to the ADA Emergency Department Referral Working Group. He was also part of an ADA Task Force that focuses on state strategies to address third-party payer intrusion in dentistry and oral health.