Sean Rayment named William McKenna Volunteer Hero by Massachusetts Dental Society

When Sean Rayment DMD 97 DSc 00 graduated from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), he found himself looking for ways to stay connected with his peers.

“When I was at BU, I was the president of my class for three years and did volunteer work with a couple of different committees, as well as the alumni organization,” Rayment said. “When I graduated, I just wanted to stay connected to everyone.”

Two decades later, Rayment is being recognized for his volunteer work with organized dentistry by the Massachusetts Dental Society, which recently named him the 2021 William McKenna Volunteer Hero. This recognition, named in honor of the late Dr. William McKenna, is the society’s way of thanking those members who go above and beyond to help the MDS achieve its goals, inspire colleagues, and advance the dental profession.

Rayment said he was surprised—but thrilled—to be recognized.

“There’s a lot of people who have been honored with the award in the past and they’ve done so much, so it was really humbling to be included in that category,” he said.

Rayment started volunteering at the Yankee Dental Congress after graduating from GSDM, doing everything from working in the information booth to serving as presiding chair of the event. He has also served on the Delta Audit Task Force, as a delegate to the MDS House of Delegates, Leadership Institute 2016-2018, Mentor Program, as a member of the Yankee General Arrangement Committee and MDS Ethics Subcommittee, and is an MDS Foundation donor and an MDS Political Action Committee supporter.

From 2016 to 2020, Rayment chaired the MDS Dentist Health and Wellness Committee (DHWC), which serves to provide resources and services to MDS members to improve their overall health and well-being.

“Over time, we’ve really built it up to being a much bigger program than it was 10 years ago, so we’re able to offer a lot of services and programs for members,” Rayment said. “I really enjoy it. We have a lot of fun, a terrific team of volunteers with the committee.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DHWC stepped up to help MDS members, providing resources including a private Facebook group where members could connect and share wellness tips.

“We had our committee together basically the same day to talk on the phone, about everything that was going on—what we needed to do, services we needed to provide,” Rayment said. “We had no idea what we were going to need to do, but we knew it was going to be a difficult time.”

Rayment, who is also the immediate past president of the GSDM Alumni Board, said that organized dentistry provides ample opportunities to give back to the larger community.

“When you’re a part of these organizations, there’s a lot of volunteer opportunities available,” Rayment said. “I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun and you feel like you’re giving back.”