SDA dental clinic bids farewell to retiring director

Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic held a farewell luncheon party for its outgoing director Richard Ludders Friday at the Aqua Resort Club.

The clinic’s resident dental hygienist Lori DeMaine hosted the luncheon.

The staff and management of the dental clinic prepared a PowerPoint presentation of Ludders’ memorable moments in the CNMI. Ludders, 65, is retiring and will leave Saipan on Dec. 8.

Ludders said he and his wife Heidi and children Alexandra and Morgan will be flying to Asheville, North Carolina where his children will continue their studies and where the couple will enjoy their retirement.

“I will retire but perhaps continue to be a relief dentist when needed,” he said.

A 40-year dental practitioner, Ludders said he would never forget Saipan, which holds a lot of fond memories for him and his family.

“I had wonderful experiences in the clinic,” he said, adding that he would never forget all of his 22 committed and devoted staff.

Ludders was a member of the Medical Professional Licensing Board. He said the community should not worry because despite his absence, the clinic he would be leaving behind will continue to serve the community by providing excellent dental care through a Christian setting.

“We are very fortunate that my replacement, Kenneth D. Piersons, is here to takeover the directorship of the clinic. I hope my staff would be loyal and understanding to him,” he said.

Ludders said he would not forget his staff because they have become part of him and his family. “I believe the hardest part of it all is leaving.”

One of the legacies that he said he would leave to the CNMI community would be the over a hundred hours the clinic has spent in educating private and public schools.

Incoming SDA Dental Clinic director Kenneth D. Pierson is from California. Only in his 30s, Pierson was personally handpicked by Ludders to take over his post. Ludders said Pierson is the perfect man to handle the challenge.

Pierson has been practicing dentistry for over six years. He and his wife, Crystal, will join hands in managing the clinic. He said his wife would also be one of the dentists in the clinic.

A graduate from Loma Linda University in California, Pierson said his coming over to Saipan is part of his family’s missionary work. He recalled that Ludders contacted his father last year to offer him for the position and a year later he finally agreed to continue his career across the Pacific.

“We have always wanted to go and God has led us into this transition,” Pierson said.

Pierson said he finds Saipan a great place and that so far the people he comes across with have been very wonderful and friendly. He said he never thought that Saipan would be better than he had imagined. He said he hopes his six-year “tour of duty” on the island would be meaningful and fruitful for his family and for the community.

He said he would make it a point to maintain excellent community service. Pierson said the outgoing director has been very helpful to him and that Ludders had become some sort of a mentor.

“I admire his dedication and commitment to the clinic and to community,” he said, adding that he plans to hold projects once a year that would benefit the needy in the CNMI.