Augusta University
Stacey Hudson
The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) has named Dr. Eladio DeLeon, Jr., Emeritus Faculty at The Dental College of Georgia, as the recipient of the 2024 Earl E. and Wilma S. Shepard Distinguished Service Award.
The award recognizes an individual for outstanding dedication and advancement of the ideals and mission of the ABO, including maintaining the highest level of patient care and excellence in orthodontics. The board also oversees certification for orthodontists.
“I am immensely grateful to the American Board of Orthodontics for this tremendous honor. It has been my passion to work and support the mission of the ABO, and I consider it a privilege and honor to support the educational process,” DeLeon said.
Dr. DeLeon considered it an honor to join the faculty in 1998. He was named Marvin C. Goldstein Chair of Orthodontics and director of the Graduate Orthodontic Program at The DCG in 2000, serving until his retirement at the end of 2023. Previously, he served for 22 years in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, retiring in 1998 as a full colonel.
“Dr. DeLeon’s passion for orthodontics shines through his distinguished career, from serving in the Army to leading our department’s growth. His dedication to excellence, evident in his leadership roles and commitment to patient care, is an inspiration to us all,” said Dr. Nancy Young, Dean of The DCG. “The ABO’s Shepard Award is a well-deserved recognition of his lasting impact on the field.”
Certified by the ABO, Dr. DeLeon was elected to the ABO board of directors in 2008 and was ABO president during the 2015-2016 year. He chaired the ABO Written Examination Committee from 2008-2015 and remains a member. He also serves as an examiner for the ABO Clinical Examination.
Dr. DeLeon served as commissioner for orthodontics for the Commission of Dental Accreditation from 2019-2020. He is a fellow of the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists. He is also a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association and the Southern Association of Orthodontists, which honored him with the Legend Award in 2022 and the Oren Oliver Distinguished Service Award in 2016.
Dr. DeLeon obtained his D.M.D. degree from the University of Kentucky. He completed his orthodontic residency training and received his orthodontic certificate and M.S. degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
