Dr. Craig Scott believes leadership was in his future from the beginning.
"As the eldest of five children in our family, I felt our birth order predicated that I should be a leader," says Scott, an orthodontist at Powell, Becker & Scott, DDS, PC.
"Growing up, I had two choices: I could be the role model I felt I should be, or I could, in effect, abandon my siblings and not be available to them for their physical, societal and even spiritual needs," he says.
"I chose to help."
Scott decided early on that putting his words into action would have the greatest impact on his younger siblings, and he has carried that into adulthood and his professional practice.
"As an orthodontist, I have an opportunity to mold and encourage thousands of young children and adolescents and have a positive influence on their lives," Scott says. "Having them see me in their community practicing what I preach speaks volumes."
He finds satisfaction when a young person decides he or she wants to pursue the field of dentistry because of watching him.
"I have been in private practice for almost seven years, and during that time, several patients have voiced an interest in orthodontics, and they are currently on the educational path to achieving a career in orthodontics."
Scott believes there are two ways to influence the success of others.
"One way is very much proactive and has at its core a well-defined and understood relationship ... (which) arises out of a positive impression and then continues at varying levels," he says. "The other way involves no such relationship. In fact, you may never even know that you had an impact on the life of another individual. Knowing that, perhaps, someone is watching what I do is a significant motivator for me to be consistent in my everyday actions."
Outside of work, Scott serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the Ronald McDonald house Charities Care Mobile, commonly called the Tooth Truck.
Previously, he served as the Greater Springfield Dental Society's chairman for National Children's Dental Health Month, which involved coordinating local dental coverage for health fairs and screenings and presentations on oral hygiene to Springfield Public Schools students.
"This was a very rewarding experience in that I was able to inform and teach young students in several schools the importance of maintaining proper oral health, and do it in a fun way," Scott says.[[In-content Ad]]
Springfield event venue Belamour LLC gained new ownership; The Wok on West Bypass opened; and Hawk Barber & Shop closed on a business purchase that expanded its footprint to Ozark.
