Guest Blog: Tom Raffio, Northeast Delta Dental CEO

Not only are we excited to have Northeast Delta Dental as a MAJOR sponsor of Millennium Running, but we are equally excited about having their CEO and President, Tom Raffio, run in ALL of our events.  You may have spied Mr. Raffio at the races since he often wears the signature Delta Dental neon green shirt and is likely the friendliest runner you’ll meet after a race.  If you have not seem him at a Millennium Running race, you may have seen him at one of the other 70+ races he participates in annually!

We asked Tom to ring in on why Northeast Delta Dental is such a big supporter of our running community.

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By the end of the 2012 running season, I will have run 80 races (mostly 5ks but also several longer races), and Northeast Delta Dental will have been the financial sponsor for about the same number of races, from large well known races such as the Mount Washington Road Race, to race series such as the Capital Area Race Series (CARS) and the Millennium Series, to all sorts of smaller but just as compelling community races that generally raise money for great not-for-profit organizations or charities.

Why?

Primarily because running is the purest form of sport and fitness, a great way to enhance wellness in the community, and the camaraderie among runners also enables Northeast Delta Dental to reach citizens with an oral health message. Similar to running as a road to wellness, without good oral health, one cannot have good overall health. You cannot separate your mouth from your body and have holistic health — your mouth is your portal, and there is so much science out there documenting the dental/medical systemic connections. The running community, whether elite runners or recreational runners such as myself, are in tune to wellness, which facilitates their receptivity to the oral health message.

Because of the economy and the Affordable Care Act, dental benefits are being de-coupled from the small employer, so many citizens, including runners, are left without group dental coverage. We want runners to know that we offer a program specifically for individuals and families with no access to employer purchased group dental benefits. Road races have become a vehicle to deliver the oral health message. That’s a business decision and strategy.

But, quite candidly, even if it made no business sense, I would be running in two road races every weekend, regardless, to help me deal with stress, to keep well, to keep my weight in line, and to enjoy the camaraderie of other runners, a great community of people.

– Tom Raffio
President & CEO
Northeast Delta Dental

Northeast Delta Dental offers reliable oral health protection for individuals and families who do not have dental insurance coverage through their employers. Enrolling is easy. Smile, knowing that you’re taking good care of yourself and your family. Please visit DeltaDentalCoversMe.com to learn more. About Tom Raffio Tom Raffio is President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, which administers the dental benefits of nearly 745,000 people in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Well known for its customer service, Northeast Delta Dental has been recognized regionally and nationally for its human resource management, corporate social responsibility, and management practices. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Great Place to Work® Institute ranked Northeast Delta Dental among the 25 Best Small Companies to Work for in America for five consecutive years. → Continue Reading Tom’s Bio