The membership of the AVMA is similar in number to the population of a small city or large town—and the Association's leaders hope that members attending the 146th AVMA Annual convention will participate in the inaugural AVMA Town Hall Meeting, today at 1 p.m.

Dr. James O. Cook, Association president, said, "We have a number of items that we want to focus on during this first-ever town hall meeting—including animal welfare, the veterinary workforce shortage, and AVMA's goals—but the primary focus of this meeting will be the issues of concern expressed by each veterinarian who participates."

Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA, will start the town hall meeting by reviewing the Association's strategic goals. Then he will open the floor to questions and remarks from all attendees during an open forum on veterinary issues.

"Our goal for this meeting is to bring together the broadest possible cross section of the veterinary profession and then learn as much as we can from their comments, opinions, and experiences," Dr. DeHaven said.

The conversation could cover concerns such as student debt, federal regulations, and the retirement of the baby boomers.

"AVMA leadership is looking for input from the attendees about some of the challenges facing the profession," said Dr. James E. Creed, chair of the AVMA Convention Management and Program Committee.

Member input on Association matters also is important, said Malyssa Sopko, assistant director of the AVMA Convention and Meeting Planning Division. She said Association leaders seek more interaction and two-way communication with members, who traditionally might only read the JAVMA and possibly write letters to the editor.

Sopko added that the dialogue at the town hall meeting will let members learn more about the range of AVMA activities. The Association has sent witnesses to congressional hearings to testify about workforce needs, for example, and routinely submits comments on federal regulations that could impact veterinarians.