Michael W. Cathey and Dr. Robert. E "Bud" Hertzog.The American Veterinary Medical Foundation has hired a new director, Michael W. Cathey, who has had a long career as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Robert E. "Bud" Hertzog, AVMF chair, announced the appointment to the AVMA House of Delegates on Friday.

Dr. Hertzog noted that Cathey grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and spent 17 years working for the Boy Scouts of America. During those years, Cathey moved from Oklahoma to Colorado to the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. In that position, he served as the Boy Scouts' director of major gifts and planned giving for the D.C. area.

After a brief stint in 2002 as director of development for the American Medical Association Foundation, Cathey became executive director of development for the National Safety Council. The council, which has headquarters near Chicago, has the mission of preventing accidental injuries and deaths.