The Executive Board authorized continued support for the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues by allowing an amendment to its articles of incorporation extending its existence to March 1, 2010. The articles were set to expire this March.

The two other founding members of the NCVEI that make up the commission's board of directors along with the AVMA—the American Animal Hospital Association and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges—concurred about another five years for the NCVEI.

The NCVEI was formed in 2000 to address the problems identified in the KPMG Megastudy and the Brakke Report and to find a way to raise the economic base of the veterinary profession.

Since its inception, the NCVEI has experienced phenomenal success. Commission chairman, Dr. James E. Nave, told the Executive Board that 59 percent of veterinarians know about the NCVEI. Of those who have used the free, interactive tools available on the commission's Web site, 85 percent perceive that it has a positive impact on their income.

"To say that you're going to change the whole culture of the veterinary profession is the challenge, and (the NCVEI) has met that challenge," Dr. Nave said.

Sponsors of the NCVEI support the commission's continuation, and they acknowledge the commission's good work.

They and the commission board recognize the importance of ensuring that the NCVEI's benchmarking and Skills, Knowledge, Aptitude, and Attitude Programs—already widely adopted—are an enduring part of the tools and knowledge that veterinarians use to achieve and maintain economic stability for personal and professional growth.