Michael W. Cathey and Dr. Robert E. "Bud" Hertzog

"My personal mission, first and foremost, has always been about making a difference in the lives of others and the world in which we live," said Cathey, who started Aug. 11 at the AVMF. "As I have come to be more aware and educated about 'one health' and the interconnectedness of people, animals, and environment, there becomes no greater mission than the work of the AVMF and the AVMA."

Dr. Robert E. "Bud" Hertzog, AVMF chair, announced Cathey's appointment July 18 at the AVMA House of Delegates.

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 Washington, D.C. Cathey eventually became the Boy Scouts' director of major gifts and planned giving for the D.C. metropolitan area, leading a $50 million fundraising initiative before his departure.

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. The council loaned Cathey for a year to the National PTA as the parent-teacher association's deputy executive director.

Cathey also is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as well as the Rotary Club and other civic organizations.

"I believe I am uniquely matched to lead very successful efforts for the Foundation on behalf of the Foundation's mission of protecting and advancing the well-being and medical care of animals," Cathey said. "With the level of engagement and commitment of the Foundation board of directors and the support of the entire AVMA family, there are exciting and powerful things ahead for the Foundation."

In addition to Dr. Hertzog, the other officers of the 2008-2009 AVMF board are Dr. Anna van Heeckeren, Gates Mills, Ohio, vice chair; Dr. George W. Bishop, Carmel, Calif., treasurer; Rebecca J. Kuprowicz, MBA, Raleigh, N.C., secretary; and Dr. Tracy Rhodes, Buffalo, Wyo., immediate past chair.