Dr. David McCrystle received his B.Sc. degree in 1960 and DVM in 1967 from the University of California at Davis. He was in private mixed practice in St. Helena, California, for two years and has subsequently been in practice in Healdsburg, California, for the past 37 years; he currently owns that practice.

At the local level, Dr. McCrystle has been active in the Redwood Empire Veterinary Association, holding each of its various offices during his tenure. He has served on the California Veterinary Medical Association's Board of Governors, has participated in its Ways and Means, Political Action, and Agriculture Committees, and has chaired that association's Animal Welfare Committee, as well as many of its task forces. On the national level, Dr. McCrystle served in the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) for 13 years, during which time he participated on the association's Long-range Planning, Leadership Conference Planning, and House Advisory Committees (chair for two years). Currently in his third year of service on the AVMA Executive Board, among many other duties, he has served as liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee (two years) and chaired its Animal Welfare Governance Task Force. With a special interest in small ruminants, Dr. McCrystle is also an active member of the related American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners, holding each of the offices within that association, chairing its Animal Welfare Committee and, subsequently, serving as its Executive Director.

Also extremely active in his community, Dr. McCrystle has served on the FFA County Fair Board for 30 years, been a member of the school board and Board of Directors of Healdsburg General Hospital, member and past President of the Sonoma County Humane Society, and chair of the county's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. In addition, he has been involved with the Healdsburg Youth Soccer League and served as President of the Animal Care Center. He has taught for 25 years in the Agriculture and Natural Science Department of Santa Rosa Junior College and was on its Animal Husbandry Advisory Board. Honored to have been chosen as an Honorary Chapter Farmer of the Healdsburg FFA Chapter, he is also a member of Phi Zeta Honor Society and one of 150 members of the National Academies of Practice (Veterinary Medicine). He was a member of the Youth Ethics Council of the Livestock Conservation Institute and was an important influence in ensuring that ethics became an integral part of the 4H and FFA show rings.

Dr. McCrystle and his wife, Karen, have two adult children-a daughter, Brenda, and a son, Kelly. Mrs. McCrystle is President of the CVMA Auxiliary, a member of the AVMA Auxiliary, and operates a successful interior design and framing business.