Dr. Mark P. Helfat of Lumberton, N.J., elected to six-year term on AVMA Executive Board Schaumburg, IL — Dr. Mark P. Helfat, a mixed-animal practitioner from Lumberton, N.J., is the new District II director on the American Veterinary Medical Association's Executive Board.
 District II, which includes 9,700 veterinarians in Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, elected Dr. Helfat to a six-year term. Voting for the District II director position ended April 1.
"It's an honor to be elected by District II to represent the interests of veterinary medicine on the Executive Board," says Dr. Helfat. "I received a huge amount of support from the members in this district and I want to thank them all. I look forward to six years of service to the AVMA, its loyal membership and its dedicated volunteers."
Dr. Helfat and Dr. Charles Dunn, of Media, Pa., ran in the contested election. Dr. Helfat will replace Dr. John Brooks of Bel Air, Md., whose term expires this year.
Dr. Helfat has been an active leader in organized veterinary medicine since graduating from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was a member of both the Student American Veterinary Medical Association and the Cornell Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Helfat has been a member of the AVMA House of Delegates since 2002. He was elected to the AVMA House Advisory Committee in 2003 and served seven years. As chair of the AVMA House Advisory Committee, he represented the HAC during Executive Board meetings.
Dr. Helfat has worked in a mixed-animal veterinary practice since graduating from Cornell in 1977. In 1979, he moved to the Bryan Animal Hospital in Mt. Holly, N.J., where he became an owner. He founded the Larchmont Animal Hospital in Mt. Laurel in 1995, where he still works full time.
Dr. Helfat is an active member of many state VMAs in his region, including his home state of New Jersey, as well as Delaware, Maryland, New York State, Pennsylvania and Virginia. He has served as both vice president and president of the New Jersey VMA. He has also served as the president of the South Jersey VMA.
Dr. Helfat has received numerous awards, including the NJVMA President's Award twice, the NJVMA Service Award, the South Jersey Veterinarian of the Year Award, the Friend of 4-H Award, and the AVMA Certificate of Appreciation on three occasions. He soon will begin a term on the board of the Cornell Veterinary Association.
Dr. Helfat and his wife, Mendy, are the proud owners of numerous dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens. For more information or a photograph of Dr. Helfat, please visit www.avma.org.
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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 81,500 member veterinarians worldwide are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. This year, the AVMA is celebrating Vet2011, which recognizes the 250th anniversary of veterinary medicine.
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