New initiatives sanctioned by board

The AVMA Executive Board addressed an abridged agenda, March 1-2 in Schaumburg, as a preliminary session prior to a joint planning retreat with the AVMA Long-Range Planning Committee, March 2-4 at a local conference center.

Dr. James H. Brandt, Nokomis, Fla., chaired the board meeting. Though its agenda was not extensive, the board approved several notable activities—the Josh project, recommendations from representatives of the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates and Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence Board, a new declawing position, an initiative to seek equal compensation for federal veterinarians, and stewardship of National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

These and the other proposals approved by the board totaled only $1,850 from the $200,000 contingency funds budgeted for 2003. Of that, $1,000 is for a consultant to review a proposed revision of the AVMA Constitution and Bylaws, and $850 is for an AVMA committee member to attend the 2003 Student AVMA Symposium.

A report of the board's actions follows.