Arce and Faeh are in it to win it

By Story and photos by R. Scott Nolen
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Dr. Arce
Dr. José Arce

Drs. José Arce and Sandra Faeh are candidates for 2020-21 AVMA president-elect and 2020-22 vice president, respectively. The two launched their campaigns on Aug. 2 during the regular annual session of the AVMA House of Delegates in Washington, D.C.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Arce is one of the first natives of the U.S. commonwealth to serve on the AVMA Board of Directors. He has been the board representative for AVMA members living in Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico since 2014.

Should he win the office of president-elect next July, Dr. Arce would be the first Puerto Rican to serve as AVMA president.

A 1997 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Arce is president and co-owner of a companion animal hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His wife, Dr. Anik Puig, is also a veterinarian.

Dr. Arce was a member of the HOD from 2000 until joining the AVMA Board in 2014. He currently is a member of the board of advisers and board of directors for the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

As JAVMA News previously reported, Dr. Arce said he brings a global and diverse perspective to the board as a Hispanic native of Puerto Rico. After attending his first AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference in 1999, Dr. Arce says he knew the AVMA was the right place for him. "This is where I wanted to give my two cents and help the future of our profession. I enjoy it. I think if we don't work for our profession, nobody will," he told JAVMA News.

Dr. Faeh
Dr. Sandra Faeh

Dr. Faeh is the Illinois delegate in the House of Delegates. For the past year, she has chaired the House Advisory Committee, a position which made her the HOD representative on the AVMA Board.

The AVMA vice president serves a two-year term and is the Association's official liaison to the Student AVMA and its chapters. The vice president is a voting member on the AVMA Board.

A 1996 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Faeh practices at a small animal clinic in Elmhurst, Illinois. Her major interests include pediatric medicine and surgery, focusing mostly on cats and dogs.

Dr. Faeh is active in organized veterinary medicine at the local, state, and national levels. She has served as president of the Illinois State and Chicago VMAs and has been a member of the HOD since 2012. Additionally, Dr. Faeh is a member of the AVMF Board of Directors and the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference Planning Committee.