Liaisons, representation, and sponsorships decided

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Following is a summary of the liaisons, representation, and sponsorships the Executive Board agreed to in November.

  • National Mastitis Council: The liaison relationship was continued for 2000, and Dr. Richard Meiring was appointed liaison representative.
  • Dairy Quality Assurance Project Board: Liaison was established, and Dr. Craig Smith was appointed to the liaison position.
  • Association of American Feed Control Officials, Pet Food Committee: A liaison relationship was established.
  • Livestock Conservation Institute: Membership in the LCI was continued, and Dr. Timothy Trayer was appointed liaison representative. The AVMA board also agreed to help fund the LCI's proposed sheep-handling video, important because sheep industry project funding is difficult to procure.
  • National Institute for Animal Agriculture (the new name for the Livestock Conservation Institute, beginning in 2000) The AVMA will co-sponsor its inaugural meeting to be held April 10-14, 2000 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
  • US Pharmacopeial Convention: The liaison relationship was continued, and Dr. Dawn Boothe, a member of the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents, was appointed to serve as alternate delegate; in July 2000 she will be named delegate until 2005.

As recommended by the council, the AVMA Executive Board amended its US Pharmacopeia position statement to encourage the USP to expand the delegation representing veterinary medicine at the US Pharmacopeial Convention to include a strong contingent from veterinary educational establishments, ie, one representative from each US veterinary college. It is the AVMA's intent that these would be in addition to current delegates from the AVMA, Animal Health Institute, American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

The AVMA also encourages the members of the USP Committee on Revision who advise on veterinary medicine to develop a formalized process, such an advisory panel, that will involve veterinarians with expertise in bovine, swine, equine, small ruminant, companion animal, avian, aquaculture, and laboratory animal species.

  • American Veterinary Dental Society: The board authorized the AVMA to join the dental society and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc in co-sponsoring the sixth Pets Need Dental Care, Too campaign in 2000.

The board took the following actions involving representation on various AVMA entities:

  • Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates: The commission was expanded by one member who is a representative of the Canadian National Examining Board.
  • Committee on the Human-Animal Bond: A committee member was approved as representative to the 2000 Student AVMA Symposium, March 17-18 at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Martha Littlefield-Chabaud was appointed. The board approved sending the AVMA's human-animal bond exhibit to the SAVMA symposium, accompanied by AVMA staff support to the committee.
  • Student AVMA: A Student AVMA representative designated by SAVMA was authorized by the Executive Board to attend all AVMA Legislative Advisory Committee meetings.

The following actions were taken by the Executive Board on recommendation of the Long-Range Planning Committee:

  • Liaison was established between the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents and the Association of American Feed Control Officials' Task Force on Novel Agents (ie, nutraceuticals). Dr. Fairfield Bain was appointed liaison representative, with Dr. Dawn Boothe as alternate for one year and then liaison representative.
  • Liaison was established with the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture Working Group for Quality Assurance in Aquaculture Production, and oversight was assigned to the Aquaculture and Seafood Advisory Committee. Dr. Donald Hoenig was appointed liaison representative.
  • Liaison with the Integrated Resource Management/Production Efficiency Subcommittee of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association was discontinued. The board approved a motion to establish a broader liaison relationship between the AVMA and the NCBA. Dr. James Clement was appointed to represent the AVMA in that capacity.
  • Membership on the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities was increased by two veterinary technicians who are not technician educators.
  • The Food Safety Advisory Committee will include a representative from the field of aquatic animal medicine, nominated by the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine.
  • Liaison with the International Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Alliance was continued, and oversight responsibility was assigned to the Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Leon H. Russell's term on the HACCP Alliance board of directors was extended and will now expire Dec 31, 2000.
  • The AVMA liaison with the US Technical Advisory Group for Humane Trap Standards was continued, with oversight by the Animal Welfare Committee. Dr. Jim Sikarskie was confirmed as liaison representative.
  • Positions on the Animal Agriculture Liaison Committee representing the American Horse Council and the AAEP were discontinued, because there are presently no issues of mutual concern.