Meet the Board candidate: Dr. Erin D. Casey
Candidate: District 2 director
Biographical statement provided by the candidate.
A Virginia native, Dr. Erin Casey is proud to represent her state as the delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) since 2017. She currently resides in Fredericksburg, Virginia, serving as the local professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.
Prior to joining industry, Dr. Casey served as a science and technology policy fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the U.S. State Department Biosecurity Engagement Program during the 2013 to 2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. She worked at the interface between biosecurity and policy as a liaison between the U.S. government and international colleagues, implementing outbreak control measures and coordinating disease prevention education.
She completed two years in small animal general practice in northern Virginia following a one-year small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C. Her professional endeavors prior to veterinary school included a master's degree from Eastern Illinois University with a focus on conservation genetics of salamanders, as well as ecotoxicology research on reptiles at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina.
An alumna of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Casey graduated in 2010 with an emphasis on international public health. During veterinary school, her summer experiences included serving as an extern with the AVMA's Governmental Relations Division in Washington and working in the intensive care unit at the University of Georgia's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In 2018, she was honored with the University of Georgia Young Achiever Award, nominated by AVMA Past President Dr. Michael Topper.
Her dedication to organized veterinary medicine is evident by the numerous volunteer positions she has held at the national and state levels. Dr. Casey was a member of the inaugural class of the AVMA's Future Leaders Program in 2010, served on the Veterinary Leadership Conference Planning Committee as a member and committee chair, and was on the Early Career Development Committee for three years. In addition to being the Virginia representative to the AVMA House of Delegates, she volunteers with the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) Mentorship Program in conjunction with the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a mentor to current veterinary students. Dr. Casey was honored to be selected as the presidential advisor to Dr. Hidayah Martinez-Jaka during her term as Student AVMA President (2021-2022). In addition, she was honored with the Commercial Representative Award by the VVMA in 2018 for her continued partnership with and support of the organization.
Statement of reason for seeking office
Statement of reason for seeking office provided by the candidate.
My motivation to run for the position of District 2 director is simple: it is the right thing to do and now is the time to do it.
Serving our profession is how I give back to colleagues whom I value and appreciate, and how I can advocate for a medical field that is often misunderstood and sometimes even undervalued. I have volunteered on national committees with the AVMA since graduation from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Being a member of the inaugural class of the AVMA Future Leaders Program was instrumental in shaping my involvement with organized veterinary medicine. These collective experiences, as well as mentorship from Drs. Michael Topper and Michael Bailey (former and current District 2 directors, respectively), instilled in me the desire to continue my volunteerism as a member of the Board of Directors.
Through interactions with veterinary students and veterinary technician students, as well as current veterinary colleagues, I have a firm understanding of the issues facing our profession. We need to work together as an entire veterinary team, including all support staff and veterinarians, to improve practice culture and workplace staffing shortages.
The time is now. With Dr. Bailey moving forward from the District 2 position in 2023 to undertake new challenges, I am excited and prepared to follow in his footsteps. I have the professional support of my leadership at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health to serve our profession in this capacity, and I have the experience and knowledge to do so successfully.