de Jong wins District I seat on AVMA board

Dr. John H. de Jong has been declared the winner in the race for District I representative on the AVMA Executive Board.

The small animal practitioner from Weston, Mass., defeated Dr. John G. Hynes of Staten Island, N.Y., to succeed Dr. Douglas G. Aspros, whose term expires this August.

A total of 1,451 valid votes were cast by the March 10 deadline by AVMA members in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

"I am both honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve the AVMA and our profession in this capacity, and I would like to thank those AVMA members who supported my candidacy. I believe that the outcome of this election is a testament to the structure in organized veterinary medicine," Dr. de Jong said. "I look forward to bringing my energy, enthusiasm, and experience to the AVMA Executive Board and working on the many complex issues facing us today and in the future."

Dr. de Jong owns the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and is a partner and chief of staff at Neponset Animal Hospital in Dorchester, Mass. He is also founder and chief surgeon of a low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic.

Dr. de Jong got involved in organized veterinary medicine soon after graduating from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. Over the years, he has been elected president of the Massachusetts and New England VMAs as well as the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians.

In addition, Dr. de Jong has served in the AVMA House of Delegates since 1999 and has chaired the House Advisory and Governance Performance Review committees and the AVMA Political Action Committee Policy Board.