Nominate or run for a seat at the AVMA table

One way that AVMA members can make their voices heard is through service on one of the Association's councils, committees, or other entities. Members who serve on these AVMA entities contribute toward decisions involving veterinary-related issues by providing their expertise and expressing their views on matters ranging from veterinary education and animal welfare to legislation and food safety.

Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, AVMA CEO and executive vice president, said, "If AVMA is going to maintain relevance to its members, it is critical that we continue to have strong member participation on our various councils, committees, and task forces. It is our members who have made AVMA a great organization for the profession, and it is continued member participation that will keep us a strong voice for veterinary medicine into the future.

"The time commitment does not have to be significant, and yet, virtually every council and committee member I have spoken with feels they have benefited personally from the experience."

Nominations are being sought for 73 vacancies on AVMA entities.

Council nominations may be made by organizations represented in the AVMA House of Delegates or by petition of 10 voting members. Committee nominations, unless otherwise noted, may be made by local or state veterinary associations, by allied groups represented in the HOD, or by AVMA members on their own or another's behalf.

The HOD will fill all council vacancies when it convenes in July 2011 in St. Louis. Council nominations must be submitted by April 1, 2011, to the AVMA Office of the Executive Vice President. Nominations for the Council on Education, however, must be submitted by Feb 1, 2011, so that the Council on Education Candidate Qualification Review Committee may review the nomination materials prior to the HOD election.

Nominations are being sought for eight previously unfilled committee vacancies so the Executive Board can appoint members in November 2010. The deadline for those nominations is Oct. 20. The vacancies are on the Animal Welfare Committee, Committee on the Human-Animal Bond, Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee, Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues, Convention Management and Program Committee (two positions), Food Safety Advisory Committee, and Legislative Advisory Committee.

The Executive Board will fill all the other committee and trust vacancies at its April 2011 meeting. Nominations are also invited for one Political Action Committee Policy Board member to be appointed by the House Advisory Committee at its March 2011 meeting. Committee and trust nominations should be submitted to the AVMA Office of the Executive Vice President no later than March 7, 2011.

Council, committee, and trust nomination materials, including descriptions of the entities and vacancies, are available here, or by calling AVMA headquarters at (800) 248-2862, Ext. 6605, or e-mail.