Former AVMA officer elected WVA president
AVMA past president Dr. René Carlson was elected president of the World Veterinary Association during the first electronic balloting of the WVA’s member-association representatives this past September. Former AVMA executive Dr. Lyle Vogel was also re-elected to a second full term as one of two North American councilors to the association.
The WVA is a federation of more than 80 national VMAs. Founded in 1863, the association is the internationally recognized representative of global veterinary medicine and has collaborative agreements with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization.
In recent years the AVMA has turned to the global stage to advance its strategic goals, particularly in the areas of animal welfare, food safety, public health, and veterinary education, and has worked to ensure that the U.S. veterinary profession’s voice is heard in international settings. Much of this effort requires engaging with foreign veterinary and scientific organizations on an international level.
“Veterinarians here in the states—indeed, veterinarians around the world—benefit from a U.S. presence on bodies like the WVA,” AVMA President Ted Cohn said. “It is critically important that we are able to bring such a strong voice to an international table of influence like the WVA Council.”
Drs. Carlson’s and Vogel’s terms on the WVA Council run from November 2014 through 2017.
Dr. Carlson was AVMA president from 2011-2012. She had previously served in the AVMA House of Delegates, on the AVMA Council on Education, and as AVMA vice president. Dr. Carlson currently serves as the AVMA director of international affairs and as chair of the Association’s Committee on International Veterinary Affairs.
“The WVA has tremendous potential to serve veterinarians and animal health professionals from around the world by facilitating collaboration in addressing important challenges, such as rabies control, veterinary medical education, animal welfare, the value of the human-animal interface, and a humanely produced food supply of animal origin,” Dr. Carlson said.
“I bring enthusiasm, passion, pride, positive energy, teamwork, and proven leadership to the WVA so as to further advance the credibility, visibility, and branding of the WVA, enabling it to reach its true potential as the true ‘voice of global veterinary medicine’ in the 21st century,” she said.
Dr. Vogel joined the AVMA in 1993 after nearly two decades as a food safety and public health specialist with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. With the AVMA, Dr. Vogel served as the assistant director of the Division of Membership and Field Services, director of both the Scientific Activities and Animal Welfare divisions, and, finally, as assistant executive vice president before retiring in 2010.
In his role as a WVA councilor, Dr. Vogel also serves as a member of the AVMA Committee on International Veterinary Affairs.
“I recognize the trust and obligation given to me as evidenced by this re-election to the WVA, and I look forward to working with the association’s new leadership to take advantage of the opportunities before us to help the WVA become a truly international representative for the veterinary profession,” Dr. Vogel said.
“We now have the ability to expand our membership, gain credibility as an international leader, and provide valuable services to our members. I want to help the WVA achieve its great potential.”
Go here for more information about the World Veterinary Association.