Five veterinarians honored by AASV
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians honored five members for extraordinary contributions to their clients, association, and profession.
Dr. Luc Dufresne of Kansas City, Missouri, received the Swine Practitioner of the Year Award, which is given to veterinarians who demonstrate unusual proficiency and effectiveness in delivering veterinary services. He has been the director of health assurance for Seaboard Farms since 2004, and previous roles with companies in Canada and the U.S. have included swine health manager, consultant, veterinary staff supervisor, and health services director.
Dr. Scott Dee of Alexandria, Minnesota, received the Howard Dunne Memorial Award, which honors an AASV member for important contributions and outstanding service to the AASV and the swine industry. He is director of research for Pipestone Veterinary Services in Pipestone, Minnesota, where he both oversees a research division and conducts research on air filtration, porcine epidemic diarrhea transmission, and biosecurity. He also is a past president of the AASV.
Dr. Patrick Webb of Dexter, Iowa, received the AASV Meritorious Service Award. He has been director of swine health for the National Pork Board since 2005, and his career has included work on emergency preparation and developing and delivering foreign animal disease education to pork producers, veterinarians, county emergency managers, and emergency responders. He also is chair of the AASV Foreign Animal Disease Committee.
Dr. Chase Stahl of Fairmont, Minnesota, received the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award, given to an AASV member who has demonstrated ideals of exemplary service and proficiency within five years of graduation. The 2012 veterinary graduate from Iowa State University is a partner at Fairmont Veterinary Clinic, which serves swine and beef industries in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
He was honored for taking pride in developing relationships with clients, listening to them, and developing and implementing plans, AASV information states. He also had helped organize the National Pork Industry Foundation veterinary student internship program for first- and second-year students.
Dr. Bob Thompson of Franklin, Kentucky, received the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award, which is given for unusual proficiency and effectiveness in delivering veterinary service to companies and their clients as well as tireless service to the AASV and the swine industry. He was honored for technical service at Pig Improvement Company, where he is coordinator of health services for North America.
He has helped eliminate porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome among PIC herds, establish herds without the virus, and coordinate research on disinfection in transportation trailers to protect against PRRS and PED viruses. He also is a member of the Trucker Quality Assurance Advisory Board and the Swine Health Committee for the National Pork Board.