JAVMA News logo

June 01, 2020

Virginia VMA

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old

Event

Virginia Veterinary Conference, Feb. 27-29, Roanoke

Awards

Paul F. Landis Veterinarians of the Year
Drs. Margaret Rucker (Georgia ’75) and Bayard Rucker (Georgia ’75), Lebanon. The couple founded Southwest Virginia Veterinary Services in Lebanon. Dr. Margaret Rucker is a past president of the American Animal Hospital Association and Virginia VMA. Dr. Bayard Rucker is a past president of the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine.

Distinguished Virginia Veterinarian
Dr. Gregory Daniel (Auburn ’83), Blacksburg. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology, Dr. Daniel has served as interim dean of Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine since 2017. He is a past president of the ACVR and American Association of Veterinary Clinicians.

Veterinary Service Award
Drs. Jennifer LaPlume (Pennsylvania ’94), North Garden; Anna Russau (Pennsylvania ’03), Catlett; and Abby Sage (Pennsylvania ’87), Rockville. Dr. LaPlume owns Ragged Mountain Equine Services in North Garden. She has served on the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Equine Practitioners and VVMA. Dr. Russau owns Warrenton Horse Works, an equine practice in Catlett. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Sage works for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Recent Graduate Leadership Award
Dr. Lauren Maxey (Virginia-Maryland ’13), Falls Church. Dr. Maxey practices at Banfield Pet Hospital in Falls Church. She serves on the VVMA board of directors.

Mentor of the Year
Dr. Thomas Cecere (Virginia-Maryland ’05), Blacksburg. Dr. Cecere serves as an associate professor of anatomic pathology at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Virginia Academy of Food Animal Practitioners Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Susan C. Gardner (Oklahoma State ’70), won this award posthumously (see obituary, May 15, 2020, JAVMA). Dr. Gardner served as director of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ regional diagnostic laboratory in Lynchburg until retirement. Earlier in her career, she co-owned Bedford Animal Hospital in Bedford. Dr. Gardner was a past director of the VVMA.

Officials

Drs. Jay Margolis, Chantilly, president; Terry Swecker, Blacksburg, president-elect; Martin Betts, Charlottesville, vice president; Brian Neumann, Alexandria, secretary-treasurer; and Kelly Gottschalk, Richmond, immediate past president