August 15, 2020

Event

Annual meeting, Feb. 28-March 1, Murfreesboro

Awards

Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Douglas Balthaser (Tennessee ’81), Columbia. Dr. Balthaser is an animal health staff veterinarian and the emergency support coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. He previously served as interim state veterinarian and assistant commissioner for animal health. Early in his career, Dr. Balthaser practiced in Tennessee for more than 25 years.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Walter Clark (Tennessee ’83), Nashville. A diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Dr. Clark owns Grassmere Animal Hospital in Nashville. He is a past president of the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and Tennessee VMA.

Business

The TVMA announced the launch of its Member Assistance Program, which offers assistance for personal and professional concerns by providing free and confidential short-term counseling and provides resources for legal and financial consultations and online learning. The association also announced that the state professional privilege tax, which applied to all professionals licensed or registered to practice in Tennessee, was repealed in 2019 and will not have to be paid in 2020, following the efforts of a coalition of associations, including the TVMA.

Officials

Drs. Matt Povlovich, Thompson’s Station, president; Tai Federico, Chattanooga, president-elect; Bob Parker, Bartlett, vice president; Margaret “Midge” Phillips, Franklin, secretary-treasurer; and Danny Walker, Martin, immediate past president