American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians – October 19, 2023

Event

The American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians (AAFSPHV) held a virtual meeting on October 19.

Awards

Veterinarian of the Year

Dr. Sharon Thompson (Virginia-Maryland ’87), Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Thompson is a professor and director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She is also co-director of the Tennessee Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. Dr. Thompson previously served as the associate director for veterinary medical and international affairs at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and was the Department of Health and Human Services liaison to the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Daniel E. Lafontaine Memorial Scholarship

Daniel G. Cook (Missouri ’26), Jefferson, Missouri, was the inaugural recipient of this scholarship, providing tuition support to students and veterinarians working on a veterinary or master’s degree with an emphasis on food safety and public health.

AVMA Student Scholarship

Taylor Williams (Tufts '25)

Business

The AAFSPHV provided members with an update on the organization’s work during the past year. The association sponsored symposia on food safety at the annual conventions of the AVMA and the United States Animal Health Association. Monthly continuing education webinars on food safety, One Health, and public health are being provided in partnership with the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the National Association of Federal Veterinarians. Dr. Katherine Waters, executive vice president of the AAFSPHV, reported on membership and finances. Drs. Paulo Mohyla, Pamela Abney, and Gabriel Innes, who represent the association on the AVMA Food Safety Advisory Committee, Legislative Advisory Committee, and Committee on Antimicrobials, respectively, reported on the activities of those committees. Dr. Kristen Clark, AAFSPHV delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD), provided an update on her work with the HOD.

Officials

Drs. Angela Demaree, Indianapolis, president; Catherine Alexander, Minneapolis, recording secretary; Kelly Vest, Blackwell, Oklahoma, treasurer; Donna DeBonis, Oak Harbor, Washington, immediate past president; Katherine Waters, Denver, executive vice president and AVMA alternate delegate; Kristen Clark, St. Paul, Minnesota, AVMA delegate; and directors—Drs. Leslie Brooks, Indianapolis; Van H. Brass II, Columbus, Ohio; Heather Bair Brake, Atlanta; Mike Gilsdorf, Sykesville, Maryland; Will Sander, Urbana, Illinois; and Pamela Abney, Guntersville, Alabama

A version of this story appears in the February 2024 print issue of JAVMA