The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges have created a panel that will take a “big picture” look at the profession.
The new Veterinary Futures Commission, announced April 3, is made up of 10 people with links to veterinary medicine.
AVMA President Michael J. Topper, DVM, called the group members “big-picture thinkers” who will “participate in the critical strategic discussions we need to be having, asking the right questions and, when need be, challenging assumptions that might be holding us back.”
The 10 members are:
- Eleanor Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the Texas A&M University College Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Green, who will chair the panel, serves on the Today’s Veterinary Business editorial advisory board.
- Warwick Bayly, BVSc, MS, Ph.D., DACVIM, a professor of equine medicine at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Steve Curvey, the chief operating officer at Veterinary Study Groups Inc.
- Carla Gartrell, DVM, JD, DACVIM, the associate dean for academic affairs at Midwestern University.
- Christine Jenkins, DVM, DACVIM, the chief medical officer and vice president of veterinary medical services and outcomes research at Zoetis Inc.
- Jason Johnson, DVM, MS, DACT, the vice president and dean of the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.
- Adam Little, DVM, director of veterinary innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University.
- Shannon Mesenhowski, DVM, MPH, the program officer on the livestock/agriculture development team at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Ken Rotondo, DVM, MBA, the president and founding partner at Mind Genomics Advisors.
- Nancy Turner, DVM, a relief veterinarian in McKinney, Texas.
The group will meet up to three times a year.
“I think the diversity of perspective and experience that commission members bring to the table is going to promote some innovative thinking and help generate the kinds of ideas that will create opportunities and foster better decision-making,” said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, who heads the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.