AVMA announces 2024-2025 volunteer leaders

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During the 2024 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention, the association shared the new volunteers that were elected for the 2024-2025 term. The association announced that Sandra Faeh, DVM, will serve as the 2024-2025 president, Michael Bailey, DVM, DACVR, AAAS/AVMA, will be the president-elect 2024-2025, Robert Knapp, DVM, will serve as board of directors chair, Sandy Wills, DVM, MVSc, DACVIM, will serve as board of directors vice chair, and Gary Marshall will serve as the AVMA Vice President from 2024 to 2026.

Faeh

Faeh polished off almost 30 years in organized veterinary medicine by becoming AVMA president. As she takes on the role of president, Faeh pledged to advance, promote, and protect the profession, and support younger generations of veterinary professionals through mentorship, and collaboration with colleagues across the industry.

“As I embark on this journey, I hope to visit many of our colleagues in their daily lives, because my work as AVMA president will focus on their needs and the issues facing all of us as veterinarians,” said Faeh, in the organizational release.¹ “My priorities are aligned with those of the AVMA, which is working hard every day to ensure that our members’ interests come first and that we can continue to make the health and welfare of our patients and the animals we serve our top priority.”

Faeh’s involvement in organized veterinary medicine began in 1995 when she served as the national Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) president. Faeh then went on to graduate from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. Since then, she has served as president for both the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, Illinois alternate delegate as well as delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, chair of the AVMA House Advisory Committee, and then AVMA vice president. Currently, along with her role as president, Faeh is the chief veterinary officer for National Veterinary Associates where she is working to also create a clinical mentorship program.

According to the release, as president, Faeh said she will work to maintain the AVMA leadership priorities and focus on what members need, including protecting the integrity of the veterinarian-client-patient-relationships.

Bailey

Bailey’s election has made AVMA history by becoming the first AVMA Black president-elect. He attended Rutgers University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences for his undergraduate degree and attended Tuskegee University for his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Bailey, went on to complete a comprehensive internship and radiology residency at Michigan State University.

Bailey has served on the facilities of Michigan State, The Ohio State University, and Tuskegee University. During his time in Ohio, he pioneered the state's first private practice advanced veterinary CT imaging services. He also launched referral and emergency imaging facilities in Pittsburgh. Bailey is also the lead radiologist for over 1,000 facilities for a nationwide veterinary practice and was a crucial part of nationwide distributed veterinary telemedicine and imaging services.

According to the release, Bailey is currently serving as the director of medical innovations in telemedicine for an international telemedicine consulting business and an AAAS/AVMA Congressional fellow serving as a full-time scientific legislative advisor within a congressional office.

“The AVMA as a member association thrives on our collective efforts,” said Bailey.¹ “Our esteemed members and colleagues are not just a part of the AVMA but its essence and backbone. Together, we can inspire our colleagues back home to join this journey of service. Their involvement is essential to our collective success.”

Bailey has been involved in organized veterinary medicine at both the state and national level, including serving on the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association board and president as well as recently completing his 6-year term on the AVMA Board of Directors as a District 2 representative.

Knapp

Knapp has served as an AVMA board member since 2019 and became vice-chair of the Board this past year. Knapp is a small animal practitioner in Columbus, Ohio, where he owns Knapp Veterinary Hospital, a 6-veterinarian practice that first opened its doors in 1945 by Knapp’s grandfather.

Knapp received his undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ohio State University and joined his father at the Knapp Veterinary Hospital after graduation and took over ownership in 2007. Knapp has remained active with Ohio State serving as treasurer of the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association, where he also served as president in 2008.

He has been active in organized veterinary medicine for years, serving within various capacities for over 20 years in the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), and is a long-term member of the Board of Directors. In 2007, he served as president of OVMA and was an Ohio delegate in the AVMA House of Delegates.

Willis

Willis graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 and completed a residency in small animal internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and then an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves as a small animal internist for Zoetis Reference Labs in Mukilteo, Washington, and was voted Washington State Veterinary Medical Association’s Veterinarian of the Year in 2015.

Willis is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and served as its chair of the Communications Committee, Business Management Session chair for the ACVIM Forum, and a member of the ACVIM Foundation Development Committee. She also has been board president of the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project in Lynnwood, Washington.

She served as the chair of the AVMA House Advisory Committee and a member of the Strategic Management Committee, Budget Finance Review Committee, and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation board of directors before joining the association's Board of Directors in 2020. She was a Washington delegate and alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates. Willis has held multiple roles within the AVMA such as site visitor for the AVAM Council of Education, AVMA Governance Performance Review Committee member, and chair for both task force and working group volunteer engagement.

Marshall

Marshall graduated from the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1989 and has since owned 2 small animal clinics and founded a feline-exclusive practice, Island Cats Veterinary Hospital, on Mercer Island.

During his time in school, Marshall served as the SCAVMA president at Washington State College of Veterinary Medicine served as past president of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, and served on the Board of Directors. He was chosen to serve as Washington State’s alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates and served on the Board of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative.

Reference

American Veterinary Medical Association elects new volunteer leaders for 2024-2025 term. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 24, 2024. Accessed June 26, 2024. https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/american-veterinary-medical-association-elects-new-volunteer-leaders-2024-2025