AVMA Board of Directors Now Serves Dual Role

Effective January 1, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Directors began serving twofold as the Board of Directors for the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) in a restructuring intended to increase value to AVMA members and maximize the AVMF’s potential contribution to the profession.

Still included on the newly established AVMF Board of Directors are a representative of the Auxiliary to the AVMA as well as a member of the AVMA House of Delegates. Previous AVMF directors are serving on the new AVMF Board of Advisors. The 2 boards will work jointly to advance the AVMF’s mission, activities, services, and programs.

“This is a natural progression of the strategic alignment the AVMA and the AVMF embarked on several years ago,” said Mike Topper, DVM, PhD, DACVP, AVMA’s immediate previous president and new chair of the AVMF Board of Directors.

By restructuring the AVMF Board of Directors, AVMA intends to focus closely on the valuable support the AVMF brings to the veterinary profession. The AVMF has raised over $55 million since it was established more than 55 years ago to support research, education, advocacy, and disaster relief. Since September 2017, the foundation has provided more than $300,000 to AMVA members affected by natural disasters.

“We are incredibly excited about the future,” said Karen L. Davis, DVM, former AVMF chair and current chair of the AVMF Board of Advisors. “This shift provides the opportunity to build on past success in an even more collaborative way, keeping the AVMF and the AVMA on a rewarding path of service to both animals and people.”