NIAA names Heider to board

ST. PAUL, MINN. - 4/28/05 - Dr. Larry Heider was elected to the National Institute for Animal Agriculture's (NIAA) board of directors during the group's annual meeting.

Heider, executive director of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, joins a handful of veterinarians on the 15-member board.

He describes NIAA as a "very interesting organization that can do a good bit for food quality and security."

"It's great to have a venue where people across the spectrum of food supply and agriculture come together," Heider says. "I've been immersed in veterinary medicine for most of my life. This is a chance to think out of the box."

NIAA's mission is to provide a forum for building consensus and advancing solutions for animal agriculture and to provide continuing education and communication linkages for animal agriculture professionals. Dr. Rick Sibbel, past president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, chairs the NIAA board.