Veterinarians square off for AVMA top seat

Schaumburg, Ill.-Not since 1995 has more than one candidate run for the presidency of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Now Drs. Jan E. Bartels and Jack O. Walther say they're sparking competitiveflames within the AVMA as presidential hopefuls in the 2002 election.

The stimulation, they say, is vital for the profession.

"This goes right along with our philosophy," Walther says."In an organization that has more than 67,000 members, there shouldbe two people running for office."

House of Delegates members will vote on the presidency July 12, justbefore the 2002 AVMA Annual Convention kicks off in Nashville, Tenn.

Inside the candidacy

Both long-time AVMA members, Walther, 63, has served in the House ofDelegates for 10 years and now works as the group's vice president.

By contrast, Bartels, also 63, has run many AVMA volunteer groups andhas been involved in the organization's operations for about 27 years.

"The hallmark is having been at the very heart or bottom of allthe issues that face the organization and profession today," Bartelssays. "I know what services the membership needs. I think my credentialsare very extensive and probably match the challenges of the job of president."

But Walther's leadership style makes him the better candidate, he says.

"I have a long history of being involved in a number of large entities,"Walther says. "On many occasions, I've brought a number of people togetherwith minimal effort. I guess I just have a knack for that."

Background

Walther also has a knack for animal care. A practitioner since graduatingfrom the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in1963, Walther spent 35 years running a hospital in Reno, Nev., before retiringto a small ranching community only to take up practice a second time.

"I just couldn't retire," he says. "Now I'm in a mixedpractice and very happy. I will practice forever."

Bartels, on the other hand, has spent his career in academia. Upon graduatingfrom Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1965,he practiced a short time before receiving his master's in orthopedic surgeryand radiology. From there, he spent 33 years teaching at Auburn Universityin Alabama, retiring last year.

He says his lack of private practice shouldn't hurt his odds at the presidency.

"One out of every two presidents in the past 25 years has not beenthe traditional veterinary practitioner," he says.

What the future holds

As far as change is concerned, the AVMA doesn't need any, Bartels says.Instead, solving old problems and maintaining vitality within membershipwould be his major focus if elected, he says.

"Obviously, our profession needs to find a way to exteriorize themarket, becoming better known, better profiled to the public so they knowwhat we do," he says. "Right now, the public doesn't know thatwe don't just work on dogs and cats. They don't know that we're involvedin public health, the military, industry, laboratory animal welfare andfederal legislation."

Walther says his top priorities, should he be elected, would focus muchon the work he started as vice president.

"We have got to solve this problem between our organization andthe (American Association of Veterinary State Boards)," he says. "Theconflicts that have gone on because of our standardized testing methodsare not healthy for the profession. I know I will do everything in my powerto help solve this."

Like Bartels, Walther also says marketing is key to the profession'sgrowth.

"We don't market well, and there are a number of different waysto bring veterinarians into the world," he says. "If I left alegacy, I'd hope we could increase the visibility of our profession."M