I want to thank our members, our executive board and the staff of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association for entrusting me to become the FVMA’s 97th president. It is the honor of a lifetime, as our profession continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities that demand our resilience, adaptability and dedication.
One of our key priorities this year is strengthening our advocacy efforts. Our profession faces challenges today that could alter the way we practice, significantly harm our patients and negatively affect the people who care for them. I want to thank the FVMA Legislative Committee for the work they have done in limiting what could have been a devastating telemedicine bill, defeating the midlevel practitioner bill and many other efforts within this state. We will need to continue the fight in years to come, and we cannot do this without membership and a strong Political Action Committee (PAC).
My heart is full as I see fresh graduates get involved with organized veterinary medicine, due largely in part to the FVMA Power of 10 Program. We celebrated the graduates of our fourth class at the FVMA Annual Conference in April and kicked off our fi ft h. Graduates now sit on the FVMA executive board, the FAEP board, and have become FVMA committee members, presidents of their local associations and active leaders in their communities. I encourage new graduates to apply to this program and to become involved. I speak from experience when I say that you stand to gain way more than you give.
Another focus is member support and professional development. Th rough top-notch continuing education (CE) that meets the demands of all generations, well-being initiatives such as ”Inspire by FVMA,” response to natural disasters through the Disaster Committee and much more, the FVMA remains committed to fostering a thriving veterinary community.
I want to thank everyone who attended the FVMA Annual Conference back in April. We hopped in our DeLorean and traveled back to the ‘80s! Our next meeting will be Th e Gulf Atlantic Conference at the Marriott Tampa Water Street on September 11-14, and I look forward to meeting you all there. Our Education Committee and staff are working tirelessly to ensure the best conference experience for our members!
Thank you all for your unwavering commitment to veterinary medicine. I am proud to serve
alongside you, and I look forward to what we will accomplish together.