AVMF board restructures, aligns with AVMA

By R. Scott Nolen
Published on
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To make the strategic interests of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation consistent with those of the AVMA, the two organizations have finalized a plan whereby the AVMA Board of Directors is now also the board of directors for the Foundation along with one representative each from the House of Delegates and the Auxiliary to the AVMA.

AVMA CEO and Executive Vice President Dr. Janet Donlin and members of the former AVMF board of directors presented the new governance structure Jan. 11 during the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference in Chicago. As Dr. Donlin explained, members of the former Foundation board of directors are now part of a newly created AVMF board of advisers, which was established to support the new AVMF board of directors.

Meeting in Chicago ahead of the leadership conference, the AVMA Board approved a recommendation from AVMF leadership finalizing the composition and mission of the new advisory board.

Dr. Donlin and AVMF officials
AVMA CEO Janet Donlin and American Veterinary Medical Foundation officials explain the Foundation's new governance structure. (Photo by Sara Beugen/Shoot My Events)

As part of the Foundation's new governance, the AVMA immediate past president will chair the AVMF board of directors. That position is currently held by Dr. Michael Topper. "This is a natural progression of the strategic alignment the AVMA and the AVMF embarked on several years ago," he said in an AVMA announcement.

The representative for the Auxiliary to the AVMA, currently Kimberly Topper, Dr. Topper's wife, remains on the AVMF board of directors. The chair of the House Advisory Committee, currently Dr. Sandra Faeh, continues to represent the AVMA HOD as a member of the AVMF board of directors. The Student AVMA president-elect, currently Kyre Larrabee, is an invited participant at all meetings of the AVMF board of directors and will also serve as a voting member of the AVMF board of advisers.

The new advisory board is a standing committee of the AVMF. Members are appointed by the chair of the AVMF board of directors and comprise four members of the AVMF board of directors, including the member representing the AVMA Auxiliary, and up to 11 additional at-large voting members.

"The AVMF has been providing vital support for the profession for more than 55 years," said Dr. Karen Davis, chair of the AVMF advisory board, in the AVMA announcement. "Each passing year has seen development in our programs and promotion of our mission."