President’s Corner

I have to admit that penning a President’s Corner piece for the AAWV Newsletter is a bit of an out-of-body experience: I have been reading these messages from the AAWV President for 15+ years now, since I joined the organization as a first-year veterinary student at UC Davis, and now it’s me doing the writing….is it really me this time?

Truthfully, it is an absolute thrill and an honor to have been elected President of this organization. Seventeen (!) years ago, having just decided to apply to veterinary school, I pestered Dave Jessup to sit down with me for an hour and tell me about wildlife medicine and what wildlife veterinarians do. Since then, the AAWV community of wildlife health professionals is one that I have aspired to emulate and have been hugely proud to be a part of. Many of you have been – and continue to be – advisors, mentors, colleagues and friends, and I can’t think of a more meaningful purpose or ethic around which to build community.

In my upcoming two years of service, I will use these President’s Corner pieces to let you know what I am doing as President, and what the organization is accomplishing for you as members, and for wildlife. I have several items to report to you here:

• Advisory Council formed: The AAWV Advisory Council is constitutionally-mandated as a 5-9 member council, appointed by the President, which serves as the consulting group for the AAWV Board of Governors (which is comprised of the elected officers). The immediate-past president serves as chairperson of the council, and seats on the Council are reserved for the Editor of the AAWV Newsletter, the AAWV Webmaster, and a student representative. The 2005-2007 AAWV Advisory Council is comprised of the following AAWV members: David Jessup (Chairperson); Leslie Dierauf, Dean Goeldner, David Hunter, Nadine Lamberski, Mark Atkinson, Mike Ziccardi, Jordan Mencher, and a student to be named.

• New joint AAZV/AAWV Committee on Conservation and Wildlife Health: The signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) in October 2005 has led to the establishment of a new committee of the AAZV, called the Committee on Conservation and Wildlife Health. The chairmanship of this committee will be jointly shared by the standing AAWV Vice-President, currently Dr. Jonathan Sleeman, and an AAZV member appointed by the AAZV President , currently Dr. Scott Larsen. Both Jonathan and Scott are members of both the AAWV and the AAZV. See Jonathan’s report on the first meeting of this committee in this newsletter.

• AAWV Associate Editor on the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine: Another element of the MOA with the AAZV is the designation of a new Associate Editor for Conservation and Free-ranging Wildlife on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, which is to be filled by an individual who belongs to both the AAWV and the AAZV. I am pleased to report that Dr. Terry Norton, St. Catherine's Island Foundation, has agreed to serve as the JZWM's first Associate Editor for Conservation and Free-ranging Wildlife.

• New AAWV Newsletter Editor: Dr. Jordan Mencher, University of Washington, has agreed to take over the reins as AAWV Newsletter editor from Joe Gaydos, who has served as editor since 2003. Jordan earned his DVM from Tufts University, has worked in mixed-animal private practice for several years, and earned a Master's degree in Wildlife Science at the University of Washington through the USGS, working with Tonie Rocke on oral and parenteral vaccination strategies against plague infection in black tailed prairie dogs and black footed ferrets. Huge thanks to Jordan for agreeing to take on this important position within the organization, and also a really huge thanks to Joe Gaydos for having done a terrific job with our newsletter over the last 3 years!

• North American Healthy Wildlife Initiative: The Unites States Animal Health Association (USAHA) held its annual meeting jointly with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics in Hershey, PA November 3 – 9, 2005. The USAHA is a science-based, voluntary organization whose membership includes state, federal and international animal and public health agencies, allied industry and professional organizations and individual members representing academia, animal owners and animal health professionals. The AAWV is an allied member of USAHA and has a seat on the USAHA Board of Directors. More than ever before, the 2005 USAHA meeting was notably focused on wildlife health, with very well-attended meetings of the Committee on Wildlife Diseases, Committee on Captive Wildlife and Alternative Livestock, and a USDA-ARS Wildlife Animal Health Research Review. Most importantly, the USAHA and AAVLD co-sponsored a scientific plenary session entitled “North American Healthy Wildlife Initiative.” The Committee on Wildlife Diseases passed a resolution for consideration by the USAHA Executive Committee, calling for support for the development and implementation of a National Fish and Wildlife Health Plan by an inclusive working group of appropriate governmental and non-governmental organizations under the leadership of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The AAWV voted to support this resolution both in Committee and at the November 9, 2005 meeting of the USAHA Board of Directors. The AAWV intends to be actively engaged in this planning process.

Lastly, in light of our 2004 vote rejecting merger with the AAZV to form a new, joint organization, I have set the following goals for my first year as President that I hope will facilitate this renewed and expressed desire of the membership to remain an autonomous organization of free-ranging wildlife health professionals:

• Vastly improve the timely renewal of membership by all members: we have had a chronic problem with receiving renewal dues from members. This is in part because we do not have a business management entity (e.g. Allen Press, or a hired Executive Director) to automatically generate dues reminder notices and payment envelopes. I will work with AAWV officers, Advisory Council and members to create and implement a better system for maintaining all members as current, paid members.

• Conduct a first-ever assessment of AAWV members: AAWV members have not ever been formally queried as to their wishes, needs, concerns and ideas as members. We will write and distribute a membership survey, collate your input, and present a report at the 2006 Annual Business Meeting. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ "ANNOUNCING AAWV MEMBER SURVEY" AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY FORM INSERTED IN THIS NEWSLETTER.

I am looking forward to serving the organization these next two years, and just want to remind you all that you are always welcome to call or email me anytime: kvgilardi@ucdavis.edu, or 530-752-4896.

Cheers,

Kirsten Gilardi