AVMA Leaders Elected to World Veterinary Association Council

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) Oct. 9, 2014 – Dr. René Carlson, a past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), has been elected president of the World Veterinary Association(WVA). Welcoming Carlson to the WVA Council is Dr. Lyle Vogel, a former AVMA executive who has been re-elected as one of two WVA councilors for North America.

The WVA is a federation of more than 80 national veterinary medical associations from around the globe. Founded in 1863, the WVA is the internationally recognized representative of global veterinary medicine and has collaborative agreements with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

In recent years the AVMA has turned to the global stage to advance its strategic goals, particularly in the areas of animal welfare and veterinary education, and has dedicated itself to ensuring that the U.S. veterinary profession’s voice is heard in international settings. Much of this work involves engagement with other veterinary and scientific organizations working on an international level.

“Veterinarians here in the states, indeed veterinarians around the world, benefit from a U.S. presence on bodies like the WVA” said AVMA President Dr. Ted Cohn. “It is critically important that we are able to bring such a strong voice to an international table of influence like the WVA Council. We congratulate Dr. Carlson and Dr. Vogel and look forward to increased collaboration with our veterinary colleagues from around the world.”

Both Carlson’s and Vogel’s terms will run from November 2014 through 2017.

Carlson served as AVMA president in 2011-12, and she previously served in the AVMA’s House of Delegates, on the AVMA Council on Education and as AVMA vice president. Her current role as the AVMA director of international affairs includes serving as chair of the AVMA’s Committee on International Veterinary Affairs. Carlson received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Minnesota and practiced small-animal medicine for more than 30 years.

“The WVA has tremendous potential to serve veterinarians and animal health professionals from around the world by facilitating collaboration in addressing important challenges, such as rabies control, veterinary medical education, animal welfare, the value of the human-animal interface and a humanely produced food supply of animal origin,” Carlson said. “I will bring enthusiasm, passion, pride, positive energy, teamwork and proven leadership to the WVA so as to further advance the credibility, visibility and branding of the WVA, enabling it to reach its true potential as the true ‘voice of global veterinary medicine’ in the 21st Century.”

Vogel received both his doctor of veterinary medicine degree and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota. After serving for 26 years in the United States Army Veterinary Corps as a food safety and public health specialist, he joined the AVMA in October 1993 as the assistant director of membership and field services. He went on to lead the AVMA scientific activities and animal welfare divisions, before being named assistant executive vice president. Vogel retired from the AVMA in 2010. In his role as a WVA councilor, Vogel also serves as a member of the AVMA Committee on International Veterinary Affairs.

“I recognize the trust and obligation given to me as evidenced by this re-election to the WVA, and I look forward to working with the association’s new leadership to take advantage of the opportunities before us to help the WVA become a truly international representative for the veterinary profession,” Vogel said. “We now have the ability to expand our membership, gain credibility as an international leader and provide valuable services to our members. I want to help the WVA achieve its great potential.”