(SAN ANTONIO) August 9, 2016—Dr. Karen M. Bradley has begun her six-year term as a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Directors. Bradley, who was nominated by the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (Vermont VMA), was elected to the post last spring. She succeeds Dr. John de Jong, the board chair, as the District 1 representative for AVMA members living in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
As an AVMA Board member, among Bradley’s priorities will be to ensure continued momentum in the AVMA’s more strategic focus on its membership and to increase member passion for the AVMA.
Bradley visualizes an association that moves forward and is proactively the voice of animal health and welfare, food safety and public policy—with veterinarians as the voice of authority.
“I envision an AVMA at your fingertips, one where members feel like they understand what is happening, why and when, and in real time, what we need to know when we need it,” she said. “I look forward to continuing my efforts to raise awareness of the AVMA as the national association that protects, promotes and advances veterinarians and the veterinary profession, and to engaging more members as we continue to address the pressing issues before us.”
Bradley is passionate about encouraging leadership in her fellow veterinarians and was a co-author of “A renewed call for veterinary leaders”, a commentary which appeared in the September 15, 2015, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Her leadership objective is to serve the members of her professional organizations as a forward-thinking and strategic leader, and to mentor and encourage other veterinarians to actively engage, participate and become leaders of veterinary associations and communities at large.
Bradley, a small animal practitioner, is a co-owner of Onion River Animal Hospital in Vermont and a former member of the AVMA House of Delegates. She is a founding member and immediate past president of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative, whose mission is to support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity. Bradley is a former executive board member of the Vermont VMA, and has chaired committees for both the AVMA and Vermont VMA.
Bradley received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
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