LAS VEGAS, March 29, 2012 — Western Veterinary Conference has welcomed anew vice president and three new directors to its governing Board as elected by attendees and announced on February 23 during the 84th Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Dr. GeorgeDyck, a WVC Board member since 2009 and Chair of the Audit Committee, has assumed the role of WVC Vice President. Two new Directors, Dr. Clayton MacKay — WVC’s first international Director (Ontario, Canada) — and Dr. W. Mark Hilton, associate professor atPurdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, will serve as veterinarian representatives. E.David Stearns, RVT, pet and livestock industry consultant, has joined the Board as its Veterinary Technician Director.Board’s expanded global presence: “Western Veterinary Conference is looking to increase the number of international attendees at the Annual Conference and programs offered year-round at the Oquendo Center. We are very pleased that attendance of Canadian Veterinarians and support staff has steadily increased in recent years and believe that the election of prominent Canadian Veterinarian Dr. Clayton MacKay will serve to strengthen bonds with our friends from the North.”
All WVC Directors serve 3-year terms and are elected by members of the Western Veterinary Conference. Registrants who sign up for WVC in the Veterinarian and Veterinary Technician categories are automatically members of the Association until the next Annual Conference and are eligible to vote for Board members. New Directors are announced annually at the WVC General Business Meeting held during the Conference and open to all attendees.
Dr. George Dyck, WVC Vice President, has owned an equine ambulatory practice inthe Los Angeles area for about 25 years. He is a member of the AVMA, AAEP, and theCalifornia VMA and is a Past President of the Southern California VMA. Dr. Dyck has been aWestern Veterinary Conference member and scientific program moderator for many years. He isalso an examiner for WVC’s administration of the AVMA Education Commission for ForeignVeterinary Graduate Clinical Proficiency Examination.
Dr. Clayton MacKay, WVC’s first Director from outside the United States, is a second-generation veterinarian. He is presently an adjunct faculty member at Atlantic Veterinary College and serves as a consultant to the veterinary industry and companion animal practices.After a period as a private practitioner, Dr. MacKay became Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Ontario Veterinary College and then Director of Veterinary Affairs at Hill’s PetNutrition Canada, Inc. where he remained until January 2010.
“Being the first Canadian elected to the Board of the Western Veterinary Conference is a significant honor,” commented Dr. MacKay regarding his groundbreaking role. “I look forward to the challenge of adding value to the significant contributions WVC and its Oquendo Center make to the progressive and practical education of the entire veterinary health care team.”
Dr. W. Mark Hilton, WVC Director, is a clinical associate professor at Purdue University’s School of veterinary medicine, with emphasis on cattle production medicine. He also teaches veterinary technology students at Purdue. His passion for teaching has frequently earned him teaching awards, including Student Chapter of the AVMA National Teacher of the Year in 2000. Dr. Hilton was honored as WVC Continuing Educator of the Year in the Food Animal category in 2009.
E. David Stearns, RVT, WVC Veterinary Technician Director, owns a marketing and sales consulting firm that specializes in the pet and livestock industries. He is an adjunct faculty member in the Globe University Veterinary Technology Program. Before launching his consulting company, Mr. Stearns worked for 16 years at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. He is a charter member and was the first elected President of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA)..
Note: Complete biographies for all WVC Board members can be found online at:www.wvc.org/about-wvc-2/officers-wvc-staff/board-of-directors. Publication-quality photos are available; contact Tracy Covert, WVC Marketing Manager, at 702.739.6698 or tracy@wvc.org.
About Western Veterinary Conference
WVC provides total continuing education for veterinary professionals and related groups in an unrivaled destination — Las Vegas, The Entertainment Capital of the World. Global authorities and the brightest emerging speakers present sophisticated practical sessions as well as Hands-on Labs in the magnificent state-of-the-art Oquendo Center. WVC is an annual interactive CE opportunity for the progressive veterinary community, with optimum possibilities for networking and superior exposure to commercial products and services via its associated trade show. For information about the Conference, go to wvc.org.To learn more about Oquendo Center programs, go to oquendocenter.org. Online registration for the 85th Annual Western Veterinary Conference (February 17-21, 2013) opens April 2012, at wvc.org.