LAS VEGAS, July 31, 2012 — The Western Veterinary Conference is proudlyrecognizing longtime participant, Director, Program Coordinator, and Past President, JackWalther, DVM, by naming the 2013 Conference in his honor. Recognition at this level hasoccurred only five times previously in WVC history and reflects the enormously high regard theWVC Board of Directors has for Dr. Walther. The Dr. Jack Walther 85th Annual WesternVeterinary Conference will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas fromFebruary 17-21, 2013.
For more than 48 years Dr. Jack Walther has brought hisenthusiastic support and expertise to WVC, first as an attendee and later ina variety of key executive roles. He has been a WVC Committee Chairsince 2002, has served on the WVC Board of Directors for more than 12years, and was President of the Conference in 2005. In 2008 he wasawarded the WVC Distinguished Service Award for his many noteworthycontributions.
Dr. Walther introduced the ongoing WVC Veterinary StudentScholarship Program in 2002, which has awarded nearly a million dollarsin scholarships and travel stipends. In 2013 this program is being renamedJack O. Walther, DVM The Dr. Jack Walther Leadership Award and will continue to assist thirdyearstudents who have demonstrated their aptitude as leaders with the potential for lifelongprofessional veterinary service.
Today, Dr. Walther serves as WVC’s Clinical Proficiency Examination (CPE)Coordinator. In 2004, he was integral in gaining approval for WVC to the conduct the CPEunder the auspices of AVMA’s Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates. TheCPE is the final step in the ECFVG process for graduates of non-accredited veterinary programsseeking to practice in the United States. These exams are now offered monthly at WVC’sOquendo Center.
Dr. Walther has been a constant advocate for positive change in the entire veterinaryprofession. He was instrumental in developing the pre-veterinary medicine program for theUniversity of Nevada at Reno where he was on the faculty. He served as President of the NevadaVMA in 1973 and was named Nevada Veterinarian of the Year in 1983. He also received theNVMA Exemplary Service Award in 1998. For 10 years Dr. Walther was chairman of theNevada State Board of Veterinary Examiners, and he reviewed all legislation involvingveterinary issues in the Nevada legislature for more than 25 years.
As president of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2003-2004, Dr. Waltherwas a proponent of careful daily monitoring of state veterinary legislation and of improvingcommunication about the AVMA to the public. He also served as spokesperson for theprofession during the outbreaks of avian influenza and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“madcow disease”), which affected the nation’s food supply as well as international trade.
After earning both his undergraduate and DVM degrees at the University of California,Davis, Dr. Walther served 2 years with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps during the Vietnam eraand then practiced equine and small animal medicine in the Reno, Nevada area for more than 40years. Presently, he practices part-time and is Chief Veterinary Consultant for the Elko AnimalShelter in Elko, Nevada.
For additional information about Dr. Jack Walther, WVC, or the Oquendo Center, whichoffers year-round specialty courses, please call Dr. Guy Pidgeon, WVC Chief Executive Officertoll-free at 866.800.7326 or 702.739.6698.
About Western Veterinary Conference
WVC is a premier continuing education meeting for veterinary professionals and is held annually in afirst-class destination — Las Vegas, The Entertainment Capital of the World. Global authorities presentthe most up-to-date medical and management information as well as hands-on laboratory instruction inthe state-of-the-art Oquendo Center. The Annual Conference offers optimum opportunities for learningand networking, and provides superior exposure to commercial products and services via its associatedtrade show. For information about WVC, go to wvc.org. To learn more about Oquendo Center programs,go to oquendocenter.org.