Veterinarians need to know they are seen, valued, and heard by their professional association.
Across the country, veterinary professionals are doing meaningful, demanding work every day. They are caring for patients, supporting clients, leading teams, mentoring younger colleagues, managing businesses, teaching students, protecting public health, and serving their communities.
I believe AVMA leadership should feel connected to that work.
This pillar is not about criticizing the AVMA. It is about strengthening the relationship between national leadership and the lived realities of daily practice. When veterinarians feel heard, understood, and represented, trust grows. When trust grows, engagement becomes stronger. And when engagement becomes stronger, our profession is better positioned to move forward together.
A Gap Between Leadership and Daily Practice
AVMA does important work on behalf of the profession, but good work does not always translate into connection. Practicing veterinarians need to clearly see how that work relates to the pressures, questions, and decisions they face every day.
Many veterinarians want more than broad messaging. They want to feel that their professional association understands the realities of practice, from workforce strain and client expectations to economic pressure, team challenges, access to care, and uncertainty about the future.
Connection cannot be assumed. It has to be built through presence, communication, transparency, and follow-through.
Key challenges hindering a sustainable profession include:
A gap between national leadership and daily practice realities
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Communication that does not always feel clear or relevant at the practice level
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A need for greater visibility from leadership
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Trust that must be strengthened through transparency and follow-through
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Practicing veterinarians who want to know their voices matter
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Members who may feel disconnected from the association representing them
When the people within veterinary medicine feel exhausted, unsupported, or unseen, every other goal becomes harder to achieve.
Listening With Purpose.
Responding With Clarity.
I believe leadership begins by showing up.
Sometimes the most meaningful act of leadership is simply being present, listening carefully, and reminding someone that their work matters. As a practicing veterinarian, I know how different leadership feels when it is grounded in real conversations, real settings, and real understanding.
I want to help strengthen the connection between AVMA and practicing veterinarians by encouraging leadership that is visible, responsive, and grounded in the realities of the profession.
My focus includes:
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Visible listening:
Veterinarians should see leadership actively seeking input from the people working in practice, education, public health, industry, shelter medicine, emergency care, and every other part of the profession.
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Clearer communication:
Members should understand what AVMA is doing, why it matters, and how it affects the people and practices it represents.
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Real-world engagement:
Leadership should show up where veterinary medicine happens, including clinics, hospitals, schools, conferences, communities, and conversations with professionals across the field.
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Transparency and follow-through:
Trust grows when people know their concerns have been heard and can see what happens next.
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A stronger sense of belonging:
Regardless of location, species focus, career stage, or area of the industry, every veterinary professional should know their voice matters.
Connection Builds Trust
A stronger AVMA begins with stronger relationships.
When leadership listens visibly, communicates clearly, and stays connected to the people it represents, veterinarians are more likely to feel engaged, valued, and confident in the direction of their association.
I believe our profession needs leadership that does not feel distant from practice, but connected to it. Leadership should be present in the conversations that matter, responsive to the people doing the work, and committed to building trust through action.
Veterinary medicine is stronger when its people know they are not carrying the work alone. Reconnecting AVMA with practicing veterinarians is one way we can build a profession that feels more united, more responsive, and more prepared for the future.