AAV Board

AAV President 2010-2011: Heather Barron, DVM, Diplomate ABVP - Avian

AAV President-Elect, James Harris, DVM 
 
AAV Immediate Past President - Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP - Avian Practice

The Immediate Past President is the chair of the conference committee and annual conference. In addition to working with the executive board, the Immediate Past President is responsible for many aspects of the annual conference (San Diego, 2010) including the labs, lectures, speakers, and moderators, and, in general, makes sure the conference meets the stated mission and goals of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

AAV Treasurer 2009-2010: Paul L. Welch, DVM

As treasurer, I oversee and evaluate expenditures of the Association and submit the year's financial report at the annual AAV meeting. In the same way that our veterinary practices change over the years, so has the AAV. Membership in the Association has changed, as well as the interests and diversities of those members. It is the responsibility of the Board to develop and evaluate goals for our Association and to guide expenditures related to our publications, research interests, and yearly convention (to name a few). My responsibility within that Board is to make sure that our financial situation remains stable and secure as we work to achieve those goals.

Paul L. Welch, DVM
Forest Trails Animal Hospital
Tulsa, Oklahoma
 

Research Committee: Lauren Powers, DVM, ABVP (Avian)

As chairperson of the Research Committee, I serve to organize the review and selection of research proposals for funding by the AAV. The AAV Research Committee strives to provide funding to projects that will advance the breadth and depth of knowledge and lend to innovations in the fields of avian medicine and surgery. In these difficult financial times, it is challenging for investigators to obtain funding from other sources. The AAV believes that research plays a vital role in the advancement of avian veterinary medicine.

AAV Student membership committee -
AAV Veterinary school liaison committee
Kemba Marshall, DVM, Dipl ABVP Avian

Student Committee: The goal of our student membership committee is a continual outreach to students. By default we are all members of this committee. I have had students ask to be introduced to various faculty members and ask to learn of upcoming research projects. As you can imagine I field most questions as they relate to externship, internship, residency and long term associate positions. When I talk to students most relay that attending AAV conferences is quite intimidating, I'm sure we all can think back to our first conference. By just smiling and saying hello we can all work to ensure students feel welcome and assume their rightful place as our youngest and most promising members to date! If persons have information regarding externships, internships, residencies or long term associate positions, that can always be forwarded to me.Volunteer committee members are always graciously accepted.

Veterinary School Liaison: Our goals on this committee involve educating veterinary school faculty and administrative members on the goals and benefits of AAV membership. Recently we waived all fees for AAV student chapter members in an attempt to make it easier for student chapters to be formed and sustained. In doing so we eliminated the complimentary conference registration that used to be extended to one representative member of each student chapter. Persons interested in sponsoring a student to attend the AAV annual conference are therefore encouraged to contact me. This can be accomplished with corporate or private funds and will be handled by the AAV central office. Volunteer committee members are eagerly anticipated.

Chairing both these committees helps me not only stay in touch with students but with university affiliates as well. Our common goal and my personal challenge is to be sure that students have a ready avenue to ask questions and feel involved and welcome in our organization. It is my hope that we can have a steady stream of students coming into our organization who will bring their individual personalities, strengthening our group even the more.

AAV Veterinary school liaison committee 2007-2010 Chair - Kemba L. Marshall, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice).

Our goals on this committee involve educating veterinary school faculty and administrative members on the goals and benefits of AAV membership. Recently we waived all fees for AAV student chapter members in an attempt to make it easier for student chapters to be formed and sustained. In doing so we eliminated the complimentary conference registration that used to be extended to one representative member of each student chapter. Persons interested in sponsoring a student to attend the AAV annual conference are therefore encouraged to contact me. This can be accomplished with corporate or private funds and will be handled by the AAV central office. Volunteer committee members are eagerly anticipated.

Chairing both these committees helps me not only stay in touch with students but with university affiliates as well. Our common goal and my personal challenge is to be sure that students have a ready avenue to ask questions and feel involved and welcome in our organization. It is my hope that we can have a steady stream of students coming into our organization who will bring their individual personalities, strengthening our group even the more. If you need to contact me personally email at petagrees@yahoo.com is always your fastest means.

Delegate to the House of the AVMA - James M. Harris, BS, DVM

As Delegate to the House of Delegates of the American Veterinary Medical Association I, with our Alternate Delegate, represent AAV within organized veterinary medicine in the USA. We meet with the Delegates from the other Allied Groups in Causus as a voting block on issues that come before the House of Delegates. We provide information to the other Delegates when issues relating to AAV are presented on the floor of the House for discussion or vote.

Alliances are extremely important when our members are standing for election to Councils and or appointed to Committees within AVMA. We are allied with all the other Allied Groups as well as with a number of States to obtain votes in elections and maintain contact with all the members of the Executive Board who appoint members to Committees.

James M. Harris, DVM
Mayfair Veterinary Clinic
2 Russell Crescent
Sandy Bay, 7005, Tasmania, Australia
 

Conservation Committee Chair

Bird and Exotic Clinic of Seattle (www.birdandexotic.com)
Avian Specialty Veterinary Services of Alaska (www.alaskabirddoc.com)
US Mail: 13861 Hillcrest St NW, Poulsbo, WA 98370
Phone: 360-271-7000

Scholarship Committee Chair - J Jill Heatley

The goal of the scholarship committee is to promote the advancement of avian medicine among veterinary medical students and veterinarians in developing countries or in countries where avian populations are in peril. To this end the AAV offers multiple scholarships to:

• veterinary medical students at accredited veterinary schools who complete a publication based on an externship with an avian veterinarian, and:
   
• graduate veterinarians in foreign countries in need of financial assistance to attend the annual AAV conference.

We are always looking to expand this committee with members - especially those with foreign language skills - to help distribute scholarship information to veterinarians in other countries. I enjoy working on this committee as it allows me to learn about differing perspectives on avian medicine and reinforces the fact that the AAV is an organization without borders.

J Jill Heatley, DVM, MS Dipl ABVP (Avian), Dipl ACZM
Clinical Associate Professor
Zoological Medicine Service
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
College Station, Texas 77843-4474
 

Aviculture Committee - Brian Speer

 Duties of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board (Excerpt from the AAV By-Laws)

From the By-Laws, regarding the Board of Directors and the executive Board.

Section 3. President. The President shall officially represent the Association and
shall preside at all meetings of members and the Board of which s\he shall be a
member and serve as Chair. S\he shall have authority to delegate these
responsibilities to the President-Elect, shall preserve order and enforce the By-Laws
of the Association. S\he shall decide all questions of order, subject to appeal by the
members. The President, with the advice and consent of the Board, shall appoint all
standing Committee Chairs and shall appoint all other committees and their Chairs
and other agents as may be necessary. S\he shall have the power to order the
Clerk to call a special meeting of the members when requested in writing by 10%
of the smallest quorum of the Association’s member in good standing required for
a vote upon any matters at the annual meeting of the members, or by ten (10)
members of the Board, and s\he shall perform other duties requested of her/his
office. The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all standing committees.
Section 4. President-Elect. The President-Elect shall: i) assist the President in
the discharge of the President’s official duties; ii) preside at meetings in the
President’s absence; iii) automatically succeed to the office of the President upon the
expiration of the President’s term in office and in the event of the President’s
death, incapacity, removal or resignation; and iv) perform such other duties as the
Board may direct or delegate. The President-Elect shall be a member of the Board.
Section 4.1. The President-Elect shall serve as an ex-officio member of all
standing committees.
Section 4.2. If, upon the President’s inability to perform his or her duties,
the President-Elect is unable to fulfill the duties of the President, the Board shall,
within thirty (30) days of the President-Elect inability, convene and elect one
person from the Board to fill the remainder of the President’s term.
Section 5. Immediate Past President. The immediate Past President shall serve
as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee and shall serve as the
Chairperson of the Annual Conference occurring during the Immediate Past
President’s term in office.
Section 6. Clerk. Except as may be otherwise provided in these By-Laws, the
Clerk shall perform the following functions: i) record and/or maintain records of
the proceedings of all meetings of the Association; ii) retain copies of
correspondence of the Association written by or on its behalf; iii) retain
correspondence received in an official capacity; iv) maintain reports of committee
chairpersons; v) notify members of annual and special meetings; vi) distribute Board
and Committee correspondence and reports; vii) assist the Education and Conference
Offices in performing their respective duties; viii) maintain membership; ix) process
and retain records with respect to applications for any renewals of membership; x)
distribute information on behalf of the Board, including information relative to
meetings, ballots, surveys and questionnaires and maintain all legal and financial
records of the Association; and xi) such other duties as the Board may direct or
delegate. If the Clerk is not an active member of the Association, the Clerk shall
be a non-voting member of the Board.
Section 7. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and account for all monies
and pay all expenses of the Association, serve as a member of the Board, and
submit an annual financial report to the Association which shall be reviewed or
audited by the Financial Committee. The Treasurer shall be bonded in an amount
specified by the Board as needed, which bond shall be paid for by the Association.
Section 8. Executive Director. The Board may in its discretion from time to
time appoint an Executive Director. The Executive Director shall also function as
liaison to all committees, the Board, the Education Office, the Conference Office,
other professional associations and public offices. The Clerk and the Executive
Director may share, as they mutually deem appropriate, in the foregoing functions.
The Clerk and Executive may be the same person. The Executive Director shall
serve at the pleasure of the Board.
The Executive Director will be responsible and accountable to the Board of
Directors for the coordination of all offices, programs and services, and for all
projects specified in the strategic plan. If the Executive Director is not also the
Clerk and an active member, the Executive Director shall be a non-voting member
of the Board.

Section 12. Term of Office. The term of office for each voting Board member
and each officer who is a voting Board member shall be one (1) year with a
maximum of five (5) consecutive terms for any voting officer. There shall be a
limitation of five (5) consecutive terms for non-voting members of the Board.
Section 13. Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President shall serve
as the chairperson of the nominating committee (Section 2) and shall serve as the
chairperson of the annual conference occurring during the Immediate Past
President’s term in office
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Members. The Board of Directors will be composed of the following
persons: the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Clerk, the Immediate Past
President, Chairs of each of the Standing Committees and six (6) at-large directors
elected by the members of the Association as herein provided. For purposes of
these By-Laws, the immediate Past President shall be that person who most recently
served as President of the Association and who is not then serving as President and
who is a member in good standing.
Section 2. Duties.
Section 2.1. The Board of Directors (also referred to as the Board) shall be
the administrative body of the Association. It shall administer the affairs of the
Association in a manner consistent with the By-Laws.
Section 2.2. The Board shall make reports to the Association of all Board
actions at the business meeting and/or through the Association publications.
Section 2.3. The Board shall fill vacancies in office occurring between
elections by appointment.
Section 2.4. The Board may take any emergency action when it is not
possible to obtain action of the membership. Such action shall, to the extent
practical, be temporary in nature pending final action by the membership.
Section 3. Meetings.
Section 3.1 The Board of Directors shall meet at least once each year in
conjunction with the annual meeting and the Annual Conference of the
Association, and at such other times as the Chair of the Board and/or a majority
of the Board shall determine.