Connecting members with the latest news from USAHA
Annual Meeting Wrap-up Edition
It was wonderful to see so many of you in Providence for the 2019 Annual Meeting. Thank you to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture and the USDA-APHIS-VS New England office for hosting and supporting the meeting! As we all transition back to the daily grind, we are pleased to share this meeting wrap-up edition of your Connection newsletter. Read on to catch the most important meeting wrap-up details!
Meeting Statistics at a Glance
  • The 2019 meeting welcomed nearly 1300 attendees, including 24 veterinary students from 14 schools, with 16 travel scholarships provided through USAHA, Districts, and AAVLD. We continue to see strong interest from students to participate in the meeting, despite their busy schedules.
  • Meeting attendees worked hard to successfully approve 38 resolutions directed to a dozen organizations/agencies. View them here!
  • Ben Richey & Kelly Janicek smiled 1,748 times while they provided top-rate service to meeting attendees at the registration desk and throughout the meeting venue! And yes, we counted!
  • According to the Providence Visitor’s Bureau, GoProvidence, the USAHA-AAVLD Annual Meeting had a $1.9 million impact on the city!
2019 Veterinary Student Luncheon
Kelly Janicek and Ben Richey
Raise the Bar for 2020; Provide Your Feedback!
You have until Nov 25 to provide meeting feedback through the membership survey. We have 143 responses so far, but c’mon, we can do better than that! Your executive leadership team always takes this feedback to heart, but this year’s survey is critical because it will also inform the recommendations of the Annual Meeting Task Force, due in March 2020. Help us improve your meeting experience in future years and complete the survey

Best Meeting Monday Morning Ever…
Hopefully you enjoyed a little lull in the formal action on the Monday morning of the meeting. Whether you checked in at home or the office, used the time to network with colleagues over breakfast or caught an extra hour of sleep (we won’t tell!), the new format for that morning seemed to be a hit. Following several hours of flex time and a great breakfast, we welcomed Dr. Juan Lubroth, Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal Health Service, FAO for a keynote presentation: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges for the Control of African Swine Fever: A Global Threat in Your Backyard. Visit the USAHA website and click on the scroll at the top of the home page to download and view Dr. Lubroth’s presentation, and please let us know what you think of this year’s format by completing the post-meeting survey !
Congratulations to Our Award Winners
Dr. Belinda Thompson and Dr. Barbara Porter-Spalding joined an elite group of USAHA VIPs this year. Dr. Thompson, who hails from the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, was the recipient of the 2019 USAHA Medal of Distinction, and Dr. Porter-Spalding received the USAHA Federal Partnership Award, primarily for her excellent leadership of the National Training and Exercise Program. Congratulations to both colleagues. If you get a moment, drop them a quick note of gratitude for their contributions to USAHA!

Additional congratulations to:
  • Dr. Susan Keller, North Dakota State Veterinarian, as the 2019 National Assembly Award winner
  • Dr. Beate Crossley, CAHFS, on receiving the APHIS Administrator's Award.
Medal of Distinction Awardee
Dr. Belinda Thompson

Federal Partnership Awardee
Dr. Barbara Porter-Spalding

Old Friends & New Faces
Congratulations to Dr. Marty Zaluski, Montana State Veterinarian, who was elected USAHA President at the close of the 2019 USAHA meeting. Marty brings enthusiasm, insight and creativity to this important position, and our organization will continue to thrive under his leadership.
Welcome Dr. Manoel Tamassia, New Jersey State Veterinarian, to the USAHA executive committee (EC). Dr. Tamassia was elected as USAHA 3 rd Vice-President at the close of the 2019 meeting and will represent the northeast district on the EC for a six-year term. USAHA continues to be in good hands!
Barb Determan, District at Large representative, rotated off the EC at the close of the meeting, but her many contributions while serving will benefit the USAHA for years to come. Barb will continue to contribute to our organization as the co-chair of the Annual Meeting Task Force and as the newest member of the Committee on Nominations and Resolutions.
And finally, congratulations to Dr. Kristin Haas, Vermont State Veterinarian, on a successful year as USAHA President! Her leadership and positive attitude helped USAHA accomplish a lot in the last year.
2019-2020 USAHA Executive Committee
Front row, from left: Kristin Haas, Marty Zaluski, Charlie Hatcher. Back row: Manoel Tamassia, Dustin Oedekoven, Annette Jones, Steve Rommereim.
Thank You Meeting Sponsors!
The success of the USAHA Annual Meeting is fueled by generous sponsors. Thank you to the following companies and organizations for their contributions to the success of our meeting!

Allflex, USA
 Boehringer Ingelheim
Colorado Serum Company
GlobalVetLink
IDEXX
Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association
Trace First, Inc.
 Zoetis
2019 Photo Contest is a Success!
Thanks to everyone who participated in the inaugural USAHA-AAVLD Photo Contest. There were a total of 34 entries this year - without a doubt there is artistic talent throughout USAHA! Below are the winners of the Animal Agriculture Category, and the People's Choice award, voted on by attendees.
Congratulations! Winners will be receiving their cash prizes in the mail!

"Got Milk?"
by Kathy Simmons
Winner
"Snow, Fog and Longhorns"
by Jodee Webster
Runner-up
"Feeding Time"
by Skip Oertli
People's Choice Award
Behind the Scenes at the Annual Meeting
Kaylin Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Event Company, provides critical support leading up to and during the USAHA Annual Meeting. From working with Ben and Kelly to fine tune the host hotel logistics, to collaborating with convention center staff to ensure a seamless transition between committee meetings, to ensuring the break and meal food is at the ready when you are hungry, Kaylin Taylor is a critical component of a successful USAHA Annual Meeting. If you can slow Kaylin down long enough to have a quick conversation with her at a future USAHA meeting, be sure to thank her for her work in support of USAHA!
 That’s a wrap on this edition of your Connection newsletter. Stay tuned for the next one in late December, which will focus on USAHA’s student member sector.
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for your continued engagement in USAHA!
U.S. Animal Health Association | usaha.org