Dr. Ron DeHaven, administrator of the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has been named the new executive vice president at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Dr. DeHaven will replace AVMA executive vice president Dr. Bruce Little who is retiring at the end of this year after serving in that position since 1996. Dr. DeHaven has more than two decades experience with APHIS and gained national prominence in 2003 and 2004 when chronic wasting disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy were making headlines. His leadership during both events earned him the Secretary’s Honor Award twice. The AVMA honored Dr. DeHaven’s contributions to the veterinary profession with the Meritorious Service Award in 2004.
As APHIS administrator, Dr. DeHaven oversees a $1.9-billion budget and 8,300 employees and ultimately is responsible for the protection of U.S. agriculture and natural resources from exotic pests and diseases, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities.
"This position at the AVMA will provide me an exciting opportunity to give back to the profession," Dr. DeHaven said. "I will be in a leadership position in the organization that represents 75,000 veterinarians at a time when the profession is at a crossroads. We are facing a future where the intersection of animal health and public health, and food supply veterinary medicine is becoming critical to meeting the needs of a global society."
Source:
AVMA News Release