We are a mighty force for good. It takes all active members of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to make measurable improvements for the good of the clients we serve and the animals in our care. The AASV continues to be focused on helping veterinarians prepare and execute tough decisions and solve difficult problems. Serving on the AASV Executive Committee has given me a fresh perspective of just how difficult it is to make progress on some of the most difficult problems before us.
Many of the challenges we face will only be overcome by working together with active communication throughout the industry. We cannot afford to operate individually and make all the same mistakes on our own. We also owe it to the pigs in our care to continually search for better results. We are fortunate to have strong leadership in our association at many levels. The investments made by decades of AASV members to support student member programs and early-career development have brought forward a strong group of young veterinarians that are championing new efforts in animal care and welfare.
The AASV Board of Directors continues to review, debate, and direct programs in support of many ongoing initiatives. If you are not engaged in these initiatives directly through committee work, you may consider providing support through writing and publishing a case study or offering your experience and time by serving on the Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee. Some of the initiatives the association is actively engaged in include:
- Advanced biosecurity improvements and evaluations
- Influenza diagnostics and H5N1 industry engagement
- Animal welfare evaluations and innovation
- African swine fever prevention and global vaccination
- Industry efforts to further drive porcine epidemic diarrhea virus elimination
- Early-career veterinarian development program
There are many more initiatives and areas of focus that the association’s various committees and task forces are engaged in. Almost all committees need additional members who are swine veterinary practitioners. If you are interested in learning more about the committee activities, visit the committee web pages on the AASV website (aasv.org/members/only/committee). Contact a committee chair or the AASV office to join a committee. We are blessed with many members willing to volunteer their voice, experience, and time to further these and many more efforts.
William L Hollis, DVM
AASV President