The 2019 VetPartners Annual Meeting brought some of the veterinary industry’s most respected leaders together in Orlando, Florida, for two days of association announcements and discussions surrounding controversial topics in the profession.
VetPartners welcomed a new Board of Directors and 28 new members to the quickly growing association, which now serves a membership of 305. The winners of two association awards were also announced during the meeting, which was held January 16–18.
28 new VetPartners members were inducted during the 2019 Annual Meeting
The 2019 VetPartners Board of Directors includes Nancy Dewitz (president); Jeff Thoren, DVM, PCC, BCC (immediate past president); Deborah Stone, MBA, PhD, CVPM (vice president); Gina Fortunato, MBA (secretary); Glenn Hanner, CPA, CITP, CVA, CGMA (treasurer); Debbie Boone, CVPM (director); Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM, CVA (director); David McCormick, MS, CVA (director); and Bill Schroeder (director).
“We have an incredible board this year,” said President Nancy Dewitz. “We have newer members and charter members. The mix is fantastic and will enable us to take advantage of history as well as new ideas and thoughts for the direction of the organization.”
Dewitz, who has worked in the veterinary industry for nearly 30 years and spent half of those years as a VetPartners member, wants to spend her tenure as president focusing on helping VetPartners members grow within the organization. “My goal this year is involvement. I want members to be known for their special skills and areas of expertise so they have more opportunities to serve the profession we all love.”
Also during the meeting, two longtime VetPartners members were honored with special awards.
John Volk received the Professional Pioneer Members Award, which the Board of Directors awards to individuals who are deemed pioneers in the profession and are honored for their 20+ years of consulting or advising services. Volk began as a copywriter in the profession and eventually started his own advertising and PR company focused on large-animal veterinary practices, which he grew to a staff of 35 employees before selling and joining Brakke Consulting, Inc. as an expert analyst, project manager, and market researcher.
Clayton MacKay, DVM, was awarded the Distinguished Life Membership Award for his noteworthy and outstanding contributions to the practice of veterinary business management consulting. MacKay is a second-generation veterinarian and practice owner and has served organized veterinary medicine in many capacities, including as president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, director of the Ontario Veterinary College’s teaching hospital, president of the American Animal Hospital Association, chief veterinarian for Canada, board member for Western Veterinary Conference, and more.
Pictured left to right: Tracy Dowdy, CVPM; John Volk; Clayton MacKay, DVM; and Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA
The 2019 VetPartners Annual Meeting also featured panel discussions on two controversial topics currently facing the veterinary profession: corporate consolidation and compensation models for veterinarians.
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