Officers and Board Members Installed

At the CVMA Board of Governors meeting in June, the following individuals pledged to serve in their elected positions. Outgoing members were recognized and thanked for their many contributions to the CVMA, and Dr. Michael Karle was sworn in as the CVMA’s 2023–2024 President. Please visit page 24 of this issue of California Veterinarian to meet Dr. Karle!

Dr. Hawkins graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. Dr. Hawkins has utilized her degree to work in a variety of veterinary roles, including as a small animal practitioner, an RVT instructor at Cal Poly Pomona, and a shelter veterinarian. She served as the chief veterinarian at OC Animal Care, one of the largest municipal animal shelters in the state, for seven years. Dr. Hawkins has actively participated in organized veterinary medicine since her veterinary school days, including serving as a CVMA delegate and as chair of the CVMA House of Delegates. She is currently the executive director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA).

member of the Veterinary Insurance Services Company Board of Directors and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) PAC Board of Directors, and is the CVMA’s liaison to the AVMA Advisory Committee.

Dr. Inez Del Pino | District II

Dr. Del Pino works as an associate veterinarian at both Banfield Pet Hospital in Northridge and CampLA (Community Animal Medicine Project), a nonprofit group based in Los Angeles. She previously held the roles of treasurer, vice president, and 2019–2020 president of the SCVMA. Dr. Del Pino has also served as a member of the California Veterinary Medical Foundation Board since 2021 and on the CVMA’s House of Delegates from 2016 to the beginning of 2023. She earned her degree in 2008 from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Kelly Byam | District III

Dr. Byam recently sold and retired from Abel Pet Clinic in Elk Grove, which she owned and operated for over 20 years. Her extensive history with the CVMA started in college, when she served as the UC Davis student representative to the CVMA’s Wellness Committee and Public Relations Committee. She has also served on the CVMA’s House of Delegates, Don Low/ CVMA Practitioner Fellowship Selection Committee, Political Action Committee, and Legislative Committee. Dr. Byam is the pastpresident of the Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association (SVVMA) and was the longest-serving president of the SVVMA’s charitable foundation. She presided over the transfer of that foundation to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation in 2020 and served as President of the Charitable Giving Committee of the SVVMA until June 2023.

Dr. Wooden has served on the CVMA's House of Delegates, as House chair, as well as, the co-chair of the Legislative Committee, and as a member of the Finance Committee and Leadership Committee. He also volunteers for the AVMA with the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. When not volunteering, Dr. Wooden owns and works at Old Towne Animal Hospital in Fair Oaks and San Juan Veterinary Hospital in Citrus Heights.

Dr. Shari B. O’Neill, MPH, DACVPM District IX

Dr. O’Neill devotes her veterinary skills to the San Francisco Animal Care & Control, where she helps rescue, reunite, and rehome animals throughout her community. She channels her experience and passion for community service into the CVMA by serving as the Region 2 Coordinator for the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps, where she helps organize deployments to provide veterinary care to animals affected by disasters in the state. In 1999, Dr. O’Neill earned her DVM degree from Auburn University.

Dr. Bowie joined the Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Marin in 1999 after graduation from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine followed by a rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, he became part owner of the hospital, where he practiced until 2022. Dr. Bowie now runs a consulting business called TowardHealth Consulting. He is a long time member of the International Veterinary and Emergency Critical Care Society and past-president of the Marin County VMA. At the CVMA, Dr. Bowie has served in the House of Delegates as both a member and former chair. He is currently a

Dr. Byam was the inaugural recipient of the Sacramento SPCA's "Humane-itarian" award and successfully led the lobbying effort that brought Elk Grove a municipal animal shelter. She received her DVM degree from UC Davis in 1997.

Dr. Brent Wooden | District VI

Dr. Wooden graduated in 2003 from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. His interest in organized veterinary medicine began right out of school thanks to the great mentorship of Dr. Tom Kendall, Dr. Ken Pawlowski, and Kristi Pawlowski, RVT. With their guidance, Dr. Wooden began serving on the Sacramento Valley VMA as a member-atlarge and continued on to serve as President.

Dr. Kelpe joins the CVMA as treasurer after having already served in myriad roles for the CVMA and its affiliated organizations, including two terms in the House of Delegates and Board of Governors, respectively, the latter of which culminated in his 2013–2014 CVMA presidency. Dr. Kelpe also served as a member of Veterinary Insurance Service Company’s Board of Directors from 2015–2022 (in his new role, Dr. Kelpe will also serve as VISC’s treasurer), and has extensive experience monitoring the financial dealings of both the CVMA and VISC. Away from the CVMA, Dr. Kelpe has been active in local veterinary medical associations including the SCVMA, where he served as president in 2006. Dr. Kelpe earned his DVM degree from Iowa State University in 1984 and was the CEO and medical director of Santa Margarita Animal Care Center from 1988 to 2019. Since retirement from full-time practice, Dr. Kelpe has served as a relief veterinarian, predominantly in Southern California.

1. Dr. Michael Karle

President

Governor-at-Large

2. Dr. Jennifer Hawkins

President-Elect

District II, Southern CA VMA

3. Dr. Peter Bowie

Executive Committee

Member-at-Large

Governor-at-Large

4. Dr. Jodi Woods

District I, San Diego County VMA

5. Dr. Inez Del Pino

District II, Southern CA VMA

6. Dr. Misty Hirschbein

District II, Southern CA VMA

7. Dr. Kelly Byam

District III, Kern County VMA, Orange Belt VMA

8. Dr. Patrick Connolly

District IV, Mid-Coast VMA, Santa Barbara-Ventura VMA, Monterey Bay VMA

9. Dr. Adam Lauppe

District V, Central CA VMA, Delta VMA, Merced-Mariposa VMA, Northern San Joaquin VMA, Tulare-Kings County VMA

10. Dr. Brent Wooden

District VI, Sacramento Valley VMA, Mother Lode VMA

11. Dr. Kevin Terra

District VII, Humboldt-Del Norte VMA, Marin VMA, MendoLake VMA, Northern California VMA, North Valley VMA, Redwood Empire VMA

12. Dr. Peter Mangold

District VIII, Alameda VMA, Contra Costa County VMA, NapaSolano VMA

13. Dr. Shari O’Neill

District IX, Peninsula VMA, San Francisco VMA, Santa Clara VMA

14. Dr. Diane McClure Governor-at-Large

15. Dr. Teresa Morishita Governor-at-Large

16. Nicole Dickerson, RVT Governor-at-Large

Student Representatives

Nicole Lent graduated from Oregon State University in 2014 with a BS in animal science. Nicole is deeply involved in her community at WesternU, including being the president of WesternU’s Student Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society (SVECCS), a board member of the National SVECCS, the event coordinator for the campus pathology club, and WesternU’s student delegate to the CVMA House of Delegates. After graduation, Nicole hopes to pursue her passion for fast-paced, high-volume small animal emergency care.

Sarah

Sarah Meil earned her BA in philosophy and gender studies from Yale University in 2000 and her JD from Colombia Law School in 2003. At UC Davis, Sarah serves as the president of the Behavior Medicine & Animal Welfare Club and as the president of the student chapter of the Humane Society VMA, where she helps organize its quarterly Street Dog Clinic in Sacramento. She also frequently participates in local access to care clinics, such as the Knights Landing One Health Clinic, Mercer Clinic for Pets of the Homeless, and Davis Pet and Animal Welfare Clinic. Driven to expand access to care for underserved communities, Sarah aspires to work in shelter medicine following graduation.