the President Meet

me to raise rabbits, hogs, lambs, and a steer while giving me critical skills in leadership and public speaking.

My first real job was because Dr. Dean Brown at East Hills Veterinary Hospital in Antioch took a chance on a high school kid who said he wanted to become a veterinarian. I fondly remember the lessons I learned in his small animal hospital as a kennel helper and veterinary assistant. I was honored when Dr. Brown said he would install me as CVMA’s President 32 years after I started working for him!

During my undergraduate years at UC Davis as an animal science student, I worked at the UC Davis Veterinary

Medicine Teaching Hospital, primarily in equine surgery. While equine surgery was a career path I knew I was not going to pursue, I am thankful Richard Morgan and Bill Perkins gave an undergraduate student the opportunity to get his foot in the door and appreciate another aspect of veterinary medicine to which he had never been exposed.

Once in veterinary school at UC Davis, I found myself drawn to organized veterinary medicine. I served as our Class of 1999 delegate to the CVMA’s Legislative Committee and the House of Delegates, and later as our school’s representative to the CVMA’s Board of Governors. I realize now that I was being introduced to a wonderful group of veterinarians I would one day consider friends and colleagues.

Upon graduation, I worked for Dr. Greg Smith as an associate dairy veterinarian at Tule River Veterinary Services in Tulare. It was at this practice that I gained competencies which would carry me throughout my career. In 2001, I joined Mid-Valley Veterinary Hospital in Orland. Dr. Jerry Aguiar introduced me to the wonderful world of mixed animal practice in a rural community. I’ve never left. I started as his associate, became his business partner, then eventually purchased the entire practice from him in 2013.

Both practices I worked at as an associate exemplified the bond between veterinarians and their rural clients. As veterinarians in these practices, we became part of the communities we served. Clients became friends we saw at fiestas, fairs, and events. The hospitals were known for charitable giving and being an integral part of the community. We were seen as leaders in the community who served not just their animals but their way of life.

Servant leadership is something I try to practice as the owner of my hospital. I attempt to exhibit the three essential virtues in Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player: humble, hungry, and smart. The culture I have created in my hospital, and the core values my team has created, foster each team member’s potential for personal and professional growth. The decisions we make as a team that are best for us, our clients, and our patients are those that are ultimately also best for our community.

Servant leadership and improvement of the cultures in our veterinary community will go a long way toward retention of DVMs and RVTs. These steps will also improve mental health and allow our profession to thrive while offering the critical services our profession provides to the world. As we improve working conditions, our national workforce shortage will diminish as well. Students and recent graduates will flourish under cultures that value the individual and provide necessary mentorship.

During my CVMA presidency, I vow to exemplify the best in servant leadership and hope that I make those who stood before me proud. I have had the pleasure of working with three executive directors, eighteen presidents, and countless other veterinarians. To be clear, our organization is run by our Board of Governors, not the president. Our Board is stronger and more diverse than I can remember, and I am proud to serve as president with this Board.

One of the Board's priorities this year that’s especially meaningful to me is a food animal continuing education event at our 2024 Spring Seminar. This conference will be held in conjunction with the traditional Spring Seminar and will focus on topics of interest to food animal practitioners.

As I conclude, I must thank certain people in my life. First, I want to thank all the CVMA members, committees, the House of Delegates, and the Board of Governors for making the CVMA the organization it is today. I thank the small but mighty CVMA staff for all the work behind the scenes, and I look forward to working closely with them this year.

Thank you to my leadership team at Mid-Valley Veterinary Hospital—Ellie Denney, MBA; Nicole Underwood, RVT; and Marie Ussery, RVT—who continuously amaze me with their ideas and are the keepers of our culture and values.

Finally, without my wife Betsy at my side through thick and thin, good times and bad, I would not be who I am today. She has endured my long hours at work and the building of a home and a family together. We have two wonderful children: Carson, who is studying aerospace engineering in college, and Emily, who will be a senior in high school. As I watch Emily’s determination to become a veterinarian grow, I cannot help but be optimistic about our profession. I simply want to do my part in making our profession worth wanting to be a part of.