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1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
USA

Website: www.avma.org

AVMA President: Dr. Rene A. Carlson
2774 11th Ave.
Chetek, WI 54728
USA

Executive Vice President and CEO: Dr.W. Ron DeHaven
Email: rdhaven@avma.org
Telephone : 847.285.6775
Fax: 847.925.1329

WSAVA Representative: Dr. Doug Aspros, AVMA President Elect
250 Central Ave.
White Plains, NY 10606
USA

Telephone: 914.949.8860
Email: daspros@bondanimalhospital.com

Membership: 49,298 (2011)
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Today the AVMA is a not-for-profit US national association representing more than 81,500 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, governmat, industry, acedemia, and uniformed services. In addition to caring for the USA's more than 70 million dogs, 80 million cats, 11 million birds, 7 million pet horses, and millions of other companion animals, members of the AVMA serve in medical research, prevention of bio- and agroterrorism, and food safety and contribute greatly to the scientific breakthroughs throughout the world. Stuctured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profeesion.

The association began in 1863 when correspondence among practitioners along the East Coast of the USA led to a national convention of veterinary surgeons in New York. The first meeting was attended by 40 delegates representing 7 states: New york, Massachusetts, new Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio, and Delaware. The first elected officers included the French-trained Dr. Alexandre Liautard, who headed the American Veterinary College in New York and was a dominant voice in the profession during this period. Under the direction of Liautard, New York bacame the unofficial headquarters of the United States Veterinary Medical Association.

(USVMA) and the American Veterinary Review was founded to be the voice of the profession.
The USVMA was renamed the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in 1889.
In 1900, Liautard returned to France and the American Veterinary Review changed its name to
the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA); it featured contributions
from noted veterinary practitioners in what was rapidly becoming a recognized medical
profession. By 1913, the AVMA had grown to 1,650 members. The American Journal of
Veterinary Research joined JAVMA in 1940, and the publication evolved to become the primary
forum for veterinarians to publish basic and clinical research studies. The AVMA continues to
publish both journals today.

The officers of the AVMA now include the president, president-elect, vice president, treasurer,
immediate past president, executive board chair, executive board vice chair, the executive vice
president, and the assistant executive vice president. The latter two officers are also AVMA
staff members, with the Executive Vice President serving as the CEO of the Association.

The AVMA is governed by its Executive Board, which currently comprises 15 voting members
(11 District Directors and the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, and Vice
President) and three non-voting members (House Advisory Committee Chair, Treasurer, and
Student American Veterinary Medical Association President).
The Association’s House of Delegates is the representative body of its principal and constituent
allied veterinary medical organizations, which includes the veterinary medicial association of
each of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, and 16 allied organziations.

Requirements for organizations to be represented in the House of Delegates are explained in the
AVMA Bylaws (www.avma.org/about_avma/governance/default.asp#bylaws).
The AVMA office comprises 11 divisions and the Office of the Executive Vice President. The
Association is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, with its Governmental Relations Division
housed in Washington, DC. Approximately 140 staff members, including approximately 30
veterinarians, currently work for the AVMA.

The mission of the AVMA is to improve animal and human health and advance the veterinary
medical profession. The Association’s current (2008-2011) and next (2012-2015) strategic plans
are available at www.avma.org/about_avma/governance/strategicplanning/default.as