The Congress Steering Committee (CSC) was formed early in 2010 with a specific brief to guide and strategically develop the annual World Congress.
To ensure that it meets WSAVA aspirations in terms of thought leadership, scientific content, organization and branding.
Vision
Successful WSAVA Congresses meeting the needs of the membership and the long term fiscal stability of the organization.
Mission
To ensure our annual World Congress, the flagship of our organization, meets a consistently excellent standard.
Objectives
The changes we are making will be highly beneficial to WSAVA member organizations around the world but the processes are new so, as always when things change, our main challenge is to help our members understand the new system.
Activity Reports
Members
Dr Daphne Westgeest
Daphne Westgeest studied Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. After graduation she started her career as companion animal veterinarian in New Zealand. One year later she moved back to the Netherlands, where she continued her work in a private clinic. She had a special interest in soft tissue surgery, but has also been focussed on marketing of the clinic. Out of interest and to gain more experience she studied Online Marketing. After 9 years in practice it was time for a new challenge and she joined Royal Canin as Scientific Affairs and Communication Advisor.
Daphne has been a board member of the Netherlands Association for Companion Animal Medicine (NACAM), part of the Royal Dutch Veterinary Association (KNMvD). In that role she has been the WSAVA Assembly member for 6 years. As she wanted to be more involved she joined the WSAVA Foundation Board and recently the CE Committee.
Dr Gopinathan Gangadharan
Dr. Gopinathan graduated from Madras Veterinary College,Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India. in the year 1984 with a B.V. Sc degree in 1984. Started practicing as a Companion Animal Practitioner in Kuala Lumpur from 1984. Worked in a couple of practises, before buying over the current practice and naming it Mutiara Animal Clinic and since then has been practicing there till today.Dr.Gopinathan is widower and has three children, one boy and two girls. His wife passed away in July 2017.
Dr. Gopinathan was one of the founder members of Small Animal Practitioners Association of Malaysia(SAPAM) currently known as Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA). He started serving the Association as a State Representative for Kuala Lumpur in 1995. He became an executive council member in 1997 and since then has been serving the Association in many roles as President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, Hon Treasurer,Hon Secretary and Organising Chairman for the National Scientific Conferences and AGM, Currently he is doing his third term as President which will finish in September 2021.
In 2011 he was elected as the Hon.Secretary of Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations(FASAVA) during the WSAVA/FASAVA congress 2011 at Jeju,South Korea.He is still the Hon. Secretary fir FASAVA almost ten years. He was also the Advisor and member of the FASAVA Congress 2016 ,Kuala Lumpur organising committee .
He has been WSAVA Assembly representative for MSAVA for the years 2012,2013,2016,2018,2019 and 2020.
In the year 2018 during the WSAVA/FASAVA Congress, Singapore he was awarded "WSAVA-Henry Schein Cares International Veterinary Community Service Award"
Recently during the 33rd Annual general Meeting (AGM) online of the Malaysian Veterinary Medical Association(MAVMA) formerly know as Veterinary Association Malaysia(VAM) in August 2021 he was awarded their prestigious award " Anugerah Mengenang Jasa (AMJ)"for his contribution to the veterinary profession in Malaysia.
Dr Gopinathan was also nominated as member to the Malaysian Veterinary Council(MVC) for the years 2019 -2022. He currently the Chairman for Continuing Education Committee, member of the Veterinary Practice Committee and Preliminary Investigation Committee in the Malaysian Veterinary Council.He has also represented MSAVA/ MVC in the recent OIE workshop conducted online "Virtual Awareness Raising Workshop in Veterinary Workforce and VPP in Asia and the Pacific".
Dr Natalie Lloyd
After graduating with her veterinary degree from Massey University, New Zealand in 1995, Natalie embarked on her career as a general practitioner companion animal veterinarian which spanned two and a half decades.
Natalie and her husband owned a companion animal vet clinic in Wellington for 13 years where she developed a passion for feline medicine and behaviour. With a strong focus on excellent standards of care for her patients , clients, and also the staff who worked at the clinic; Tasman St Vet Centre was a successful and well-loved part of the community it served. The clinic was sold to a large veterinary group in 2016 and Natalie went on to work for the group as the National Veterinary Manager for New Zealand, taking her passion for patient and veterinary wellbeing to a higher level.
In 2016 Natalie joined the Executive Committee of the Companion Animal Veterinary Branch of the New Zealand Vet Association and became President of the Branch in 2019. In her tenure on the committee, Natalie has continued to strongly advocate for her fellow veterinarians through some incredibly challenging times- not the least of which has been the COVID pandemic.
Natalie now works as a Companion Animal Veterinary Advisor for Zoetis providing technical support to veterinarians, and is also the New Zealand Companion Animal Outcomes Research Ambassador for Zoetis.
Dr Lisa Mestrinho
Degree in Veterinary Medicine in 2003, Post graduate studies in Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2006, Master of Science in Oncology, by Oporto University in 2010, European Master of Small Animal Veterinary Medicine – Dentistry by Université du Luxembourg in 2015, PhD in Veterinary Sciences by the University of Lisbon in 2016. Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry since 2017. Bachelor’s degree in health sciences by Nova Medical School in 2018. Lisa Mestrinho works as an Assistant Professor of the Clinical Department of the Veterinary Faculty - Lisbon University. She is also a researcher at its institution’s research center (CIISA), and she leads the dentistry and oral surgery service of the teaching hospital of the same faculty. Elected member of the Portuguese National Veterinary College – OMV (General Assembly) and of the Portuguese small animal veterinary association – APMVEAC.
Dr Jim Berry
Executive Board Liaison