(SAN ANTONIO) August 9, 2016—Dr. Karen M. Bradley has begun her six-year term as a member of the American Veterinary medical association (AVMA) Board of Directors. Bradley, who was nominated by the Vermont Veterinary medical association (Vermont VMA), was elected to the post last spring. She succeeds Dr. John de Jong, the board chair, as the district 1 representative for AVMA members living in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, new Hampshire, new York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
As an AVMA Board member, among Bradley’s priorities will be to guarantee continued momentum in the AVMA’s much more tactical focus on its membership and to increase member passion for the AVMA.
“The AVMA is in a distinct position to be the face of its members. This is no easy task, but one we should meet head-on if the AVMA is to remain a dynamic association relevant to our members,” said Bradley. “It will also require the AVMA Board of Directors to have a diverse set of experiences and opinions present around the table.”
Bradley visualizes an association that moves forward and is proactively the voice of animal health and welfare, food safety and public policy—with veterinarians as the voice of authority.
“I visualize an AVMA at your fingertips, one where members feel like they understand what is happening, why and when, and in real time, what we need to know when we need it,” she said. “I look forward to continuing my efforts to raise awareness of the AVMA as the national association that protects, promotes and advances veterinarians and the veterinary profession, and to engaging much more members as we continue to address the pressing issues before us.”
Bradley is passionate about encouraging leadership in her fellow veterinarians and was a co-author of “A renewed call for veterinary leaders”, a commentary which appeared in the September 15, 2015, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary medical Association. Her leadership objective is to serve the members of her professional organizations as a forward-thinking and tactical leader, and to mentor and encourage other veterinarians to actively engage, participate and become leaders of veterinary associations and communities at large.
Bradley, a small animal practitioner, is a co-owner of Onion River animal medical facility in Vermont and a former member of the AVMA house of Delegates. She is a founding member and immediate past president of the Women’s Veterinary leadership development Initiative, whose mission is to support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity. Bradley is a former executive board member of the Vermont VMA, and has chaired committees for both the AVMA and Vermont VMA.
Bradley received her doctor of Veterinary medicine degree from the university of Georgia college of Veterinary Medicine.
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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with much more than 88,000 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a broad variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine.
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