From the Executive
Director
 Observations from the annual
meeting
Having just returned from the 2007 AASV Annual Meeting, I have a
mind full of ideas, observations, and thoughts concerning our
association, profession, and industry. I will share a few of these
with you.
I am awed by the power of synergistic thought and action as
demonstrated by the program planning committee. Each June, this
committee is reformed with new members to design the program for
the next annual meeting. Led by the vision of the AASV
president-elect, the committee starts with an overabundance of
ideas. Through the course of a one-day planning session, the ideas
are discussed, dissected, meshed, built upon, combined, and culled
until a cohesive plan emerges. Speakers are suggested. Seminar and
session chairs are selected and assignments are made. At the end of
the day, the program has sprung to life with great promise to
deliver on the AASV mission to “increase the knowledge of
swine veterinarians.”
I am honored to serve a board of directors and officers who are
“Level 5 Leaders” as described by Jim Collins in his
book Good to Great.1 They place the best interests of the
AASV members squarely in the forefront. They make the right
decisions for the good of the association. They expect little in
return. Their drive and will are directed at making the AASV better
today than it was yesterday. If you have ideas or issues concerning
the AASV, the directors and officers can provide a willing and
receptive sounding board.
I am proud of the AASV staff that provides support, services,
and products to our members at the annual meeting and throughout
the year. Their experience, efforts, and dedication continue to
inspire me with my own responsibilities. Watching them work at the
annual meeting reminds me to stay out of their way and let them do
their jobs.
I am delighted to have seen so many spouses and families in
Orlando. They provide a different perspective and insight into the
personal lives of AASV members. These loved ones represent the
personal sides of life we so rarely view in professional settings
but which are so important. They provide balance and reminders of
who and what are really important in life. One of my favorite
bumper stickers reads “The best things in life aren’t
things!”
I am impressed by the quality of veterinary students who attend
the annual meeting. Their presence at the meeting brings a youthful
feeling to the lecture rooms and the hallways. What they may lack
in experience, they make up for with enthusiasm for learning and
becoming swine veterinarians. The student presenters do a great job
in preparing their papers and presentations. We should all thank
the faculty advisors and practitioners who are mentoring these
students into the profession.
I am recharged by the passion for knowledge shown so many times
and at so many levels during our meeting. From the formal sessions
to the hallway talk, members were actively seeking knowledge. We
pack as much as we can into the meeting while striving to meet the
needs of our members. One of the hallmarks of the AASV is the
willingness of members to share information and knowledge with
colleagues. Without that, there would be no annual meeting. If you
are not a better swine veterinarian when you leave the AASV
meeting, then we have not delivered on our promise.
I am pleased to see that our members continue to embrace the
value of discussion and debate on the issues confronting the
profession and the industry. The issues are diverse and range from
which name we should use for the disease caused by porcine
circovirus to the selection of a site for the 2011 annual meeting.
(Don’t worry: we are not considering Des Moines!)
Constructive dialogue between members is a sign of a healthy
organization. As an educational association, we need to create an
atmosphere where everyone feels secure enough to raise questions
and provide input. Even when we agree to disagree, we can do so in
a way that reinforces the concepts of professionalism and
collegiality.
I am relieved to see that the dire predictions of only needing a
handful of swine veterinarians have not come to fruition. The
meeting would be a lonely place without the diverse group of
attendees that we attract every year. While we have lost a segment
of mixed-animal practitioners who no longer work in the swine
industry, we have an established core of committed and engaged
members. We continue to gain international participation that adds
an expanded horizon to our meeting. Without members, there is no
AASV.
Lastly, I am blessed and humbled to have a job I love to wake up
to every morning. I thank Dr Daryl Olsen for his trust in my
ability to deliver the Dunne Lecture. I thank a long line of
officers and directors who have entrusted the AASV to me for the
last 13 years. Finally, I thank each and every member of AASV for
their support and for giving me an ongoing reason to say
“Man, I love this game!”
Reference
1. Collins J. Good to Great. New York, New York: Harper
Business; 2001.
-- Tom Burkgren
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