Event
55th annual conference, Sept. 22-24, Long Beach, California
Program
The conference drew 1,145 attendees. Dr. Vernard Hodges, a practitioner from Georgia and co-star of Nat Geo Wild’s “Critter Fixers: Country Vets,” discussed diversity and “expanding the herd” of veterinarians. Continuing education included sessions on beef cattle, dairy cattle, clinical skills, and practice management; student sessions; and sessions from the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners. Also on offer was a trade show, a 5K Stampede Fun Run, and the Amstutz Scholarship live and silent auctions. Student members who received $249,500 total in scholarships this year from the AABP were recognized at the conference.
Awards
Boehringer Ingelheim Bovine Practitioner of the Year
Dr. John Groves (Missouri ’92), Eldon, Missouri. Dr. Groves owns Livestock Veterinary Service in Eldon, working exclusively with stocker and cow-calf operations. A graduate of the Beef Cattle Production Management Series from the University of Nebraska, he is a founding member of Veterinary Advancement of Systems Thinking, a group of veterinarians interested in how the systems approach can be applied to animal health and production strategies.
AABP Award of Excellence
Dr. Meredyth Jones (Oklahoma State ’02), Perkins, Oklahoma. Dr. Jones is an associate professor of food animal medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She also owns Large Animal Consulting & Education, a resource for online continuing education. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Jones previously taught food animal field services at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
James A. Jarrett Award for Young Leaders
Dr. Tera R. Barnhardt (Kansas State ’14), Johnson, Kansas. A beef and dairy consulting veterinarian in southwest Kansas, Dr. Barnhardt has experience with feedlots, dairies, calf ranches, and grow yards, and focuses on elevating practices in animal welfare to increase productivity. Dr. Barnhardt has served on several conference planning committees for the AABP.
Merck Mentor of the Year
Dr. Joe Klopfenstein (Purdue ’83), Corvallis, Oregon. Dr. Klopfenstein is a clinical assistant professor at Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, focusing on food- and fiber-producing animals. He previously worked in dairy and beef production, management, and health in Vermont. Dr. Klopfenstein is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
AABP Amstutz-Williams Award
Dr. Bob Smith (Kansas State ’76), Stillwater, Oklahoma. A diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Dr. Smith is part of Veterinary Research and Consulting Services, focusing primarily on feedlot medicine. Earlier in his career, he was a member of the clinical sciences faculty at Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, serving as chair in beef health and production. Dr. Smith is a past president of the AABP, Western Veterinary Conference, and Academy of Veterinary Consultants. He has served as editor of the AABP’s Bovine Practitioner and AABP conference proceedings and was a consulting editor of Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice.
Officials
Drs. Sandra Godden, St. Paul, Minnesota, president; Michael Capel, Geneseo, New York, president-elect; Dave Sjeklocha, Topeka, Kansas, vice president; Brian Reed, Lititz, Pennsylvania, treasurer; Richard Wallace, McFarland, Wisconsin, parliamentarian; and Pat Gorden, Ames, Iowa, immediate past president