Pulse - March 2023 - 4

PULSE PERSPECTIVE MEGANNOWELL@GMAIL.COM
Oh the Places We've Been
attended my first SCVMA celebration five years ago as one of the newest members of the board. I remember
standing on stage for a group photo next to Allyne Moon at the Roosevelt Hotel, whispering " now
what? " out of the corner of my mouth. At the time, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into or
what the SCVMA might accomplish over the next few years. And even if you'd told me, I don't think I would
have believed it. Here are just a few of the things we have done since I joined the Board of Trustees in 2018.
As an organization, we survived and thrived
during the pandemic. Under the leadership of
Dr. Weinstein and Dr. Hawkins, we were able
to reimagine what it meant to serve our members
and adapt to our new world. The SCVMA
provided more online continuing education
content than ever before and was able to
continue to meet the needs of our profession.
We even held our first " laugh and learn " on
Zoom about the unlikely topic of feline injection
site sarcomas.
The SCVMA continued their work with
Downtown Dog Rescue and its wide network
of volunteers, shifting the monthly clinics to a
curbside service to be able to continue to provide
lifesaving care for pets of low-income families.
We have recognized some of the best and
brightest of our profession. Through nominations
from their peers, we have selected over
35 of our colleagues to celebrate at our annual
installation dinners.
We also celebrate and support our students.
Our Education and Scholarship Foundation
has increased our support of future veterinarians
and registered veterinary technicians by
increasing both the number of scholarships
and the scholarship amount awarded each year.
Through our partnership with the Animal
Health Foundation, the Angel Fund has granted
over $40,000 in financial support to pet
owners in need over the last five years. This has
led to many lives saved and helped keep pets
and their families together in Los Angeles and
Orange Counties.
We have created a DEI task force and have
committed to: providing continuing education
on diversity, equity, and inclusion for our
members, to providing DEI training for our
board and the SCVMA staff, to highlighting
minority and underrepresented veterinary professionals
in the PULSE magazine, and working
to remove barriers to access to veterinary
medicine for both pet owners and individuals
interested in the field, just to name a few.
And we saw the end of an era with the retirement
of Dr. Weinstein - the only face of
4
I
the SCVMA that I had ever known. Peter
announced his plans to retire to the board
and gave us the not-small task of finding his
replacement. Dr. Raymond de Villa did an
incredible job of guiding the board through
the hefty process of interviewing and evaluating
candidates. I think one of the biggest and
best accomplishments of the SCVMA Board
of Trustees was the hiring of Dr. Jennifer
Hawkins as our new executive director.
For 2023, I hope to help the SCVMA continue
to meet the needs of an ever changing
profession. I look forward to working with the
wonderful individuals on the board, whose collective
experience represents the many sides of
veterinary medicine - from associate veterinarians
to practice owners, specialty medicine to
allied industry to general practice, recent grads
and not-so-recent grads, and a practice manager
who, once upon a time, welcomed me into
her hospital for a fourth-year rotation when I
was finishing veterinary school. And I look forward
to working alongside and learning from
Dr. Hawkins, who is an accomplished leader
and fearless vet mom, as she continues to guide
the SCVMA.
I would also like to thank Dr. Karla Nichols
for her service to the board and congratulate
her on not ever having to write another President's
Perspective piece for the Pulse magazine!
Megan Nowl
SCVMA President
MARCH 2023
PULSE

Pulse - March 2023

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