Wow, summer is in full swing in New York! The list of activities is long and eclectic — graduations from kindergarten to college, birthdays, anniversaries, the Fourth of July, sport competitions, and vacations, to name just a few. I hope you have all had the opportunity for celebration this summer.

Our Executive Director, Tim Atkinson, President-elect Roxanne Suarez, DVM, and I were invited to celebrate with LIVMA at their annual Membership Celebration & Scholarship Dinner at Fox Hollow in June. What a tremendous event! Veterinarians, technicians and guests enjoyed dinner and drinks, door prizes, and a huge basket raffle that helps fund LIVMA's scholarship programs, and many members were honored for their service to the community.

My favorite part came with the presentation by Dr. Dominic Marino and Dr. Mitchell Kornet, who recounted events from 9/11 and its 25th anniversary this year.

They described the quick response by LIVMA and its emergency-preparedness team in the search-and-rescue efforts, and the support of the amazing dog-handler teams that worked tirelessly in the aftermath. So many members took part in that huge effort, and many were there and recognized that evening. On behalf of our organization, thank you for all that you did and continue to do — and thank you, LIVMA, for inviting us to share such a beautiful event.

A big month for NYSVMS

June was also a big month for NYSVMS as we held our Strategic Planning Meeting. This comes every four years, and it has been in the works for almost a year as we surveyed members about what we do, what we provide, and how we can improve. If you took part in the surveys, thank you — it means a lot to know you took the time to tell us what you're thinking. We are listening.

As we move into synthesizing and implementing these behemoth ideas, we will continue to ask for your help and support. This is a group effort; your regional leaders cannot do it without you. As the summer moves along, several of us have volunteered to travel around our regions for the chance to meet you personally. This is not an easy task — many of us find it a little intimidating! I tell myself to put my “big girl pants” on and do it, so I will try to lead by example (gulp). If you have the chance to meet one of these volunteers in the coming months, I hope we can spend a little time getting to know each other and hearing what you want from the organization.

Save the dates

Registration for the annual NYS Veterinary Conference is underway — have you started making your plans? Be sure to take advantage of NYSVMS member pricing. The dates are October 9–11, and the topics and speakers are top-notch: not just the usual large- and small-animal seminars, but wildlife, integrative medicine, practice management and technician tracks as well. There is something for everyone, whether you attend in person, online, or on-demand. For more information, visit www.nysvc.org.

You will also find our Legislative Wrap-Up in this issue. Please take a few minutes to see what is happening in New York. Advocacy is one of NYSVMS's biggest focus areas — we maintain a strong lobbying presence at the state level and work hard to protect your rights as a veterinarian. If you'd like to get more involved, please contact us and we can connect you with our Government Relations Committee.

And be sure to save the date for the NYSVMS Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. over Zoom. May the rest of your summer be all that you are hoping for!

Jeanne E. Best, DVM · NYSVMS President