Awards
In Good Company: Where NY Vets Connect
Recognizing those who have made extraordinary contributions to our community
Every year we Award and recognize several NY veterinarians, from rising leaders to outstanding lifetime contributions.
2025 Honorees
Veterinarian of the Year
Leslie Appel DVM
Leslie Appel, DVM, currently serves as Founder and Executive Director of Shelter Outreach Services in Ithaca, N.Y. She is also a Courtesy Lecturer Department of Clinical Science at Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She previously served as the Director of Shelter Veterinary Outreach, ASPCA, NYC, Veterinarian, SPCA of Westchester, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., Instructor, Small Animal Surgery, Cornell University CVM and Director, Cornell Companions Program. She was also a private practice veterinarian. She has a BS and DVM from Cornell University. She is the recipient of the AVMA Animal Welfare Award, ASPCA Angel Award, Public Service Center Faculty Recognition Award, Cornell University, Katherine Cole Cortland SPCA Award and Quill and Dagger Honor Society, Cornell University. She currently serves as Annual ASPCA Cornell Maddies Shelter Medicine Conference, Founder and Conference Planning Committee Member and Board Member, Shelter Outreach Services. She previously served as: Member, Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Veterinary Task Force to Advance Spay-Neuter, AVMA Animal Welfare Committee Member, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, Board Member, Advisory Board Member, Animal Balance, Galapagos Islands Spay/Neuter Project, American Association of Human Animal Bond Veterinarians, Board Member, Quill and Dagger Honor Society, Alumni Board Member, Intern Selection Committee, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Clinical Sciences Service Committee, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Veterinarian of the Year
Leslie Appel DVM
Leslie Appel, DVM, currently serves as Founder and Executive Director of Shelter Outreach Services in Ithaca, N.Y. She is also a Courtesy Lecturer Department of Clinical Science at Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She previously served as the Director of Shelter Veterinary Outreach, ASPCA, NYC, Veterinarian, SPCA of Westchester, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., Instructor, Small Animal Surgery, Cornell University CVM and Director, Cornell Companions Program. She was also a private practice veterinarian. She has a BS and DVM from Cornell University. She is the recipient of the AVMA Animal Welfare Award, ASPCA Angel Award, Public Service Center Faculty Recognition Award, Cornell University, Katherine Cole Cortland SPCA Award and Quill and Dagger Honor Society, Cornell University. She currently serves as Annual ASPCA Cornell Maddies Shelter Medicine Conference, Founder and Conference Planning Committee Member and Board Member, Shelter Outreach Services. She previously served as: Member, Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Veterinary Task Force to Advance Spay-Neuter, AVMA Animal Welfare Committee Member, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, Board Member, Advisory Board Member, Animal Balance, Galapagos Islands Spay/Neuter Project, American Association of Human Animal Bond Veterinarians, Board Member, Quill and Dagger Honor Society, Alumni Board Member, Intern Selection Committee, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Clinical Sciences Service Committee, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.Merit Award
Carmen Fuentealba, DVM, MSc, PhD, (F)AMEE
Carmen Fuentealba DVM, MSc, (F)AMEE, PhD is currently the Founding Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Long Island University. Dr. Fuentealba received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Universidad Austral de Chile (Valdivia, Chile), a Master of Science in Animal Pathology from Universidad de Chile (Santiago, Chile) and earned a Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology from The University of Liverpool, UK. She completed a residency in Anatomic Pathology at Texas A&M University. In 2018 she became a Fellow of the Association of Medical Educators of Europe (AMEE). As an educator, she has developed expertise in program development, curriculum development and assessment, and promotion of internationalization strategies. Dr. Fuentealba is an award-winning educator and a member of the Board of Directors of AMEE’s ASPIRE initiative, a program that promotes outstanding performance and recognizes international excellence in medical, dental, and veterinary schools. She participated in the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Foresight Project: “Envisioning the Future of Veterinary Medical Education”, was a member of the AAVMC Strategic Planning Steering Committee and has served as a mentor in the AVMA’s Future Leaders Program. She is a member of the New York Veterinary Medicinal Society where she serves as co-chair of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. She was the AVMA liaison to the Pan-American Veterinary Association (PANVET) for two terms and now serves as a member of PANVET's Board of Directors.Distinguished Life Service Award
The highest honor to be conferred upon a member of the NYSVMS. The award honors an individual of the highest caliber in the profession; one who has been a good and faithful NYSVMS member for a period of 35 years and has actively and fully partaken in society activities.
Distinguished Life Service Honorees
Stanley M. Aldrich, DVM
Larry Bartholf, DVM -2013
Robert F. Case, DVM
Robert E. Clark, DVM
Francis H. Fox, DVM
Arthur J. Friderici, DVM
Stanley E. Garrison, DVM
William Goodman, Jr., DVM
Thomas J. Gosdeck, Esq. – lobbyist-2014
Richard C. Grambow, DVM
Alfred Grossman, DVM – 2004
Henry E. Grossman, DVM
David Hancock, DVM – 2012
Chester Hartenstein, DVM
Linda E. Jacobson, DVM -2010
Laurel Kaddatz, DVM -2015
Arthur I. Kronfeld, DVM -2008
Ellis P. Leonard, DVM
Robert V. Manning, DVM
Frank E. McClelland, Jr., DVM
Robert B. McClelland, DVM
Susan R. McLellan, DVM -2010
John D. Murray, DVM
Burton Saunders, DVM
Frederick B. Tierney, DVM
William E. Zitek, DVM
Harold M. Zweighaft, DVM
Thomas Nytch, DVM -2016
Francis Fassett, DVM -2017
Ian Wetherly, DVM-2018
Walter McCarthy, DVM-2019
Robert Sofarelli, DVM-2020
Francis Welcome, DVM-2020
Richard Greene, DVM-2021
Veterinarian of the Year Award
This award is given to a NYSVMS member who, over the course of many years, served his/her regional, state society, and veterinary profession in an exemplary and distinguished manner and who is judged by his/her peers to be the most deserving of the Veterinarian of the Year award. The first award was presented in 1961 to Dr. William Hagan.
Veterinarian of the Year Honorees
William Hagan, DVM
Robert MacKellar, DVM
Frank McClelland, Sr., DVM
John Bosshart, DVM
Benjamin Finkelstein, DVM
Myron Fincher, DVM
Gordon Danks, DVM
Irving Zimmerman, DVM
John Regan, DVM
Dana Ford, DVM
Peter Olafson, DVM
Robert E. Clark, DVM
Robert W. Kirk, DVM
Robert McClelland, DVM
Grant Kaley, DVM
George Poppensiek, DVM
Bruce Haynes, DVM
Elihu Bond, DVM
John McCormick, DVM
Leo Wuori, DVM
John McCarthy, DVM
Stanley Aldrich, DVM
Charles Fletcher, DVM
Raphael Meisels, DVM
Robert W. Fuess, DVM
Robert V. Manning, DVM
Frederick B. Tierney, DVM
Arthur I. Kronfeld, DVM
Charles Rickard, DVM (Educator)
Myron W. Marder, DVM ( Practitioner)
Richard C. Grambow, DVM
Alfred Grossman, DVM
Kenneth J. Rotondo, DVM
Linda E. Jacobson, DVM
William E. Zitek, DVM
Robert D. Farrell, DVM
Lloyd Tait, VMD
Harold M. Zweighaft, DVM
William Goodman, DVM
Catherine L. Cruz, DVM
Douglas G. Aspros, DVM
Edward B. Chapman, DVM – 2002
Laurel A. Kaddatz, DVM
Francis A. Kallfelz, DVM
Burton Saunders, DVM
Walter K. McCarthy, DVM – 2006
Donald F. Smith, DVM – 2007
Wayne F. Warriner, DVM – 2008
Joan E. Hilfiker, DVM – 2010
Rene van Ee, DVM – 2012
Eric Bregman, VMD – 2013
Francis Fassett, DVM – 2014
Laura Cook, DVM – 2015
James Zgoda, DVM – 2016 (posthumously)
Susan Wylegala, DVM – 2017
David Leahy, DVM-2019
Allan Bregman, DVM-2020
Outstanding Service to Veterinary Medicine in New York State Award
Honors an individual who through his/her efforts in education, research, practice, or some veterinary-related occupation significantly contributed to the advancement and improvement of veterinary medicine in New York State. This individual need not have been active in organized veterinary medicine and need not be a veterinarian.
Outstanding Service Honorees
Pamela A. Abney, DVM
Max J. Appel, DVM
Robert B. Altman, DVM
Bruce W. Calnek, DVM
Leland E. Carmichael, DVM
Robert F. Case, DVM
Alexander de Lahunta, DVM
Elizabeth Dole, DVM -2012
Robert W. Dygert, DVM
Roger Ellis, DVM -2002
Peter A. Ferguson
Michael S. Garvey, DVM
Jay W. Geasling, DVM
Richard Greene, DVM
Robert E. Habel, DVM
William D. Hardy, VMD
Robert B. Hillman, DVM
John P. Huntley, DVM
Robert W. Kirk, DVM
John C. Laurie, DVM
Donald H. Lein, DVM
Barry A. Lissman, DVM
Si-kwang Liu, DVM
John L. Mara, DVM
Harold E. Nadler, DVM
William C. Rebhun, DVM
Victor T. Rendano, Jr., VMD
Roger C. Riis, DVM -2007
Stephen J. Roberts, DVM
Danny W. Scott, DVM
Bud C. Tennant, DVM
Richard E. Thoma, DVM
Charles V. Trimarchi
Robert Reisman, DVM-2016
Robin Sturtz, DVM-2017
Stephanie West, DVM-2018
Dean Snyder, DVM-2019
William E. Hornbuckle, DVM -2008
Tim Atkinson, Executive Director-2020
Curtis Dewey, DVM-2021
Rising Leader Award
The Rising Leader Award recognizes a current NYSVMS member who has graduated from veterinary school within the last 15 years. This outstanding member has made significant professional accomplishments early in his/her career including public service and volunteer activities that serve to positively reflect upon the veterinary profession, as well as an active role on the regional and/or state level of NYSVMS.
Rising Leader Honorees
Amanda Schepis, DVM-2019
Joseph D’Abbraccio, DVM-2020
NYSVMS Merit Award
Honors a society member for significant contributions to the regional and state society and the advancement of the veterinary profession.
Merit Award Honorees
Pamela Abney, DVM
Allan Ahearne, DVM
Jacob Antelyes, DVM
James Apostolides, DVM
David Armstrong, DVM
Herbert Bandemer, DVM
Bridget Barry, DVM – 2004
Jane Bicks, DVM
John Brennan, DVM
Christopher Brockett, DVM
Allan Carb, DVM
Robert Case, DVM
Edward Chapman, DVM
Mark Crandall, DVM
Alexander de Lahunta, DVM
Henry Deutsch, DVM
Joseph Ferris, DVM
Donald Fox, DVM
Francis H. Fox, DVM
Arthur J. Friderici, DVM
Stanley Garrison, DVM
Martha Gearhart, DVM
William Goodman, DVM
Rodney Graves, DVM
Alfred Grossman, DVM
Christian Haller, DVM
Harry Hansen, DVM
Bernard Hershhorn, DVM
Clifford Hoppenstedt, DVM
Morton Howe, DVM
Linda Jacobson, DVM
Norman Johnson, DVM
Laurel Kaddatz, DVM
Arthur I. Kronfeld, DVM
John C. Laurie, DVM
Pepi F. Leids, DVM
Aloysius Lenhard, DVM
Ellis Leonard, DVM
John Marvin, DVM
Donald McKown, DVM
Susan McLellan, DVM -2007
Anthony M. Miele, DVM
Jack Mindell, DVM
Harold Nadler, DVM
Daniel Nielsen, DVM
Paul Peterson, DVM
William Reese, DVM
Kenneth J. Rotondo, DVM
Allan Bregman, DVM-2016
Joseph E. Savarese, DVM
Louis Schimoler, DVM
Regina Schwabe, DVM
Robert J. Sofarelli, DVM
Lloyd Tait, VMD
Rene van Ee, DVM
Thurman Vaughn, DVM
Francis Welcome, DVM
Bruce Widger, DVM
Howard Gittelman, DVM-2019
Betsy Bond, DVM-2020
Dr. Steve Kritsick Memorial Award
The Kritsick award was established in 1994 to remember and recognize the contributions to animal welfare of Dr. Steve Kritsick. Dr. Kritsick was a well-known and popular animal advocate who appeared on several television programs, including “Good Morning America.”
This award recognizes an individual or organization that effectively promotes responsible pet ownership; educates the public about an issue related to animal welfare; or who positively increases the visibility of veterinary medicine as a science whose contributions have helped create a healthier future for animals and people.
Dr. Steve Kritsick Memorial Honorees
1994 Steve Caporizzo
Pet Connection, WTEN-TV, Albany
1995 Eloise Daniels
R Pets, Time Warner, Rochester
1995 Rick Gary
Pet Savers, WIXT, Syracuse
1996 Jonathan Greenfield, DVM
TheFamily Pet, Channel 12 News, Long Island
1997 Cynthia D’Aquino
Pet Pause, TKR News Source 8, Nyack
1998 NOVA’s Animal Hospital
1999 K.C. Baker
Critters, Newsday, New York City
2000 Drs. Doreen and Gregory John
Petcetera in Finger Lakes Times
Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Denver, CO
featured on Emergency Vets on the Animal Planet