Thank you, AVAP!

Dear AVAP Colleagues,

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As I begin my term as AVAP President, I want to thank everyone who helped make our conference in Anaheim such a success.

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For those who attended, it was great seeing you and spending time learning from one another. For those who were unable to join us, you missed a terrific lineup of sessions developed by our Planning Committee. I hope everyone is already making plans to attend next year's conference in Minneapolis (July 14–16, 2027).

A special acknowledgment goes to Karen Johnson for keeping everything organized and managing the many behind-the-scenes details that help AVAP and our annual conference run smoothly. Her work is greatly appreciated.

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Planning Committee Update

A sincere thank you to Laura Zimbrick, Elena Jones, and the entire Planning Committee, along with our volunteers and sponsors. Their time, creativity, and hard work made for an outstanding conference experience.

I am looking forward to the leadership of Megan Bips and Rachael Rail as they begin their new roles as Co-Chairs of the Conference Planning Committee. They will have an important role in helping shape next year's conference, and I appreciate their willingness to lead this effort.

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Leadership Transitions

I would like to recognize Tim King for his leadership and service as Immediate Past President, thank Heidi Kramer for her leadership as President this past year, and congratulate Eric Langdon as he begins his role as Vice President/President-Elect for FY27.

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We have a few committee leadership updates as well. Melissa Headrick and Tim King will serve as Co-Chairs of the Engagement & Outreach Committee. Katie Rothstein and Heidi Kramer will serve as Co-Chairs of the Marketing & Communications Committee. Thank you to Rachel Riani and Allison Burk for their previous leadership and service in committee leadership roles. You can view the AVAP Leadership Team page to get in touch with any of us.

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2026 Conference Survey

If you have not already, please take a few minutes to complete the conference survey. The Planning Committee will lean heavily on your feedback and suggestions as they begin developing next year's conference and slate of sessions.

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Session Files & Certificates of Attendance

Missed a session, or need your certificate of attendance? Log in to the AVAP conference portal:

• To download session files: In the left-hand menu, click Speakers, find the session you're looking for, click the Session Files tab, select the file, and click download.

• To download your certificate of attendance: Look for the button on the landing page right after you log in.

 

Stay Engaged

I encourage everyone to stay engaged throughout the year. Please participate in our monthly calls, join a committee, share ideas with colleagues, and continue building the relationships that make AVAP such a valuable organization.

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It is an honor to serve as your President, and I look forward to working with all of you this year.

See you in Minneapolis or at one of our engagement events along the way.

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Best,

Trent Wellman President Association of Veterinary Advancement Professionals (AVAP)

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P.S. If I have inadvertently missed recognizing anyone individually, please know your contributions are sincerely appreciated. It takes the collective efforts of many dedicated volunteers to make AVAP and our annual conference successful.