| 3/31/2016 | |
| AABP Announces New Executive Vice President, Dr. Fred Gingrich | |
| For the first time in 11 years, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) will have a new Executive Vice President, Dr. K. Fred Gingrich, II, when Dr. M. Gatz Riddell, Jr., retires at the end of December 2016. Riddell stepped into his current role with AABP in 2005 during a transitional time after former Executive Vice President Dr. James A. Jarrett passed away. Under Riddell’s leadership, AABP has led a membership of over 5,000 beef and dairy veterinarians into a new era where animal welfare, judicious drug use, regulations and consumer perceptions have taken center stage in shaping livestock production. In March 2015 AABP formed a search committee made up of a diverse group of AABP members with a long history of service and leadership to AABP, in addition to hiring an executive search consultant for extensive surveying and interviewing of candidates. The search committee carefully developed a timeline for the nomination, selection and interviewing of candidates for the Executive Vice President position from May through December, 2015, with the final selection made by the AABP Board of Directors in February, 2016. Gingrich, who is the current AABP president, has had a long association with the organization since he graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 (see bio below). Gingrich currently is a mixed-animal practitioner and owns Country Roads Veterinary Services, Inc., in Ashland, Ohio. Gingrich will leave private practice to become the full time AABP executive vice president on January 1, 2017. AABP plans to have a six-month transition with both Dr. Gingrich and Dr. Riddell on staff from July through December 31, 2016. During this time, Gingrich will set up an office and support staff in Ohio. Gingrich will step down as AABP president July 1, and Immediate Past President Dr. John Davidson will return as AABP president for July, August and September 2016 up until the 49th Annual Conference September 15-17 when President-Elect Dr. Mark Thomas will become the AABP president. “I congratulate Dr. Gingrich on being selected as the AABP’s fourth Executive Vice President,” Riddell says. “It has been my privilege, for the past 11 years, to work with AABP members and with AABP stakeholders to address issues critical to bovine practice and the cattle veterinarian. I am certain that Dr. Gingrich will continue these efforts at the highest level. The search committee and the AABP Board of Directors are to be commended on the deliberative and forward-thinking process followed during this selection. The Board should also be thanked for committing the resources necessary to provide for a six-month transition period. I look forward to working with Dr. Gingrich during this period to accomplish a seamless transition on January 1, 2017.” Over the course of AABP’s 50-year history, the AABP’s chief executive has played a critical role in providing stability and guidance for the association’s volunteer leadership, Davidson says. “We were fortunate to have enough advance notice to conduct a rigorous search for Dr. Riddell’s successor,” he adds. “The association owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Riddell for providing sufficient time to conduct such a thorough search. This also allows our organization an opportunity to smoothly transition the AABP headquarters to the home state of our next executive vice president with minimal impact to AABP member services.” Gingrich looks forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. “It is an honor to be selected as the incoming executive vice president for AABP,” Gingrich says. “I am looking forward to working with Dr. Riddell and learning from him over the next six months. Serving the membership in this role is a responsibility that I will dedicate every effort toward as we move our organization into the future.” Gingrich will be the fourth AABP executive vice president following Dr. M. Gatz Riddell, Jr., Dr. James A. Jarrett and Dr. Harold E. Amstutz, respectively. # # # AABP is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization serving cattle veterinary medicine professionals across the United States, Canada and other countries. Visit www.aabp.org or like us on Facebook. Biography, Dr. K. Fred Gingrich, II K. Fred Gingrich, II, DVM, grew up in rural northwest Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. He worked for veterinarians throughout high school and was active in 4-H and FFA raising calves and sheep. Gingrich practiced in Visalia, Calif., for two years in a large dairy practice, then returned to Ohio and currently is in a primarily dairy practice with some cow-calf and beef, where he has practiced for 19 years. Gingrich has a special interest in judicious drug use on beef and dairy farms including upcoming Veterinary Feed Directive issues. He has been actively involved in organized veterinary medicine and with AABP has been involved with the Committee on Pharmaceutical and Biologic Issues and, as president, with the AABP Executive Committee. He has been involved with the AVMA Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee, the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents, and the National Milk Producers Federation residue avoidance manual. Gingrich has been married to his wife Michelle for 23 years and has four children. |
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