The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) honored Jim Kennedy, DVM, of the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Rocky Ford, with the Veterinarian of the Year service award at its 101st annual convention in Copper Mountain, September 8-12, 2007. Dr. Kristy Pabilonia, with the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fort Collins, was presented with the CVMA’s Outstanding Faculty service award.
The Veterinarian of the Year service award recognizes a distinguished CVMA member who has contributed to the advancement of veterinary medicine in the state of Colorado in the areas of organization, education, research, practice or regulatory service.
Dr. Kennedy is responsible for Colorado’s successful voluntary program to control bovine viral diarrhea – an effort that is serving as a model for those in other states. As the Director of Colorado’s Voluntary BVD Control and Eradication Program, Dr. Kennedy set out to establish Colorado as the nation’s first state to be certified as BVD free.
Dr. Kennedy also serves as the Director of the Rocky Ford branch of CSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. It is in that capacity that he actively assists veterinarians in the diagnosis of disease, and his special interest in diseases of cattle, horses and camelids are of particular value to the state’s veterinary community.
A CVMA member who nominated Dr. Kennedy wrote, “He has always been accommodating and insightful with diagnoses, and his leadership in the BVD eradication program is outstanding.”
CVMA’s Outstanding Faculty service award recognizes a CSU faculty member who has provided unselfish assistance to practitioners as a clinician, is a proficient and capable teacher, and/or has made significant contributions to continuing education.
Dr. Pabilonia, who received the award this year, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She is coordinator of the Colorado Avian Disease Surveillance Program, which was created after the first outbreaks of avian influenza in Southeast Asia caused serious concerns about the health of the global community. The program has tested thousands of birds for avian influenza within Colorado.
Dr. Pabilonia’s work outside of the state’s and nation’s borders truly reflects the connection between animal health and public health to help address global critical issues. She has traveled to Indonesia many times during the last year to help that nation develop training programs to manage its current highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. She also is a frequent presenter on poultry health topics, has provided compelling testimony in front of state’s legislature, and has helped attract talented students to projects and educational opportunities pertaining to poultry health.
