Board of directors

Joe DiPietro served as the 25th president of the University of Tennessee from 2011 to 2018. He is regarded as one of the University’s great leaders, and the UT Board of Trustees bestowed upon him the status of president emeritus upon his retirement. Prior to becoming president, DiPietro served as chancellor of the UT Institute of Agriculture from 2006 to 2010. Under his leadership, the institute began interdisciplinary programs such as the Center for Renewable Carbon, the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative and the master’s degree in landscape architecture. Between 2006 and 2010, external grant support for the Institute of Agriculture increased 30 percent from $26.6 million to $34.8 million annually. A veterinarian by training, DiPietro’s research emphasis was veterinary parasitology. He earned his bachelor’s, doctor of veterinary medicine and master’s degrees at the University of Illinois, Urbana. Before coming to UT, DiPietro served as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida from 1997 to 2006. Prior to that, he rose to tenured professor of veterinary clinical medicine and veterinary pathobiology at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and held administrative positions there including assistant director of the Agriculture Experiment Station and associate dean for research of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Heather Case is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment where she serves both a key strategic planning and day-to-day managerial role. Dr. Case is a native of Minnesota who received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota. She completed an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada. She is board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine and is a Certified Association Executive. After working at a mixed animal practice, Dr. Case completed a residency in veterinary public health. While a resident, she became a volunteer member of the AVMA's Veterinary Medical Assistance Team and completed a deployment to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Following her residency, she served as an AAAS/AVMA Congressional Fellow for a member of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. She later joined the staff of the AVMA as the National Coordinator for Emergency Preparedness and Response and the Director of the Scientific Activities Division. Dr. Case is an avid Morgan Horse and Schipperke dog enthusiast.

Dr. Jennifer Quammen began her veterinary career as a credentialed veterinary technician. She earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Iowa, then graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Now the chief veterinary officer of Otto, Dr. Quammen has been very active in organized veterinary medicine, including serving as AVMA vice president from 2022-24 before becoming president-elect in 2025. She previously was president of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and co-facilitator of its Power of Ten leadership program. She also was involved with the Veterinary Leadership Institute's Veterinary Leadership Experience program for more than a decade and continues to champion leadership initiatives. Dr. Quammen co-founded Veterinarian Coaching in 2014 and has helped numerous veterinarians, practices, and veterinary students on topics ranging from stress management and sleep hygiene to career transition and improved work-life integration. She is an alumna of the AVMA Future Leaders Program and also has served on numerous AVMA councils and committees, including as chair of the Council on Veterinary Services. Dr. Quammen also is a member of the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners.

Dr. José V. Arce is a dedicated leader in the veterinary profession with a distinguished career in organized veterinary medicine. A graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Arce served as President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for the 2021-2022 association year. Prior to his presidency, he represented District IV on the AVMA Board of Directors, advocating for veterinarians in Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. Dr. Arce is the founder, president, and co-owner of Miramar Animal Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Committed to advancing veterinary medicine at both the national and local levels, he has been an active member of the Colegio de Médicos Veterinarios de Puerto Rico (CMVPR) and has served on its Board of Directors since 2000. He was also appointed to the Ethics and Grievances Committee, reflecting his dedication to upholding the integrity of the profession. Now an officer on the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) Development Council, Dr. Arce continues his mission to support veterinary professionals and enhance animal health and welfare.

Dr. Arnold Goldman is a dedicated leader in veterinary medicine with extensive experience in organized veterinary leadership, financial stewardship, and advocacy. He served as Treasurer of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) from 2017 to 2022, providing strategic financial oversight to ensure the Association’s fiscal health and sustainability.

A lifelong advocate for the veterinary profession, Dr. Goldman has represented Connecticut in the AVMA House of Delegates for more than six years, chairing its subcommittee on term limits. He has also contributed his expertise as a member of the AVMA Governance Performance Review and State Advocacy Committees. In 2015, he collaborated to establish an American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) "Our Oath in Action" program, which provided veterinary care to an underserved community in Connecticut.

Dr. Goldman has been an influential figure in veterinary associations at the state and regional levels. He has served on the Connecticut VMA Board of Directors in various leadership roles, including President and Government Relations Committee Co-Chair. Additionally, he was President of the New England VMA and was the founding President of the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs.

Since founding Canton Animal Hospital in 1995, Dr. Goldman has remained committed to high-quality veterinary care and community service. Now, as an Officer on the AVMF Development Council, he continues to advance initiatives that support veterinary professionals and improve animal health.

Dr. Carol Ryan, a 1992 graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, is a mixed animal practitioner and partner-owner of the Troy & Wentzville Veterinary Clinics in Missouri. Dr. Ryan and her husband, Dr. Bruce Rhodes, also own the Elsberry Animal Hospital. Elected to the AVMA Board of Directors in 2024, Dr. Ryan has served as vice-president, president-elect, and president of the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). She also led the continuing education arm of the MVMA and served as president of the Missouri Academy of Veterinary Practitioners. Dr. Ryan has held many other leadership roles as well. Highlights include serving as a program screener for the American Association of Veterinary State Boards RACE program, past chair of the Missouri Veterinary Medical Board, and executive board chair of the MVMA. She also has represented Missouri as the alternate delegate and delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates. Dr. Ryan attends MVMA as well as nationwide meetings focusing on AVMA advocacy and leadership development. She is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the St. Charles Cattlemen's Association, and the Pork Producers. She mentored students as a 4-H club leader and is a 4-H livestock advisor. She has been honored as an inductee to the Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation's Honor Roll and awarded the prestigious honor of 2023 Missouri Veterinarian of the Year. Dr. Ryan was raised on a registered Angus and Yorkshire swine farm and is still involved in the production of cattle and row crops. She and her husband have four beautiful children and are extremely proud of their children's accomplishments.

Cayden Smith is a veterinary student at Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine and currently serves as president-elect of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA). Smith will serve as SAVMA national president for the 2027–2028 academic year. In addition to their leadership with SAVMA, Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), helping advance initiatives that support the veterinary profession and its future leaders.

Dr. Willis served as 2025-26 chair of the AVMA Board of Directors, representing District 11 and veterinarians throughout the Pacific Northwest. She has held numerous leadership roles at the local, state and national levels, including president of the Puget Sound Veterinary Medical Association and Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, chair of the AVMA House Advisory Committee and member of the AVMA Council on Communications and Council on Education site visitor team.

A 1984 graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, she completed an internship at the University of Minnesota and a residency at the University of Saskatchewan. She became board-certified in small animal internal medicine in 1992 and later transitioned from general practice and veterinary affairs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition to veterinary diagnostics. She currently serves as an internal medicine consultant for the Zoetis Clinical Consultation Service.

She has also served in leadership roles with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, including chair of its Communications Committee, and currently represents small animal internal medicine on its Membership Committee. She is president of the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project, past president of the South Everett Mukilteo Rotary and a trustee of the UC Davis Foundation.