The AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) on June 21 elected Dr. Michael Q. Bailey of Pittsburgh as 2024-25 AVMA president-elect and Dr. Gary A. Marshall of Mercer Island, Washington, as 2024-26 AVMA vice president on the final day of the HOD’s regular session in Austin, Texas. Both candidates ran unopposed and were elected by unanimous consent.
Dr. Bailey is the AVMA’s first Black president-elect and will be the Association’s president when Dr. Sandra Faeh’s term expires in next July during AVMA Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C..
Dr. Marshall currently serves on the Board of WSVMA and will now step down from that role. His role on the Board of WSVMA will be taken by Dr. Kristi Wubben who will serve the balance of his term.
The following is Dr. Kristen Clark’s nominating speech for Dr. Marshall that was presented to the HOD:
Today, I have the honor of introducing you to my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Gary Marshall. I first met Dr. Marshall several years ago when I joined the Board of Directors for the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative or WLVDI, a board on which he was already serving. My term began in 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting, so all of our meetings and discussions were taking place online. As I’m sure all of us experienced during those times, building new relationships with people in a virtual environment is challenging compared to being in-person. Even so, I immediately found Gary to be approachable, welcoming, and kind. It was clear that not only is he passionate about our profession, but he works to make it an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome and has a seat at the table. And he recognizes that it’s only when that table is filled with everyone’s diverse experiences, talents, and skill sets, that we can truly show the world all that veterinary medicine has to offer.
Gary’s super power is bringing people together and connecting them in a way that recognizes we all have something to contribute. It’s not surprising then that in addition to being an exceptional human being, Dr. Marshall has also had a successful and impactful career in veterinary medicine. He has owned two practices and still works at the feline practice that he founded in 1996 on Mercer Island, Washington. He is also an adjunct professor at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and he has been involved in organized veterinary medicine at the state and national levels since 2016. He currently serves as the alternate delegate for Washington state here in the HOD and continues to serve on the WVLDI Board of Directors. He also volunteers at local access to care and One Health clinics in Seattle and enjoys speaking at veterinary schools and conferences on a variety of topics, such as feline medicine, DEI, business ownership, and more. He also happens to be a talented landscape photographer.
And yet even with this extensive knowledge and experience, Dr. Marshall’s most notable gift is in being a mentor. I have never met anyone who can more authentically lift people up and help them to recognize and further develop their own talents and capabilities, even when they have a hard time seeing it for themselves. Not only does he mentor veterinary students in his roles as a professor and feline practitioner, but he also serves as a volunteer mentor for two national mentoring platforms. I have personally been the grateful recipient of Gary’s mentorship on more than one occasion, and I know many of you sitting right here in this audience have been as well. It is this passion for mentoring that uniquely qualifies Dr. Marshall to be your next AVMA Vice President.
If elected, Dr. Marshall will put his talents and enthusiasm to work learning from and listening to the needs of our veterinary colleges’ students, faculty, and administrators. He will identify what is most important to them and then serve as a trusted liaison to share this information with AVMA leadership and determine if current member benefits meet identified needs or if new resources need to be developed. He will be a tireless advocate for the future of our profession. And through his ability to make connections, he will continue to strengthen the relationship between AVMA leadership and future generations of our colleagues that will power the success of this member-driven Association long into the future.
Therefore, it is my sincere honor and distinct pleasure to stand before you today and nominate Dr. Gary Marshall as your next AVMA Vice President.