| A Hoosier by birth, Dr. Christopher (Kit) Wenrick grew up near Detroit, Michigan. While working his high school summers at a small animal practice, he heard the call of his future profession. After receiving his DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1973, he and his wife, Ann, moved to Muskegon, Michigan where he joined a small animal practice. In 1978, tired of the long cold Michigan winters, they relocated to the milder, albeit wetter, Longview, Washington. The Wenricks have a son, a daughter and a granddaughter, all living in Washington State. Soon after moving to Washington, he joined the WSVMA and represented the Southwest Washington local association to the WSVMA Executive Board for several terms. It was during his first term that he realized the importance of organized veterinary medicine and has since been active in the Association. He served on the Animal Welfare Committee for a number of years co-authoring several WSVMA animal welfare position statements. Understanding that one of the most important functions of any veterinary association was political advocacy, he became chair of the WSVMA Political Action and Legislative Committees. During his tenure on the WSVMA-PAC Kit came to understand that the Association must represent all veterinarians regardless of their geographical, economic, or demographic differences. He noted an impression among veterinarians that there was an urban small animal practice bias to the Association. In order to counteract this impression, he made it the prime focus of his 2011-2012 presidency to alter the way the Executive Board members are elected. The Executive now board represents not only geographical areas but practice types as well. Every WSVMA member now has two representatives on the board, one for practice type and one for geographical area. Kit is honored to continue serving both the profession and the Association and he hopes to maintain the many friendships he has made. He continues to serve his community in the practice of small animal medicine at the Cowlitz Animal Clinic in Longview. |
