| After spending the early years of her childhood in California, Dr. Jocelyn Woodd moved to New Zealand with her parents at the age of 12. She loved riding horses as well as the rural life and proceeded to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine at Massey University. After completing her veterinary degree and practicing in a mixed animal clinic for three years, Dr. Woodd and her husband decided it was time to move back to the United States. They settled in the Seattle area, and Dr. Woodd chose to concentrate on emergency and critical care medicine. She had three adored daughters, Emilie, Julia, and Jessica, who somehow managed to consume nearly all of her time. Dr. Woodd lives in Spokane, Washington with her husband, three daughters and multiple beloved pets. She decided to take the leap into practice ownership and bought half of a mixed animal practice in 2013. Although it is a big challenge to change from small animal emergency medicine to mixed animals practice and ownership, the experience has been very rewarding. Dr. Woodd served as president of the WSVMA because she is interested and concerned about where veterinary medicine is heading in Washington State. Initially she joined the Inland Empire VMA and volunteered to represent the IEVMA on the WSVMA Executive Board. The first year she was involved, 1-1130 was proposed, which sought to ban the use of battery cages for laying hens, and she was impressed by how the WSVMA handled this issue and then was captivated by organized veterinary medicine from that point forward. During her presidency, the WSVMA board worked on a more improved structure including downsizing and becoming more efficient as an association. Associations in general have been losing membership, and with rapidly changing technology, new ideas need to be continually reviewed to maintain the efficiency and relevance of associations. As student debt continues to rise and veterinary practices experience increasing competition from other entities, it is important to preserve the integrity of the profession that allows us to care for the animal industry and our animal companions. The WSVMA plays a huge part in this, and Dr. Woodd is honored to be part of this organization. |
