Veterinary Associations | Veterinary Business

New President to lead veterinary community

vetreportApril 15, 2015

Incoming BSAVA President Tricia Colville is excited about the year ahead and has outlined key elements of her strategic vision.

Better regional communications, support for professional development and expanding the volunteer network are among her goals, as is raising the profile of the BSAVA’s charity division PetSavers.

“It’s an honour to be asked to take on this role, but I don’t see it as just my year, it’s also for the team of volunteers around me; a team I’m very privileged to be able to lead,” she said. “I have got so much out of the BSAVA that has been useful in my own daily life and work and I want to have discussions with people about how the BSAVA can help their development too.”

Tricia has had a number of roles for the BSAVA, including working in Scotland, in membership development and as chair of PetSavers – and she completed an abseil at Congress down the front of the ICC building to raise funds for the charity.

“The different roles you have do influence the slant you take when you go forward and that’s one of the reasons I signed up to the abseil, anything I can do I will,” she said. “What is also very dear to my heart is the membership and I realise the members and the volunteers are very much a community, I think that’s what is very special about the BSAVA.”

She added: “You have to understand the pressures that first opinion practitioners are under and the questions they are being asked. Fundamentally to me we have wanted very much to get back to continuing to improve our communications within the regions. The other thing we’re working really hard on is the massive volunteer network and realising how  time is becoming at more of a premium, so we want more support for that.”

Tricia said Congress is the flagship BSAVA event and illustrates the diversity of the profession, so she is looking forward to helping to build on previous successes with new innovations in 2016.