A Big Thanks to our Volunteers!
By: Staff Date: 11/19/2012 Category: | From the Offices of NAIA |
Our 2012 conference was blessed with some absolutely top-notch speakers and was a huge success. From Andy Vance of Feedstuffs, who opened up with keen insight and humor to Gary Taubes, whose fascinating trip down the rabbit hole of bad science challenged countless preconceptions on diet, to Dr. Temple Grandin, whose out-of-the-park presentation received a standing ovation, it was a weekend of high points. We also had some fabulous attendees: as great as the material is, we know it isn’t easy to give up an entire weekend, flying in from all over the country – literally thousands of miles away in some cases!
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| The Agriculture Panel, just one of the weekend's many highlights. From left: Andy Vance, Greg Satrum, Bill Hoyt, Dr. Carolyn Orr. |
But if you were there, of if you’ve been following us on Facebook and Twitter, you already know all of this. What you might not know is all the work that our tireless volunteers put into making the production run smoothly – work that we are incredibly thankful for. And given the time of year, what better time to give our thanks?
Marion Bradshaw of Bradshaw Dogshows and CaRPOC served as auction coordinator, assisted with transportation, and did a spectacular job of promoting the conference in Southern California.
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NAIA board member Nancy Fisk provided major assistance throughout the weekend, setting up and wrapping up the conference and auction, and serving as a go-to source for all manners of logistical help. NAIA board member Patte Klecan wore multiple hats as well: moderator and timekeeper, decorations and design, and invaluable on-site assistance throughout the weekend – and beyond.
Susan Stekoll spent nearly the entire weekend in the back of the room recording the event, something everybody who watches videos of the conference should be thankful for!
NAIA board member Ellen Yamada assisted with auction setup – and all of those decadent sweets at the tables? That was her doing, too. On top of this, she, along with CaRPOC’s Stormy Hope, did an excellent job spreading word of the conference to California’s animal community. Her husband, AKC Judge Burt Yamada, graciously served as auctioneer, which made for a memorable, fun-filled Saturday evening of bidding (and outbidding)
NAIA Vice President Cindy Schonholtz helped set up the auction, and generously provided transportation to and from for several of our conference guests, and even Dr. Betsy Greene, one of our presenters, stepped up to the plate, assisting during the auction.
And of course, there is our year-round volunteer, Patti Strand, who organized the conference itself.
We are so thankful for the time, creativity, and determination of our volunteers. We could not have done this without you!
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| Dr. Temple Grandin recieves the 2012 Robert Shomer award from the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics during a special ceremony. From left: Drs. Grandin, Leland Shapiro, and Alice Villalobos. |
About The Author
All Authors Of This Article: | Staff |
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