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FROM THE DIRECTOR

State and national meetings and other activities related to my duties as State Veterinarian and the Diagnostic Laboratory Director result in frequent travel, sometimes to out-of-state events. As Laboratory Director, I attend several meetings each year associated with our laboratory being an American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accredited veterinary laboratory and our membership in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Likewise, travel related to regulatory medicine responsibilities leads to occasional travel to either regional or national meetings dealing with various program activities such as the National Animal Identification Program or emergency management. During these travels, colleagues from both laboratory medicine and regulatory medicine often ask if I am still serving as both State Veterinarian and Laboratory Director, and frequently inquire as to how I can effectively accomplish the responsibilities of each position.  Invariably, my answer to each of them is always the same; that it is only possible through the combined efforts and support of the numerous highly competent and dedicated staff members serving Tennessee in the laboratory and animal health unit. The strong work ethic and commitment to service demonstrated by our animal health-laboratory team enables me to work in both functions. Tennessee is fortunate to have a laboratory staffed by dedicated professionals who take seriously the laboratory’s mission of providing accurate results in a timely fashion. Likewise, a relatively small but highly efficient regulatory staff consisting of veterinarians, animal health technicians and clerical personnel provide knowledgeable support to the various collaborative programs we conduct with the United States Department of Agriculture, in addition to multiple state-specific programs. I hope that given the opportunity, you will join me in conveying appreciation for the hard work and commitment to service that they have adopted as part of their employment with the state.