AVMA’s Salois departs in a hurry, ahead of scheduled appearances at Western Vet Conference updated
The AVMA’s veterinary economics director Matthew Salois is leaving his post to become president of the Veterinary Management Groups (VMG), a trade association for veterinary professionals.
His announcement comes less than one week ahead of in-person scheduled appearances at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, representing the AVMA:
Dr. Salois made his announcement this morning via LinkedIn. The AVMA, notably, did not issue an announcement. AVMA spokespeople Lisa Howard and Mark Rosati have not yet commented when asked about the departure and why it would be before Dr. Salois’s speaking engagements in Las Vegas scheduled for Monday, March 7.
Dr. Salois joined the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2018 from animal health giant Elanco. Somewhere between Monday afternoon and late yesterday evening, Dr. Salois’s email account switched to an autoresponse:
“Thank you for reaching out, but I am no longer available at this email address. Please contact —– to get in touch with the Veterinary Economics Division. Have a great day!”
By Thursday morning, Dr. Salois had issued an update to his LinkedIn Universe, first with a one sentence farewell and then, adding more detail as the day progressed (as his AVMA email continued to bounce with the awkward autoresponse).
“I am excited to announce that I have joined Veterinary Study Groups, Inc. as the new incoming president. The reputation of the Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) and the impact they have on the veterinary profession is a testament to this wonderful organization. This is just one of the many reasons I am honored to now be a part of VMG. I want to thank the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) for the wonderful experiences they have provided me over the last several years. The AVMA staff team are truly an amazing group of dedicated and talented people that I will always think the world of. I am eager to hit the ground running and support veterinary practice owners through the creation of community and collaboration!”
Update: Late Friday afternoon, AVMA spokeswoman Lisa Howard issued the following statement
Matt has accepted a new position as President of the Veterinary Study Groups, and we are very happy for him. Thursday was his last day, and he committed to fulfill his two presentations at WVC. Matt has done remarkable work at the AVMA and will be missed, but this is a wonderful opportunity for him. We’re so glad that his expertise will continue to benefit the veterinary profession.