RCVS Council elects new Committee Chairs and Officer Team member

At its meeting on Thursday 17 March, RCVS Council voted for new chairs for some of its key committees, as well as for Dr Sue Paterson FRCVS to join the Officer Team as Junior Vice-President for 2022-23.

Sue has been an elected member of RCVS Council since 2014 and is currently Chair of the Education Committee as well as a new Working Party set up to look out how to increase access to the veterinary professions for disabled people. She was, until recently, Chair of the Environment & Sustainability Working Group set up to look at how the RCVS could develop policies in this area and remains as RCVS Council’s lead member for sustainability and its representative on the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. Sue will take up her role as Junior Vice-President of the RCVS for 2022-23 at the College’s Annual General Meeting in July, provided she is re-elected to RCVS Council in this year’s election in which she is standing as a candidate.

Regarding other Officer Team positions, Niall Connell was re-elected as RCVS Treasurer for a further year, while Kate Richards was elected as Senior Vice-President to take up the role following the end of her presidential term. Melissa Donald was elected as her successor as RCVS President for 2022-23. Each of these appointments will be formally confirmed at the AGM which takes place on Friday 8 July.

Members of RCVS Council also voted on the chairs for three committees: the Advancement of the Professions Committee which is responsible for coordinating and developing those streams of activity that help to advance the professions (eg Mind Matters, ViVet, diversity & inclusion, and leadership); the Education Committee which is responsible for setting policies relating to undergraduate and postgraduate education and training of veterinary surgeons; and the Standards Committee which is responsible for policy matters related to the Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance.

Sue Paterson was elected as Chair of the Advancement of the Professions Committee to replace current chair and RCVS Senior Vice-President Mandisa Greene who is stepping down from Council at the AGM. This position is also contingent on her being re-elected in this year’s RCVS Council election.

Kate Richards was elected as Chair of Education Committee to replace Sue Paterson as its current chair, while Linda Belton was elected as Chair of the Standards Committee to replace current Junior Vice-President Melissa Donald when she becomes RCVS President in July.

The RCVS AGM is being held at 11am at One Great George Street in Westminster. All members of the profession are welcome to attend and can register for the event via its Eventbrite page.