THRIVE: Enhancing Wellbeing Through Truth Bombs, Training, and MemberShares

The wellbeing of veterinary professionals, including veterinary medical association executives, has been under even greater pressure as a result of the public health pandemic. Helping individuals and teams thrive despite such pressure requires resilience, resources, and education. That’s precisely why the summer conference is focused on advancing personal and professional wellbeing.

VMA executives occupy unique positions in organized veterinary medicine – positions with broad reach, with communication channels at the ready to amplify messaging, and with the opportunity to influence others. The better educated that VMA executives are about wellbeing the more helpful they can be in advancing wellbeing – their own, their members, and their teams.

The conference will be held virtually from 1-6 PM Eastern time on July 19-20. THRIVE conference participants will learn how they and their members can become trained as wellbeing educators through a new program AVMA is launching. Participants will also gain familiarity with the expanding array of resources now available to support wellbeing – plus a session on Wellbeing Truth Bombs will sensitively yet candidly probe issues such as dealing with emotional blackmail and breaking the disastrous cycle of messaging related to death by suicide.

The conference also features MemberShare sessions with peer presenters whose insights and expertise will illuminate these topics:

• Supporting Wellbeing through Member and Employee Assistance Programs (MAP/EAP)
• Delivering the Most Relevant and Valuable Wellbeing Resources
• Changing Behavior: Results of the Power of Ten Impact Assessment Research Project
• Advancing DEI with the VMAE Journey Guide

Summer conference isn’t complete without the annual meeting of members, where VMAE leaders will provide updates on association activities and where the new Board of Directors will be installed. The awards celebration will introduce the newest cohort of colleagues who will be recognized for their excellence in leadership and service – and congratulated by their peers with a virtual toast. The program also features a very special aperitivo hour (complete with a pre-meeting delivery of exceptional treats) conducted by a famous food writer who will host us from her home in Italy!

Join your colleagues to learn, to connect, and to engage in advancing wellbeing throughout the veterinary profession so it can THRIVE!