This January, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) chapter of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) was recently awarded with the 2019 Chapter of the Year at the VBMA’s National Meeting and Officer Training in Orlando, Fla. The VBMA is a student-driven organization dedicated to advancing the profession through increasing business knowledge, creating networking opportunities, and empowering students to achieve their personal and professional goals.

The award came with the plaque and a $500 prize for the CVM chapter to use towards club expenses. This award is fairly new, as 2019 was only the third year it has been given out by the National VBMA. The CVM was the single chapter of 35 around the globe to be selected for the accolade, representing the College’s first time winning this award.  

“This recognition solidifies all of the hard work and dedication put forth by our team, and is the perfect culmination of the past year we have had,” says Jessi Coryell, class of 2021, who served as the chapter's director of networking in 2019. 

"I am proud of the events, networking sessions, and community education opportunities we hosted in 2019," says Amanda Mickelson, class of 2021, outgoing VBMA chapter president. Incoming President, Wills Weimer, class of 2022, says the award would not have been possible without the hard work and collaboration of our 2019 executive board. “It was a year of transformation and rebuilding. Outgoing President Amanda Mickelson used her business education and experience to increase sponsorship and recruit speakers from around the country. This award would not have been possible without her leadership and dedication.”

In 2019, the CVM VBMA chapter increased membership opportunities by 160 percent and held the second annual Fall Development Symposium, which featured more than 30 topics and workshops on personal and professional development for students. In the spring, the chapter held the first-ever half-day workshop on servicing veterinary clients with disabilities, featuring the veterinary perspective, a legal overview, seeing eye dog education, and a panel of individuals from the community. 

“We are most proud of how our board worked together as a strong team to develop a lot of firsts for the year that positively contributed to one of our strongest years,” says Weimer. “We had one of the largest and most engaging kick off meetings with Dr. Anna Reddish which started the year off strong. In addition, we hosted a very successful welcome back social night at the beginning of the semester with the help of Mission Veterinary Partners. That event allowed new and returning students to mingle with classmates and network with professionals in a casual setting.” Both of these events, along with a restructuring the chapter’s dues structure helped the CVM VBMA beat their new member recruiting goals by 40 percent. 

In 2020, the CVM chapter of the VBMA hopes to increase sponsorship and funding for meetings and symposiumsl, which would allow them to spend more on their members (through things such as appreciation events and socials). Additionally, transforming the CVM chapter of the VBMA away from a business exclusive club, and focusing instead on professional development and networking has become a cornerstone of the chapter’s mission.