The news item from the American Veterinary Medical Association is about: Dr. Mark J. Thomas wants to build on his predecessors’ work in recruiting and retaining members of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. That will involve showing fellow veterinarians in cattle practice what advocacy and other work the AABP performs on their behalf, beyond hosting an annual meeting. Dr. Thomas, a dairy veterinarian in Lowville, New York, is the 2016-2017 AABP president, the association’s volunteer leader. He is a managing partner in Dairy Health and Management Services and Countryside Veterinary Clinic, specializing in dairy cattle production medicine and consulting services.