AASV Foundation News
AASV Foundation is the big winner during the 2010 auction

Gus tries out the JD mower donated to the AASV Foundation Auction by PIC. Gus is a service dog owned by Gwyn Scheidt, wife of Dr Alan Scheidt. The RTV in the background was donated by the Farm Credit Services of America.

small dog on tractor seat with paws on control levers

Photo courtesy of Tracy Ann Raef

Whether you donated the tie off your neck or purchased the lawnmower or RTV, donors and bidders were the reason for this year’s successful auction. Total sales from the live and silent auctions were $68,825, an increase of $1300 over last year’s tally.

Without a doubt, the auction has been the major fundraiser for the foundation. It’s also been a fun-filled social event for attendees at the annual meeting. This year’s live auction was no different, as Max Rodibaugh and John Waddell tried to entice the crowd to pay big bucks for their worn pig ties. But it was Gus, the K-9 service dog, who rallied the largest bid for an item – $10,000 from Dr Wayne Freese for the John Deere Z910A lawnmower tractor. Good dog! And Dr Ruth Loula made the second-largest purchase of the evening – $9450 for the Kubota RTV500!

The silent auction, which concluded during the Monday night reception, raised $12,275. Unique items such as an iron pig bench, a pig weather vane, and a chainsaw-carved pig were on display and the bidding was strong. Yet one of the most sought-after items was the antique veterinary book, Swine Practice, by A. T. Kinsley, written in 1921. Dr Scanlon Daniels was the successful bidder!

A special thanks goes to the ring men: Kent Anderson, Peggy Anne Hawkins, Howard Hill, Darrell Neuberger, Daryl Olsen, Max Rodibaugh, John Waddell, and Jess Waddell, who kept the bids coming; and the following whose behind-the-scenes and front-end help were invaluable: Judi Bell, Terri O’Sullivan, Lee Schulteis, Sue Schulteis, Tina Smith, Harry Snelson, Tracy Raef, and Karen Richardson.

Dr Warren Wilson, chair of the AASV Foundation, is already planning for next year’s auction, and Dr Angela Baysinger, an avid gun collector, is looking forward to the 2011 auction on the chance she might find an item for her collection.

We’ve come a long way, baby!

The AASV Foundation held its first auction in 1999, a silent auction that netted $2830. From those humble beginnings, the auctions have grown in number of items donated and dollars raised. Since 1999, the auctions have raised $290,411! The past three auctions have been the most successful, raising $68,000 to $70,000 each. Wow! Is a $100,000 auction in the future? Let’s do it!

The AASV Foundation is grateful to everyone who participated in the 2010 live and silent fundraising auctions. Each bid makes a difference! We are pleased to recognize and thank the following successful bidders who purchased one or more items at the auction:

Tod Adams
Allflex
Alpharma Animal Health
Matt Anderson
Butch Baker
John Baker
Dave Baumert
Bayer Animal Health
Lisa Becton
Jamie Berning
Boehringer Ingelheim
Emily Byers
Susy Carman
Joe Connor
Carleen Corry
Scanlon Daniels
Angie Delks
Paul Flint
Wayne Freese
Tom Gillespie
Larry Graham
Doug Groth
Mark Hammer
Peggy Anne Hawkins
Bob Hoffman
Tyler Holck
Bill Hollis
Jean Johnson
Rod Johnson
Randy Jones
Markeeta Knoernschild
Paul Knoernschild
Ruth Loula
Jim Lowe
Dale Mechler
Bill Minton
Newport Laboratories
Rick Pettit
Pfizer Animal Health
Phibro Animal Health
PIC
PigCHAMP
Ben Pratte
Kristen Reynolds
Brian Roggow
Mark Rooney
Larry Rueff
Paul Ruen
Steve Schmitz
Tina Smith
Steve Sornsen
Gordon Spronk
Rexanne Struve
Gene Ver Steeg
John Waddell
Tom Wetzell
Warren Wilson
Nathan Winkelman
Teddi Wolff
K.T. Wright
Susan Wulf
Paul Yeske

Dr Eric Neumann received the Alex Hogg Scholarship at the AASV annual meeting

Dr Eric Neumann

Neumann receives AASV Foundation Hogg Scholarship

Dr Eric Neumann was named the 2010 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation Hogg Scholarship. The scholarship was presented during the association’s annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Established in 2008, the scholarship is named for Dr Alex Hogg, who was a leader in swine medicine and pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology after 20 years in a mixed-animal practice. The scholarship, in the amount of $10,000, is awarded annually to an AASV member who has been accepted into a qualified graduate program to further his or her education after years as a swine practitioner.

“Dr Neumann is very deserving of the Hogg Scholarship,” said Dr Tom Burkgren. “Like Dr Hogg, Dr Neumann was a practitioner who embraced lifelong learning, choosing to work in various segments of the pork industry prior to returning to graduate school. Once he has completed his PhD, his past experiences and understanding of the industry will allow him to continue being an excellent resource for pork producers and veterinarians.”

Dr Neumann is a senior lecturer in pig medicine and epidemiology at the EpiCentre at Massey University in New Zealand, where he is pursuing a PhD. His research interests involve the development of techniques for disease surveillance that optimize disease detection at a lower cost. Dr Neumann also serves as the project manager for the Masters of Veterinary Medicine/Masters of Public Health in Biosecurity at the university.

Previously, Dr Neumann was Director of Swine Health and Information at the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa, where he interacted with animal-health officials, practitioners, and university researchers. From 1995 to 2003, he was the manager of veterinary services for Heartland Pork Enterprises, a commercial pig-production system.

Active in the AASV since 1989, Dr Neumann is a member of the Foreign Animal Disease Committee and the Swine Health Committee. He has also served on the Nutrition Committee and the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Subcommittee.

He is the author of numerous scientific papers, books, and chapters on disease control and epidemiology. Dr Neumann is also a frequent guest speaker at veterinary and producer meetings.

He is a member of the American Association of Laboratory Diagnosticians and the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists, and a consultant to AusAID/AusReady, an international disease-response organization.

Dr Neumann received his DVM degree (1992) and MS (1995) in Swine Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois. He plans to complete his PhD in 2011.

Dr Neumann and his wife, Jan, live in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with their three children.