David Stearns, RVT, has assumed the role of treasurer on the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) board of directors, taking over from former board member and treasurer James Peddie, DVM, who retired from his duties in August 2016. Stearns currently manages the North American marketing and sales groups for Olmix, a French-based marine biotech company which specializes in animal feed ingredients. Prior to Olmix, he operated his own marketing and sales consulting firm and was also an adjunct faculty member at Globe University in their veterinary technology program, where he taught radiology and served as the radiation safety officer. Prior to teaching and being an entrepreneur, Stearns was employed at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., where he managed national sales teams for practice management software and digital radiography systems. Stearns attended Kansas State University and graduated from Colby Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program. He previously worked as a RVT in a private, mixed animal practice in Shattuck, Okla., and spent several years as the hospital administrator of a small animal practice in Wichita, Kan. Stearns is a charter member and was part of the founding group of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). He was NAVTA’s first elected president and is also a past president of the Oklahoma Veterinary Technician Association and the Kansas Veterinary Technician Association. He has served on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee for Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) and was chairperson of the National Board Exam Committee. Stearns has been the Technician Director on the Board of Directors for WVC since 2012. “As a board member David has contributed greatly to WVC’s programs, including helping to develop the Veterinary Technician Symposium which has sold out two years in a row. We are honored to welcome him to the role of Treasurer for the WVC Board of Directors at this pivotal stage in our growth,” said David Little, CEO of the WVC.
