Mia Cary, DVM Mia Cary, DVM, chief of professional services and strategic alliances at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), received the inaugural Pride Veterinary Medical Community (Pride VMC) 2018 Leadership Award. The honor is presented to an individual who is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and has sought to fulfill the organization’s mission of “a veterinary profession in which everyone can live to their full potential, have the ability to conduct their lives openly and with integrity, and are free to share their experience and wisdom for the betterment of themselves, our profession, our clients, and all animals.” “The Pride VMC mission of everyone living to their full potential is not just important to me personally but to the entire veterinary profession,” said Dr. Cary. “I am honored and delighted to receive this award and look forward to continue serving the Pride VMC.” Dr. Cary was presented with the award by Ken Gorczyca, DVM, cofounder of the Pride VMC (formerly the Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association [LGVMA]), and Melinda Merck, DVM, president of the Pride VMC, during the group’s Coming Out Reception at the AVMA Convention in Denver. Pride VMC credits Dr. Cary as a leader and proponent of diversity and well-being in the veterinary medical community, praising her initiation of many avenues of support and opportunities for their organization. “Dr. Cary has been a key driver in our partnership with AVMA and was part of the our strategic planning meeting in Indianapolis which helped give the LGVMA team momentum to evolve into its modern manifestation of Pride VMC,” the organization wrote in a news release.
