Patterson Companies CEO James W. Wiltz to retire, successor named
Patterson Companies, Inc. announced that James W. Wiltz, president and CEO, will retire at the end of the current fiscal year as of April 24, 2010. The Board of Directors named Scott P. Anderson, currently president of Patterson Dental Supply, Inc. subsidiary, as Wiltz’s successor. Anderson, 43, has worked with Patterson since 1993. Prior to June 2006 when he became president of Patterson Dental Supply, Patterson’s largest business, Anderson held senior management positions in the dental unit, including VP, sales, and VP, marketing.

AABP names new officers
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) recently announced its officers for the upcoming year at its 42nd annual conference in Omaha, Neb., Sept. 9-12. Drovers news source reported that the new 2009-2010 officers are President Roger Saltman, DVM, MBA, from Cazenovia, New York; President-elect Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, DACVIM, from Baton Rouge, La.; and Vice President Brian Gerloff, DVM, PhD, from Marengo, Ill.

AVMA promotes Case to director of the Scientific Activities Division
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has promoted Dr. Heather Case to the position of director of the Scientific Activities Division. Case assumes the position from Dr. Elizabeth Curry-Galvin, who was promoted to assistant executive vice president of the association. As director of the Scientific Activities Division, Case will be responsible for overseeing one of AVMA’s most diverse and ambitious divisions, involved in important veterinary issues in the areas of pharmaceuticals and biologics, public health and food safety, agriculture and aquaculture, emergency preparedness and response, and the environment. Case joined the division in 2007, and she has been the association’s national coordinator for emergency preparedness and response, and the program coordinator for the AVMA VMAT teams. She has also served as staff support to the Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues and the One Health Initiative Task Force. Prior to joining AVMA, Dr. Case was a Public Health Resident at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Animal Health and Food Safety and owned an equine dental practice in Minnesota.

IDEXX adds McAllister as director, computer systems services
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. announced that Stephen McAllister will join the company as director, computer systems services, effective Dec. 1, 2009. McAllister brings over 12 years of veterinary healthcare experience to IDEXX, most recently as president of McAllister Software Systems (MSS), Piedmont, Mo., makers of AVImark® veterinary software. He’ll lead the development and implementation of the overall IDEXX Computer Systems Services business strategy.

Midmark announces changes to corporate structure
Versailles, Ohio-based Midmark Corporation announced the completion of its new corporate structure. Greg Blackmore will assume the newly created position of COO, North America. To complete the C-level structure, Anthony D. Borzillo took the position as CFO. Blackmore previously served as senior VP and group president, life sciences, for STERIS Corporation (Mentor, Ohio). Prior to joining Midmark, Borzillo was a financial consultant with Qorval LLC, a financial consulting firm, where he became managing director. With these new organizational changes, Midmark president and CEO Dr. Anne Eiting Klamar will devote a higher quotient of her time to corporate strategy, innovation and driving the company’s growth initiatives in domestic and international markets.

Health o meter® Professional scales names a new marketing associate
Health o meter® Professional scales, Pelstar LLC, announced that Patty Elliott has joined the company as a Marketing Associate and will be the primary communications, media and customer marketing contact. Elliott brings more than 10 years of experience in corporate communications and public relations to the role and has written on environmental and sustainability issues. Her diverse experience in integrated marketing communications including advertising, media relations, business relationship building and web development make her an ideal fit for this role, the company announced.

Editor’s note: Vet-Advantage apologizes for the following errors in the article, “A Bitter Pill to Swallow” (September-October 2009 Vet-Advantage): Cats foam or regurgitate substances that are too sweet, not too salty as reported. Flavorx flavors meet FDA guidelines. (Vet-Advantage reported that the company’s flavors are FDA-regulated.)