People on the Move: New Leaders at Veterinary Organization, RI Food Dealers, and RISE
GoLocalProv Business Team
People on the Move: New Leaders at Veterinary Organization, RI Food Dealers, and RISE
GoLocal's People on the Move is an update on new hires and promotions across southern New England. If your organization has an announcement, email it to us at [email protected].
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M. Christie Smith, who has devoted the bulk of her personal and professional life to the welfare of animals and was the longtime director of the Potter League for Animals in Middletown, RI, before retiring in 2016, has been named president of the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association’s (RIVMA) Companion Animal Foundation (CAF) Board of Directors.
RIVMA is a 250-member nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and public health. It established the CAF in 2004 to help make compassionate veterinary care available to pets of low-income owners by funding the cost of routine exams and vaccines, and treatment for illness and injury. It was the first veterinary-based assistance program of its kind in the U.S. and has since been used as a model for other programs in the country.
“We know the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on pet owners’ ability to take their animals to the vet and that there are pets out there in need of care,” said Smith, who lives in Portsmouth. “Everyone involved with the Companion Animal Foundation and our many community supporters are incredibly compassionate, and I am honored to serve in this role and support a mission that means so much to all of us. It’s simple, really – the more we raise, the more animals and owners we can help.”
Funded entirely by philanthropy, the CAF’s voucher program is critical to the organization’s mission. The program offers eligible pet owners a certificate valued at up to $125 that can be used to take their pet to a participating veterinarian, most of which are members of RIVMA dedicated to removing financial barriers to pet care. In 2021, CAF distributed more than $114,000 in vouchers as a result of unprecedented need.
“What’s really special here is while we all care about our own animals, we also care deeply about other people’s animals and that’s what drives us. Pets can absolutely be an underserved part of our community and it is our responsibility to help make sure they get the care they need and deserve.”
For information about the Companion Animal Foundation or its voucher program, visit www.RIpets.org.
From Benny's to RI Food Dealers Association
Scott Bromberg, formerly of Benny’s has announced his career advancement, “The next chapter of my career starts tomorrow. Happy to share that I am now the Executive Director/President of the RI Food Dealers Association.”
New Leader at RISE
Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education announced the appointment of our new Executive Director, Kaitlin Della Grotta.