Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association

Former JVMA President now with United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization

Kingston: June 13, 2009

Dr. Cedric Lazarus, former Senior Veterinary Officer in the Veterinary Services Division and JVMA President from 2002 to 2004, has been appointed Regional Livestock Development Officer by the United Nations' Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO). He is stationed in Barbados and will now be overseeing FAO livestock projects throughout the region which will include coming home to Jamaica on a regular basis.

Dr. Lazarus migrated to Canada in 2004 mid-way through his third term as JVMA President and worked with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). He returned briefly to the region - again Barbados - during the height of the 2007 H5N1 Avian Influenza epizootic to help coordinate regional preparedness. Since his appointment by the FAO in March 2009, he has already been in Jamaica overseeing the start-up of an FAO-sponsored evaluation of the state of our cattle industry - past, present and future.

The Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association yet again notes with pride the achievements of another member and congratulates Dr. Lazarus on his appointment. we can all look forward to seeing him more often and working more closely with him in the coming months, particularly as we begin preparations for the 26th Biennial Caribbean Veterinary Conference which we will be hosting next year.

New Chief Technical Director named for Ministry of Agriculture

Kingston: May 2, 2009

Veterinarians in Jamaica, the Caribbean and the diaspora can note with pride that one of our own has recently been selected to become the new Chief Technical Director (CTD) of the Ministry of Agriculture in Jamaica. Dr. Marc Panton will fill the post previously occupied by Mr. Don McGlashan.

Dr. Panton is a 1995 veterinary graduate of the University of Florida and since his return to Jamaica has been involved in a number of activities, though not necessarily veterinary in nature. After a brief stint with Jamaica Broilers, he has worked with  Cashoo Park Ostrich Farm, Chester Fried Chicken, and Barkeith Ltd., all in St. Elizabeth. All this has seen him involved in cattle feedlots, ostrich breeding, hydroponics, apiculture and other agricultural endeavours which, in addition to his DVM status, make him well suited for the post he is about to assume.

Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Osbil Watson says he is very pleased with the appointment and that it bodes well for the advancement of the veterinary profession in Jamaica.

The Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association offers heartiest congratulations to Dr. Panton and looks forward to working with him and his colleagues in the Ministry as we seek to advance the veterinary profession in the 21st Century!

Well done Marc!!

We also wish Mr. McGlashan all the best as he moves on to new endeavours.

Veteran Member Retires

Kingston: May 2, 2009

After 38 years of hard work and dedication, Dr. Franchott W. Chang has taken leave of veterinary practice. His last official day in his clinic was April 30th, 2009.

Chang's Veterinary Clinic has been a fixture at the corner of Hope and Lady Musgrave Roads since 1975 and its closure, along with its allied Paw Prints Pet Store, was no doubt a sad day for Dr. Chang, his wife Clair and his many loyal clients and patients.

Dr. Chang graduated from Tuskegee University in the United States in 1971. He worked with the Veterinary Division of the Ministry of Agriculture from then until 1973 after which he was at the Bureau of Standards until 1975. Then he opened Chang's Veterinary Clinic and the rest is history.

The Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association congratulates and recognizes Dr. Chang for his many years of service to the Jamaican public, his poineering spirit in establishing a private clinical practice in the days when these were few, and for his interest and participation in the affairs of the Association and the profession. We all wish him a happy retirement and look forward to his continued presence and input as the JVMA moves forward.

Well done Franchott!!