Following two rounds of voting by Member Associations around the world, all Executive Board positions have now been filled. The newly elected Board will formally begin its term following the WSAVA General Assembly in Warsaw.
Congratulations to the 2026–2028 Executive Board
WSAVA warmly congratulates the following members who have been elected to lead the Association over the next two years:
- President: Jerzy Gawor (elected President-Elect in 2024)
- President-Elect: Oscar Umaña (Costa Rica)
- Immediate Past President: Jim Berry (Canada)
- Treasurer: Mike Topper (USA)
- Board Member – Asia & Oceania: Natasha Lee (Malaysia)
- Board Member – Asia & Oceania: Nalinika Obeyesekere (Sri Lanka)
- Board Member – Europe: Heather Bacon (United Kingdom)
- Board Member – Latin America & Caribbean: Veronica Leibaschoff (Argentina)
- Board Member – North America: Julie Stafford (USA)
- Board Member – Middle East & North Africa: Soukaina Azib (Morocco)
- Board Member – Sub-Saharan Africa: Derick Chibeu (Kenya)
We congratulate each of the successful candidates and look forward to working with them as they help guide WSAVA through the next phase of its strategic journey, continuing to strengthen veterinary associations worldwide and advance companion animal health and welfare.
Strong Global Participation
The 2026 elections demonstrated the continued engagement of WSAVA’s global membership.
In accordance with the WSAVA Bylaws, elections require participation from more than 50% of eligible Member Associations to achieve quorum.
The response from Member Associations exceeded this requirement in both rounds of voting:
- First Round: 88% participation
- Second Round: 73% participation
This strong engagement reflects the commitment of Member Associations to ensuring that WSAVA’s leadership represents the collective voice of the global companion animal veterinary profession.
Thank You to Our Candidates and Member Associations
We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to every candidate who stood for election. Offering to serve in a global leadership role requires considerable commitment, generosity and dedication. While not every candidate could be elected, each made an important contribution by putting themselves forward in service of the global veterinary community.
We also thank every Member Association that participated in both rounds of voting. Your engagement strengthens WSAVA’s democratic governance and helps ensure that the Association continues to represent the diverse perspectives of companion animal veterinary professionals around the world.
We look forward to welcoming our newly elected Executive Board following the General Assembly in Warsaw and to working together to continue advancing companion animal health and welfare worldwide.