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Save the Date- 2019 District 8 Meeting
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- Written by Maggie Tam
2019 District 8 Meeting
When: April 25-26th. 2019
Where: Hyatt Regency Seattle WA
Keynote speaker: Dr. Melween Martinez, Director of the Caribbean Primate Research Center in Puerto Rico
Featured Speaker: Ann Turner, Executive Director AALAS
It's time to think about Spring! Ok, we may be a few months away but it's not too soon to start thinking about the District 8 meeting in April. The Program Committee has been working very hard the last few months with a speaker line-up that will knock your socks off! As the Publicity Chair, I will be sending out several notes to your newsletter, Facebook, and the D8 website to familiarize you with some of our speakers that will be featured at the meeting. All certified individuals should seriously consider attending and if you aren't certified yet, there will be valuable information that could help get you started in the certification process. This first communication will just focus on the meeting in general. I challenge you all to approach your superiors now to inform them of your interest in attending the District 8 meeting, April 25th and 26th at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle Washington. Not only is it important to get those CEU's, but you will go home with a plethora of information for your facility. And if that wasn't enough, you have the opportunity to meet so many people that do the same type of work you do! If you are thinking that there is no way your facility would pay for you to do something like this, my answer to you is, it never hurts to ask!
Thanks for your time! The next time you hear from me, I will be writing about our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Melween Martinez! If you can't wait for me, google her. You'll be amazed!
Until next time...
Vickie Riojas
2019 SVAALAS Banquet Award Nominations
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- Written by Maggie Tam
Hello Fellow SVAALAS Members,
On February 1, 2019 SVAALAS will hold its 13th Annual Awards Banquet in appreciation of all its members and to honor three SVAALAS members who have proven themselves in the following categories this year:
Technician of the Year:
This award will be presented to the technician who has provided outstanding animal care. This technician has gone above and beyond the call of duty to assure animals receive exemplary care.
Dr. Lon V. Kendall Member of the Year:
This award will be presented to the individual who has made significant contribution to the SV AALAS branch. This member has participated making improvement to the branch and moving the branch forward.
Purina Award:
This award will be presented to the member who has made significant contribution to the field of laboratory animal science. The contribution that this member has made may have improved the overall quality of animal care or participated with others to improve the quality of animal care.
Awards will include a plaque and a monetary token of appreciation for all your efforts and achievements throughout the past year.
As the year comes to a close, please take this time to honor a fellow SVAALAS member by nominating him or her for an award (you may also nominate yourself.) All nominations must be received no later than December 21, 2018. Please use the attached form for your nomination submission, electronic submissions are encouraged.
** Please respond to Emily Slocum This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your awards nominations.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Please click the links below to download the nomination forms.
Technician of the Year Award Nomination Form
Dr. Lon V. Kendall Member of the Year Nomination Form
SVAALAS Awards Banquet
- Details
- Written by Maggie Tam
Join SVAALAS for our 13th Annual Awards Banquet February 1st 2019!
Please join us for dinner and drinks as we celebrate our award recipients and the conclusion of Technician Appreciation Week!
Date: February 1, 2019
Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm
Location: Davis Veteran’s Memorial Center, 203 E 14th St, Davis, CA 95616
$15 New/renew SVAALAS membership and dinner ($20 at the door without RSVP)
Non-members $20, children $5 (dinner only)
Please RSVP to Emily Slocum at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 209.756.8763 by January 18th 2019 (please note any dietary restriction at time of RSVP)
Thank you
SVAALAS
Ron Orta Award Nominations 2019
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- Written by Maggie Tam
District 8 AALAS Ron Orta Humanitarian Award
The Ron Orta Humanitarian Award honors the memory of a beloved friend and colleague in the lab animal community. The award was created after Ron’s sudden death in November of 2007 from acute respiratory disease. Ron was a sales representative with Allentown for many years of his distinguished career in laboratory animal science. He was revered for his outgoing nature, big heart, and inclusive demeanor. The District 8 Council, in conjunction with Allentown Inc., created the award to honor Ron’s compassion, dedication, humility, and friendship. To date, we have had eleven deserving recipients: Christian Stoffers, Monte Matthews, Sonja Wallace, Katherine Marshall, DeVere Charron, Grace Aranda, Debra Hickman, Bill Heckt, Rick Alvarez, Joy Gallagher, and Drew Martin.
The selection criteria for this prestigious award includes exhibiting extraordinary compassion towards peers, displaying a spirit of cooperation and involvement in the activities of one’s local community, and participating in continuing education, either as an educator or student in the field of laboratory animal science or planning educational seminars or symposia.
Call for Nominations for 2019:
The application deadline is February 1, 2019. The award will be presented at the 2019 District 8 meeting in Seattle, WA on April 25-26, 2019.
A person deserving of this award is a well-rounded individual who can be found assisting co-workers and going the extra mile to help others whenever possible. She or he volunteers for community activities, and is either working on becoming certified or involved in obtaining or providing continuing education at any level, or participating in planning education seminars, symposiums, or similar activities. The nominee is involved in some way with AALAS activities, on a local or national level.
EVERYONE is invited to nominate someone! Please don’t feel intimidated about submitting a nomination. Ron was a man who loved everyone and would never want an award bearing his name to be used as a promotional ploy or popularity contest. The award winner will be selected by a panel of District 8 Council members, plus a representative from Allentown, Inc. Nomination packets are kept confidential. The award winner receives an engraved crystal plaque and a cash award.
You should be able to find at least one colleague, maybe several, who would qualify in your facility! Maybe it's you!
Guidelines for Nominating a Candidate
1) Nominee must be a member of a Branch within District 8.
a) Animal Caregiver, Technician, Secretary, IACUC Coordinator, Manager/Supervisor, Trainer, Veterinarian, Director, Branch Officer, Branch Member, or Commercial Member.
b) You may nominate yourself.
2) Take a look at the nomination form at https://goo.gl/forms/EZAJAYKTZi7j2HQ83. Be prepared to reply to each question when submitting your nomination. A nomination letter from you may also be uploaded to the application, however it is not necessary.
3) SPREAD THE NEWS! Send out e-mails or call people who know the nominee and ask them to write letters of support. Letters of support should begin by generally stating why the person believes this nominee should receive the Ron Orta Humanitarian Award and then adding the following:
a) Examples of how he/she exhibits compassion towards peers, or “walks the extra mile"...be specific
b) Examples of cooperation and involvement in the community. Volunteerism examples might include things like working with local animal shelters, Habitat for Humanity, 4-H, the FFA, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, judging science fairs, or volunteering at/with schools, clubs, or other organizations.
c) Examples of continuing education. Mention how the nominee has been achieving/working on certifications or degrees, or participates as a presenter, or is involved in promoting or planning a seminar, assisting others with learning, organizing a study group, symposium or similar educational event.
d) Involvement with AALAS activities, local or national.
e) Letters of support ideally describe some of the items in 3) a-d above, and discuss specifically how the writer or others have been affected by the nominee’s involvement in these activities
f) Writing a letter of support should not be intimidating. A letter can be long or short; its content is what will be judged, not its appearance. (Suggestion: Get as many meaningful reference letters as you can).
4) Submit your nomination form and upload your letters of support through the following link… https://goo.gl/forms/EZAJAYKTZi7j2HQ83. You should receive a confirmation email after submitting your form. If you do not, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ensure the form went through.
5) Nomination packets are held over from prior years for re-consideration the next two years. These packets may be updated with additional reference letters.
Submissions must be received by February 1, 2019. Packets may also be scanned and submitted via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or mailed to: Trinka Adamson, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, 1500 East Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA 91010. If submitting a packet by email or through mail, please be sure all of the questions on the online nomination form have been answered.
SVAALAS 2019 Board Election Ballot! - Please vote by 11/30/18
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- Written by Maggie Tam
SVAALAS 2019 Board Election Ballot! - Please vote and send in your ballot by 11/30/18
Attached in the links below are the list of individuals who have been nominated by your fellow SV-AALAS members and who have accepted the nomination. Please review the list and select only one individual for each board position by clicking once on the box to the right of your selected individual. To assist you in making your decision, there is an attachment with bios for each nominee. Thank you for your continued support of SV-AALAS!
Please save and email your ballot to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm 11/30/18