A Closer Look

It has been a privilege to be a part of the AETA Board of Directors (BOD) over the last three years and an honor to serve as this year’s president. I have been blessed to be a part of this industry for 20 years. As Paul Harvey said, “The years don’t always add wisdom, but they do add perspective!”

The first meetings I attended were eye-opening experiences, and those BOD members were larger than life to a new college graduate trying to find a place to call home. Over the years, I have watched every BOD deal with their fair share of challenges. Each one, I am sure, feels theirs were the most difficult. We should all take the time to thank Morgan and FASS, and the two past presidents, Matt Dorshorst and Bill Croushore, for navigating AETA through two years of virtual meetings, zoom calls, and hotel contracts. But just as importantly, we need to thank all the businesses that continued to support the association and the industry without blinking an eye!

This is going to be an exciting year! Dr. Greg Schueller already has an amazing program set for our Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, from October 27 to 29, 2022. It is packed with timely and informative topics, and thankfully, for the first time in over two years we will be able to shake hands and interact with colleagues and longtime friends that we have greatly missed seeing. I promise you, Louisville will be a meeting to be remembered for a long time! Mark your calendars and make sure to attend.

In 2013, the AETA developed a strategic plan that is just as important today. It concentrates on 3 targeted areas for growth and betterment of the association, and this year’s BOD has goals to improve each one.

1. Education
   1. Increase participation in poster session at AETA meetings
   2. Provide more exposure at veterinary school level: Curriculum, interactive courses
2. Membership
   1. Encourage growth from within: Embryo transfer business (ETB) employees
   2. Increase exposure to new professional graduates
   3. Increase exposure to academia and encourage participation in our organization
   4. Increase exposure to other species utilizing assisted reproductive technologies
3. Certification
   1. Improve certification exam format and knowledge base
   2. Continue to develop ways for members to differentiate and add value to themselves through recognition programs

As I have encouraged the BOD, I will equally encourage every AETA member to think differently than you have the past 20 years. As we propose new ways to recognize or educate members, we will see an increase in membership. As we increase membership, we will have more ETBs working in the industry and educating their clients on the importance of the AETA. This is nothing new to our industry, but it needs our attention again. 

I look forward to a productive 2022 and a reunion in Louisville at the 2022 AETA/CETA Annual Convention.

Clay Breiner, DVM

2022 AETA President

Paul Harvey is reported to have said, “In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.” Though the challenges may seem different than those in the past, there are challenges nonetheless. Heavy workload, supply chain problems, COVID fears, and labor shortages have left many of us wondering how we can take a breath. At the same time, industry consolidation creates a dark cloud of uncertainty about the future.

Some of the many things I love about the AETA and its members are the camaraderie and the willingness of members to lend a hand to each other, whether it be helping with a technical problem, lending supplies, or referring a client to another practitioner when the book gets full. It is that spirit of cooperation that is good for business in the long term, even if it subtracts from the bottom line in the short term.

I congratulate Dr. Matt Barton and Dr. Lee Jones on their election to the Board of Directors. I also wish to thank both of them and also Dr. Darren Statler and Dr. Alan Strecker for running for that position. One of my duties for 2022 will be to chair the Nominations Committee, which, as part of its charge, will identify potential candidates for the next Board of Directors. If you desire to be on the ballot or know of someone that would make a good board member, please reach out to me.

I also thank Dr. Matt Dorshorst upon his departure from the board for his time on the board and Executive Committee and also Dr. Jeremy VanBoening for his service to the AETA through the Board of Directors. The association is better because of both of them. I am looking forward to my role as past president with the new Executive Committee of Dr. Clay Breiner, president; Dr. Greg Schueller, vice president; and Dr. Daniela Demetrio, secretary-treasurer.

Still, we have work to do to maintain the standing of the AETA in the embryo transfer world here in the United States. To maintain the high standards the industry demands and deserves, we have to keep in mind our purpose:

• To present a unified voice of the industry to promote the mutual interests and ideals of its members;
• To protect the users of the embryo transfer industry to the extent technically and ethically possible;
• To educate the public properly on the status and capability of the United States embryo transfer industry; and
• To encourage others to engage in the pursuit of this industry.

To achieve our purpose, we need to keep before us the means to fulfil it, namely education and certification. In the coming year, we will continue to explore the prospect of recognizing practitioners only engaged in the transfer of embryos (and not collections) as a means to raise the bar for the industry. Although it will be a type of certification for the transfer of embryos into recipients, it is not likely to be called “certification” to avoid confusion with the comprehensive ET Certification program already in place within the association. We will engage the membership as this initiative progresses.

Dr. Greg Schueller is already at work with the Convention Committee in assembling an outstanding program for Louisville, 2022. Although the virtual conventions provided education and made us better practitioners, the friendships and person-to-person interaction were sorely missed. That will resume in 2022. The Education Committee is working on developing a speaker’s bureau to provide speakers to allied veterinary and industry groups wishing to learn more about the practice of embryo transfer. This will be a longer-term project, and I look forward to seeing it develop.

Finally, I need to thank the membership for allowing me the opportunity to steward this association during the past year. My only hope is that I left the association as good as it was before I joined the board. I am grateful for the many friends I have made during my tenure, and while my time on the board is coming to an end, those friendships are not.

Fight the good fight,

Bill

Dr. Bill Croushore – AETA President 2021

The challenge of a long winter is finally over. It seems, however, that as one challenge winds down, others arise. As the significance of the pandemic subsides, other challenges manifest, such as labor shortages and hiccups in the commodity markets. Consolidation of farms creates both a disruption to the status quo and opportunity at the same time. Warm temperatures bring the flush of spring pasture and also the rear ends of recipient cows capable of filling your pocket with a slimy effluent. We take the good with the bad.

To say the past year has been a challenge would be stating the obvious.  Despite the progress made in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still unresolved issues, one of which is international travel.  The AETA Board, along with CETA, tried to navigate this storm, but we were unable to proceed with an in-person convention due to the uncertainty surrounding the opening of the US-Canada border.  As a result, both AETA and CETA elected to forgo an in-person convention for 2021 in favor of another virtual meeting.  The meeting format will be similar to that in 2020 but will be hosted by CETA with the help of FASS and AETA.  The program that CETA is assembling is coming together, and we have a preliminary speakers list posted on the AETA website.

The AETA also faces the challenge of recruiting and retaining new members. The AETA Certification “brand” is something in which all certified members should take pride. The AETA-certified practitioner status is not only a source of pride, but also a designation that ensures competency. Unfortunately, many cattlemen do not appreciate or understand the significance of the AETA certification or the educational opportunities available to both certified and non-certified members through our association. We feel that for the AETA to remain relevant and grow, the AETA brand and certification have to grow.

We have had success in offering continuing education opportunities to professionals and, along with that, complimentary membership for a year. The student scholarship program has also helped with recruiting new members, but there is more that we can do.

Many of our clients are large players in the embryo transfer field, and we feel they would benefit from AETA regular membership. On more and more farms, on-farm labor is used to transfer embryos, both fresh and cryopreserved. The educational opportunities and networking opportunities offered by the AETA could elevate both professionals and their clients. Breed associations such as Holstein and American Angus could also benefit from associate membership.

The true significance of AETA certification has yet to be discovered by the mainstream of the embryo transfer world. This process needs to happen, yet it will only happen slowly and deliberately. We recently had stickers printed with the AETA Certified logo that will be distributed to certified members. These stickers can and should be placed anywhere that it would cause a client to ask about what AETA certification is. Finally, we also need to continue to increase our exposure to the veterinary and animal science communities.

One of the most recent challenges we met were the new European Union (EU) import regulations on both conventional and IVP embryos. Ashley Swenson and the entire Government Liaison Committee in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) navigated these troubled waters like true professionals, providing clarity and taking a strong stand on behalf of US embryo transfer professionals and producers alike. While the changes in the paperwork requirements will take a little time to get used to, the transition to the new regulations has happened already. Unfortunately, it appears as though the number of sires available to be used in the production of IVF embryos eligible for EU export will decrease as a result of the new regulations.

Challenges will continue; they always do. Challenges become opportunities when met head on. Stay safe, be well, and keep the green effluent away from your pockets.

Dr. Bill Croushore – AETA President

Hello,

Our 2020 AETA CETA/ACTE conference was unconventional, but despite the challenges of delivering the conference virtually, it was a success. We had a total of 423 participants from 45 states and provinces as well as 16 foreign countries who registered for and participated in the virtual conference. Thank you to everyone who gave this a chance.

This endeavor would not have been possible without the logistical support of FASS. I would especially like to thank Morgan Montgomery, the AETA executive assistant. Also, thank you to Kevin Wolter with information technology, who helped us create the platform for content delivery and managed it during the conference.

As the AETA board began to wrap our minds around the dilemma that was COVID-19 as it pertains to the conference, one thing became very clear to me; we were going to be tested in uncharted waters. I feel fortunate that we had a strong group of board members who were devoted to the success of the 2020 conference. I especially thank Dr. Bill Croushore for the outstanding work that he and his committee did. The depth and breadth of the conference was excellent, and although the delivery of the content on a virtual platform presented challenges, it came through in extraordinary fashion.

After we concluded the virtual conference, it was a pleasure for me to present the Edwin Robertson Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Chris Keim and Dr. Dan Hornickel. They are certainly deserving of this honor, given the many contributions they have made to our profession. They say that they “care for the cows everyone cares about.” They have also cared for and guided the profession we all care about so deeply.

I also had the privilege to present Dr. Scott Armbrust with the 2020 President’s Award. He has been a vital part of developing, maintaining, and enhancing foreign markets for the AETA and our producers. He has also served the AETA on the Cooperator Committee as well as having served as an AETA president. It was an honor for me to present him with this very well-deserved award on behalf of AETA.

Unfortunately, there was one aspect of our annual conference that we had no way to replicate virtually. We all missed the opportunity to see friends and enjoy each other’s fellowship. For that reason and others, I suspect we will all relish the chance to get together in beautiful Vancouver to see one another next fall.

Sincerely, Matthew Dorshorst, MS, DVM

Hello,

I suspect that as you read this newsletter you may have some of the same feelings that I have. I am finding that the summer is flying by and I am not sure where June and July went. Many of us spend a great deal of time looking out our windshield as we move down the road every day. My thoughts have been that these are interesting times that we live in.

Many of you have reached out to the AETA board, and I appreciate that. We have taken your thoughts and concerns and tried to create lemonade from lemons this year. Soon, information regarding registration for this year’s joint virtual conference will be on the AETA website with details about the schedule and content. Our intention is to deliver meaningful continuing education opportunities as well as satisfy the certification requirement with flexibility at a reasonable cost. 

We will have sessions available for downloading at your convenience as well as three sessions that will be offered live, including chat interaction with the speaker. These three live sessions will be recorded for viewing at your convenience as well. There will also be a virtual business meeting that will include the election of board members. I encourage you all to try to make the business meeting a priority for attendance.  

The registration fees for the virtual conference reflect the board’s efforts to control cost and pass that value on to the membership and sponsors. These are uncertain times and we do not want the cost of the meeting to be a barrier if possible. The AETA board is also mindful of the fact that this could be an opportunity to reach new members on a different platform. With that in mind, we will offer the option to apply the registration fee for the 2020 virtual conference to an equivalent discount for 2021 AETA membership if you desire. Please share the word with anyone who might be interested.

The last aspect of the revised convention proceedings I want to discuss is a change in certification requirements. The board has changed the requirements for conference attendance to 3 out of 5 years, which was previously 2 out of 3 years. This recommendation from the certification committee is meant to reflect the logistics related to this year’s virtual convention as well as the convention in Canada next year. We are also waiving the newly established “in-person” recertification that was to be introduced this year and was meant to replace the on-site random recertification inspections. 

This year’s virtual proceedings are an opportunity to try something new and see what happens. I look forward to your participation.

Thank you,

Matthew Dorshorst, MS DVM

AETA President

Hello,

As we conclude 2019, it is inevitable to take time to reflect. For myself, I reflect on what I am thankful for, things I could have done differently, and ways to make life better for those around me.  If I could offer one piece of advice, it is please don’t wait for a tragedy or unfortunate circumstance to remind you about the significant people in your life and what they mean to you. 

As the AETA moves into 2020, my priority is to further the AETA’s efforts to serve an increasingly diverse membership while elevating the AETA as the “Vanguard of the Embryo Transfer Industry.” We all need to ask ourselves: “to what ends are we as an organization striving for this?” I think we would all agree that we already do this with our clients and allied industries, but we also need to remember our regulatory entities. Who else should the AETA target? The AETA board members would like to hear from you. The board has and continues to take concerns and requests from the membership very seriously to only improve our organization as a whole. 

What I ask of our membership in 2020 –

1. Please engage a board member with specific thoughts, concerns, ideas, or questions. We value your membership and want you to get the most out of it.
2. Check your email for the AETA newsletter and other communications.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I am looking forward to 2020 and I hope you are as well. 

Sincerely,

Matt Dorshorst, MS DVM

AETA Board President

The success of the American Embryo Transfer Association is attributed to the strong commitment and hard work from our members and leaders who have served the organization for many years. Since the first organizational meeting in Denver, 1981, to the first convention in Fort Collins, 1983, it gave us great pleasure to return to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the 2019 annual convention. The convention was a complete success with record attendance and an outstanding venue for AETA and CETA combined. We thank the many volunteers that helped plan such an amazing convention, but especially Morgan and the professional team at FASS.

We congratulate three outstanding award recipients, each of which have positively impacted our organization and industry for the greater good. Dr. Brad Stroud, Dr. Charles Looney, and Dr. Roger Davis were each presented a token of appreciation for their outstanding contributions, leadership, and service for many years to our organization. We also recognized ten outstanding scholarship winners from nine different universities that will be tomorrow’s future leaders. We had positive feedback on our first annual poster contest. Although we had snow on the golf course, mountaintop, and lakefront, the convention at Cheyenne Mountain Resort was a big hit!

At our business meeting, AETA had a healthy and positive discussion on Bylaws, which proved to be a success discussing one of our key pillars, membership. Our board actively seeks participation and since we work for our membership our efforts always represent and accommodate the majority. In the next few weeks, we plan to send out a survey seeking your feedback on a few ideas such as our positive financial surplus, technician endorsement, and future ideas each of you may have for AETA. As we look to the future setting goals, we actively seek advice and direction from our members.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to each member of AETA for the opportunity to have served on the board and as president in 2019.  It was truly an honor. I made many new close friends and enjoyed every moment. I thank the many volunteers, especially those members who serve on committees that keep our organization strong and our industry vibrant. I invite everyone to serve in some capacity and I know this organization is in great hands for the future. I look forward to a great convention with you next year in Madison, Wisconsin!

Blessings to you, your families, and businesses during this wonderful holiday season and the very best of luck for a terrific 2020.

Matthew E. Iager, DVM                                                                                                             

Greetings to you on behalf of AETA.

The 2019 Annual AETA CETA Convention is now weeks away and we are extremely excited about its venue, atmosphere, program, entertainment, and much more we have planned for you and your colleagues. The convention committee, lead by Matt Dorshorst, DVM, has done an outstanding job.

We thank all of the many volunteers that contribute to the success of AETA. For example, Pat Comyn, DVM, and his education committee, continue to provide this quarterly newsletter to
keep members abreast on current news and educational materials that enhance our embryo transfer services.

AETA, along with AABP and AASRP, provided two amazing seminars this summer for its members on bovine and small ruminant embryo transfer, which continues to be in high demand for its top quality educational opportunity it provides.

Social media and the internet continue to be key areas to communicate and we invite you to like AETA on Facebook to follow news and posts from our industry. As you are well aware, the internet also provides occasional challenges from outside hackers that promote “phishing”
schemes to try to solicit funds from individuals and businesses. As always, use good common sense with emails that look suspicious.

AETA is extremely proud of our student scholarship program and we plan to award several deserving students again this year. We also had a terrific response to the first annual poster contest and we encourage you to interact with the authors who attend the convention.

From great organizations in industry stem inspiring people and leaders, and AETA is no exception, so look forward to some exciting presentations this fall, including the Edwin Robertson Lifetime Achievement Award.

The last week of October is gearing up to be a fun and exciting time with friends and colleagues! We hope your travel plans are complete. We look forward to seeing everyone in beautiful Colorado Springs!

Sincerely:
Matt Iager, DVM
President AETA 2019

Greetings fellow AETA members:

As the summer heat settles in, we wish everyone a safe and relaxing season. The year tends to pass quickly, and we continue to gear up for our annual convention in beautiful Colorado Springs. We thank Dr. Matt Dorshorst and his convention planning team for their outstanding efforts on this convention. You can be certain we have planned a special event for all of you!

Our research committee has added a poster contest for all AETA and CETA members to participate in, including students. This will spice up our exhibitor area for additional interaction and educational opportunities. Up to 10 students will receive complimentary registration as an incentive to participate. We will continue to award our student scholarship winners as well.

AETA has teamed up with AASRP to host a small ruminant embryo transfer seminar at Ohio State University in June, and we continue to provide the Edwin Robertson Embryo Transfer Seminar at Virginia Tech with AABP in August. We have enjoyed collaborating with other allied partners in our industry to provide the best educational opportunities in the business.

IETS has invited AETA and CETA to a joint convention in 2023. We will fully analyze the schedule and logistics of this concept for that calendar year to decide whether the opportunity works well for each of the organizations involved. Please contact us with your comments and suggestions.

We hope you continue to appreciate the efforts of our promotion and membership committees. We completed a new brochure for use at AABP and AASRP seminars and conventions as well as other events throughout the year. Facebook has attracted a lot of attention from users who “like” our page and follow the news and highlights of our association. The AETA brand has been promoted nationally and internationally.

AETA has a lot to celebrate, and our committees are vibrant and innovative. We invite you to participate and serve as well as provide feedback to us throughout the year so we can steadily communicate with members. Thank you for the opportunity to serve this great organization, and we look forward to visiting with you in Colorado this fall.

Matt Iager, DVM