Dr. Mark Armfelt Selected as CAST President-Elect for 2014-15
In a recent election at the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), Dr. Mark Armfelt was chosen as the President-Elect for 2014-2015. He will officially assume his responsibilities at the conclusion of CAST's Fall Board Meeting in October. In 2015-2016, he will become the 43rd President of CAST, a singular honor and responsibility dating back to 1972, when Charles A. Black and Norman Borlaug, along with other committed scientists, spearheaded the movement to "bring science-based information to policymaking and the public."
Mark Armfelt, DVM, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and he spent several weeks each summer in New York on his aunt and uncle's dairy farm. Mark enrolled at Ohio State University where an emergency trip to the OSU Veterinary Clinic influenced his career path. After being told at the clinic that his puppy would be all right after getting hit by a car, he decided on a profession where he could relieve animal suffering and owners' anxieties. Following his graduation from vet school in 1977, Dr. Armfelt started a mixed large- and small-animal practice, and in 1998 he achieved the distinction of Board Certification in Dairy Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. In 2000, he began working full time for Monsanto as a Technical Services Veterinarian, and today he is a Dairy Technical Consultant with Elanco Animal Health. During the years, he has supported dairy producers across Ohio, providing unbiased, scientifically based information in an unassuming manner.
Dr. Armfelt has been involved with CAST since 2012 as the current Board Representative for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He aims to continue CAST's mission of communicating science-based information. "This must be done in a timely manner, and the value of that information needs to be demonstrated to our members and stakeholders for us to remain viable." He cites the Ag Innovations series as an example of these efforts, and he believes CAST will continue to flourish if they involve "dedicated people in all levels of leadership."
6.16.2014