The Pacific Northwest (PNW) Chapter of ARPAS has returned to being an active group. Our chapter met in January 2018 at the Pacific NW Animal Nutrition Conference in Boise, Idaho. A group of ARPAS members with past PNW Chapter association led a discussion with conference attendees about ARPAS and reactivating the PNW Chapter. The people were in favor of moving forward with making the chapter vibrant again. We voted in board members and officers including past president: Joe Harrison, Washington State University; president: Bill Sanchez, Diamond V; president elect: Shelby Filley, Oregon State University; secretary/treasurer, Pedram Rezamand, University of Idaho; director at large (industry): Steve Jones, Northwest Research and Nutrition, LLC; director at large (university): Anne Laarman, University of Idaho; and director at large (industry): Dave Ellis, Balchem.

We began planning activities that we wanted to focus on for the year. We first wanted to communicate with all ARPAS members in the region to let them know the local chapter is reforming and encourage them to join the local chapter. An email was sent to this group letting them know that our goals are to come together to work on issues unique to the PNW producers and animal scientists, network and interact at annual meetings, create educational opportunities with invited speakers at these meetings and at quarterly webinars on current issues, and support animal science undergraduates with scholarships. We also are considering internships and other mentoring activities for students and up-and-coming members. When needed, the chapter can come together on regional issues and provide science-based information to local politicians and consumers.

The chapter leadership helped make quarterly planning calls, consolidated their funds into one location under the control of the national ARPAS office, developed and executed two scholarship offerings with a stipend that allows the student to attend our annual meeting at the PNW Animal Nutrition Conference, and put together a new slate of officers for the upcoming 2019 calendar year. That ballot is in the hands of our regional members to vote on or add write-in candidates. Our scholarship winners and new officers will be announced at the 2019 PNW Animal Nutrition Conference to be held in Boise, Idaho, January 14–15.

The chapter is off and running—give us a shout if you have ideas to share that will make us even more effective as we restart the PNW local chapter of ARPAS.

Sincerely,

Bill Sanchez
Current PNW Chapter President