New SAVMA leaders step in as student advocacy sharpens

Veterinary students have new national leadership at a moment when policy debates are landing close to home. Spencer Stelly, a third-year student at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected president of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association, while Cayden Smith, a second-year student at Long Island University’s Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, was elected president-elect, according to Vet Candy profiles and school information. In interviews, Stelly framed his presidency around representing student concerns nationally, including opposition to the emerging mid-level veterinary practitioner, or veterinary professional associate, role. That issue has become more urgent since Colorado voters approved Proposition 129 in November 2024, creating the VPA profession, and state implementation has continued through legislation and rulemaking ahead of 2026 regulation. (lsu.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is more than a student leadership update. SAVMA has long served as the organized voice of veterinary students within the broader AVMA ecosystem, and student leaders often shape how future veterinarians engage on workforce, scope-of-practice, debt, wellbeing, and advocacy issues. Stelly’s emphasis on pushing back against the VPA model aligns with broader opposition from AVMA, AAHA, AAEP, and other professional groups, suggesting student advocacy will remain part of the profession’s response as states weigh workforce solutions. (avma.org)

What to watch: Watch whether SAVMA under Stelly’s leadership takes a more visible role in state and national debates over workforce expansion, especially as Colorado’s VPA framework moves into active regulation in 2026. (dpo.colorado.gov)