CALIFORNIA VETERINARY MEDICAL BOARD
NOTICE OF MEETING
April 15-16, 2026

Action may be taken on any item listed on the agenda.

Board Members

  • Maria Preciosa S. Solacito, DVM, President
  • Kristi Pawlowski, RVT, Vice President
  • Christina Bradbury, DVM
  • Patrick Espinoza, Esq.
  • Steven Manyak, DVM
  • Evelyn Mitchell
  • Anna Orlowski, Esq.
  • C. Mike Tomlinson, DVM

Student Liaisons

  • Sebastian Lidikay, University of California, Davis
  • Anna Styles, Western University of Health Sciences

The California Veterinary Medical Board (Board) will meet in accordance with Government Code section 11122.5, subdivision (a), at

10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, and 9:00 a.m., on Thursday, April 16, 2026

at the following location:

Department of Consumer Affairs
1625 N. Market Blvd., Hearing Room
Sacramento, CA 95834

This meeting also will be held via WebEx Events for public participation. Instructions to connect to the meeting can be found at:
https://vmb.ca.gov/meetings/agendas/joinwebex.pdf

To participate virtually in the WebEx Events meeting on April 15, 2026, please log on to this website the day of the meeting:
https://dca-meetings.webex.com/dca-meetings/j.php?MTID=m1be8a0715b75ec72cb928a36824d0320

Event number: 2483 996 5467
Event password: VMB415

To participate virtually in the WebEx Events meeting on April 16, 2026, please log on to this website the day of the meeting:
https://dca-meetings.webex.com/dca-meetings/j.php?MTID=m560deb978787d05bf4f6a879248cffd3

Event number: 2496 916 9583
Event password: VMB416

Due to potential technical difficulties, please consider submitting written comments by April 7, 2026, to VMB@dca.ca.gov for consideration.

Members of the public may, but are not obligated to, provide their names or personal information as a condition of observing or participating in the meeting. When signing into the WebEx platform, participants may be asked for their name and email address. Participants who choose not to provide their names will need to provide a unique identifier such as their initials or another alternative, so that the meeting moderator can identify individuals who wish to make public comment; participants who choose not to provide their email address may utilize a fictitious email address like in the following sample format: XXXXX@mailinator.com.

AGENDA

10:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 15, 2026

  1. Call to Order / Roll Call / Establishment of a Quorum
  2. Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda

    Note: The Board may not discuss or take action on any matter raised during this public comment section, except to decide whether to place the matter on the agenda of a future meeting. (Government Code sections 11125, 11125.7(a).)

  3. Review and Approval of Board Meeting Minutes
    1. October 15-16, 2025
      1. Full Minutes
      2. Action Minutes
    2. January 21-22, 2026
      1. Action Minutes
  4. Report and Update from Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
  5. Interviews, Discussion, and Possible Appointments to Fill Vacant Public, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), and Veterinarian Member Positions on the Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MDC)
  6. Review, Discussion, and Possible Action on Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MDC) Report – Cheryl Waterhouse, DVM, Chair, MDC
    1. Overview of April 14, 2026, MDC Meeting
    2. Minimum Standards for Alternate Premises Regulations
      1. HQHVSN Services and MASH Clinics
      2. Recommendation to Initiate Rulemaking to Amend California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 16, 2030.1 Regarding Small Animal Fixed Veterinary Premises and Handling Animal Remains
    3. Potential Recommendation to Initiate Rulemaking to Amend CCR, Title 16, Section 2032.3 Regarding Record Keeping; Records; Contents; Transfer
  7. Discussion and Possible Action on Business and Professions Code Section 4809.8, the MDC's Mandated Responsibilities and Processes, and Potential Improvements
  8. Presentation on the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) Communication Skills Assessment Taskforce Progress – Heather Case, DVM, Chief Executive Director
  9. Update, Discussion, and Possible Action on 2025-2026 Legislation Impacting the Board, DCA, and/or the Veterinary Profession
    1. Priority Legislation for Board Consideration
      1. Assembly Bill (AB) 1733 (Lee, 2026) License and Registration Renewal: Continuing Education
      2. AB 1999 (Kalra, 2026) Veterinary medicine
      3. AB 2010 (Soria, 2026) Veterinary Medicine: Veterinary Surgery Premises: Spay and Neuter Services
      4. Senate Bill (SB) 1269 (Ochoa Bogh, 2026) Chiropractors: Animal Chiropractic Practitioners
      5. SB 1311 (Wahab, 2026) Licensed Professions
      6. SB 1445 (Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, 2026) Healing Arts
    2. Other Board-Monitored Legislation
      1. AB 1558 (Arambula, 2026) Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act
  10. Update, Discussion, and Possible Action on Pending Regulations
    1. Status on Pending Regulations
  11. Update, Discussion, and Possible Action Regarding American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Activities – Christina Bradbury, DVM
    1. AAVSB Activities Overview
  12. Student Liaison Reports
    1. University of California, Davis, Liaison – Sebastian Lidikay
    2. Western University of Health Sciences Liaison – Anna Styles
  13. Board President Report – Maria Preciosa S. Solacito, DVM
  14. Registered Veterinary Technician Report – Kristi Pawlowski, RVT
  15. Executive Management Reports
    1. Administration
    2. Examination/Licensing
    3. Enforcement
    4. Outreach
    5. Strategic Plan
  16. Future Agenda Items and Next Meeting Dates
  17. Recess Open Session until April 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m., Thursday, April 16, 2026

  1. Reconvene Open Session - Establishment of a Quorum
  2. Special Order of Business
    1. Hearing on Petition for Early Termination or Modification of Probation of J. Wade Byrd, DVM, License No. 10381
    2. Hearing on Petition for Reinstatement of Nisar Ahmed, DVM, Surrendered License No. 12267
  3. Recess Open Session

CLOSED SESSION

  1. Convene Closed Session
  2. Pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(c)(3), the Board Will Meet in Closed Session to Deliberate and Vote on Disciplinary Matters, Including the Above Petitions, Stipulated Settlements, and Proposed Decisions
  3. Pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(1) and (2)(A), the Board Will Meet in Closed Session to Confer and Receive Advice From Legal Counsel Regarding Pending Litigation
    1. Gurdeep Deol, DVM v. Veterinary Medical Board, Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. CVPS2402058
    2. Amy Edelen v. Department of Consumer Affairs, Veterinary Medical Board, Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 25WM000190
  4. Adjourn Closed Session

RECONVENE OPEN SESSION

  1. Adjournment

Information regarding the meeting is available by contacting Justin Sotelo at (916) 515-5220, email: vmb@dca.ca.gov, or send a written request to the California Veterinary Medical Board, 1747 N. Market Blvd., Suite 230, Sacramento, CA 95834. This agenda can be found on the California Veterinary Medical Board website at www.vmb.ca.gov. The time and order of agenda items are subject to change at the discretion of the Board President and may be taken out of order. Items scheduled for a particular day may be moved to an earlier or later day to facilitate the effective transaction of business. In accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, all meetings of the Board are open to the public.

The meeting will be webcast, provided there are no unforeseen technical difficulties or limitations. To view the webcast, please visit thedcapage.wordpress.com/webcasts/. The meeting will not be cancelled if webcast is not available. Meeting adjournment may not be webcast if it is the only item that occurs after a closed session.

Government Code section 11125.7 provides the opportunity for the public to address each agenda item during discussion or consideration by the Board prior to the Board taking any action on said item. Members of the public will be provided appropriate opportunities to comment on any issue before the Board, but the Board President may, at their discretion, apportion available time among those who wish to speak. Individuals may appear before the Board to discuss items not on the agenda; however, the Board can neither discuss nor take official action on these items at the time of the same meeting (Government Code sections 11125, 11125.7(a)).

This meeting is being held in person and via teleconference through WebEx Events for public participation. The meeting location is accessible to the physically disabled. A person who needs disability-related accommodations or modifications to participate in the meeting may make a request by contacting the Board at (916) 515-5220, email: vmb@dca.ca.gov, or send a written request to the California Veterinary Medical Board, 1747 N. Market Blvd., Suite 230, Sacramento, CA 95834. Providing your request at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting will help ensure availability of the requested accommodations. TDD Line: (916) 326-2297.