"No man ever steps in the same river twice.”

As I am attending the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul with a stunning view of the Mississippi river, I am reflecting on change and these words from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus come to mind. My hometown, Rosario, Argentina, where I got my DVM degree 20 years ago, sits next to the Parana river, which, similarly to the Mississippi River, is one of the 10 longest rivers in the world. Those of us raised in riverine locations certainly understand the meaning of the old Greek saying. A river holds features that define its character, and, at the same time, every season and every day is different in a river.

In 2017, the Leman conference was organized for the first time in many years, without our colleague and friend, the late Bob Morrison, who tragically left us in May while sitting in the conference’s driver seat. Like a river, this year’s conference was the same, but different. The program was outstanding, as usual, with almost 1000 attendees and many swine experts delivering world-class lectures. Yet without Bob, it was different and the conference was flooded by emotions and memories of our friend and mentor. The University of Minnesota swine faculty group gave all of us a powerful lesson on how to navigate change.

Changes, those that are desired and expected and those that are not, are always challenging, and always provide unique opportunities. In my new role as director of CAHFS, I am expecting that nothing, and at the same time everything, will change. I look forward to maintaining, expanding and looking for new directions for CAHFS’ hallmark programs initiated and led by previous directors. These include the Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency program, and the first World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) Veterinary Education Twinning Project in partnership with Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

At the same time, I look forward to changes in the operation and vision of the Center. Emerging opportunities include a growing partnership with the OIE collaborating center in Buenos Aires (CEBASEV), and the first continental capacity building program worldwide, initiated by the partnership (ProgRESSVet), both highlighted in this issue of our newsletter.

Additionally, CAHFS will expand its expertise in a number of disciplines, incorporating to its body of affiliated faculty a number of experts in the areas of quantitative data analysis; dairy, swine, wildlife and fish health; quality control and assurance; and diagnostics for analysis of selected agents, feed, and environmental health.

I believe such an expansion will greatly enhance our stakeholder services, with the ultimate objective of protecting and promoting the health and well-being of our state and nation. Like a river, I expect that CAHFS will simultaneously be different and the same. Changes are always exciting. In the words of Mark Twain, who mastered the art of capturing the nature and character of rivers and people: “apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”