AlpacaGram 12.19 | Dr. Jeri Booher Selected for the James G. King Industry Award

Dr. Jeri Booher Selected for the James G. King Industry Award

This award, created in 2012, was named in honor of Jim King, a longtime member and Board Member of both the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) and Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI) who passed away unexpectedly on April 5, 2012. The James G. King Industry Recognition Award is awarded by the Alpaca Owners Association, Inc. (AOA) Board of Directors to a person who has given of themselves exceptionally and consistently toward the betterment of the alpaca industry.

We're thrilled to announce Dr. Jeri Booher as the recipient of the James G. King Industry Award! Jeri grew up on a sugar plantation in a small, rural town in Hawaii. After studying fashion design for the first two years of college, her love for animals soon steered her in a new direction. This shift in focus earned her a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Hawaii. While pursuing her master's degree, Jeri was accepted into the veterinary medicine program at Washington State University (WSU), where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 1980. She then spent the next two years completing postdoctoral studies in infectious diseases at WSU.

Jeri spent the following 16 years in small animal veterinary practice, initially as an employee and later as an owner. However, in 1992, her path took another turn when she founded Timberland Alpacas and Timberland Alpacas Veterinary Services, just three weeks after being introduced to alpacas! The transition from a demanding 70-hour clinic workweek and long commutes to working from home with her alpacas, while also managing a mobile alpaca veterinary practice and raising two young children, proved to be an idyllic lifestyle.

Throughout the years, Jeri has been an active member of the alpaca community, serving on various committees including the AOBA Health and Research Committee, The Alpaca Research Foundation, and the AOBA Show Committee. She has also served as Past President of the Columbia Alpaca Breeders Association and currently chairs the AOA Show Rules Committee.

Please join us in congratulating Jeri for her outstanding contributions and dedication to the alpaca community!

Watch the video of the James G. King presentation at www.alpacainfo.com/awards/james-king-award.