Seven and a half years, 45 articles, 50,000 words. That’s how long Leslie A. Mamalis and Dr. Ed Branam have written for Today’s Veterinary Business and how much content each has shared with readers of the Money Matters and Protect & Defend columns.
Their professional retirement is a loss for this magazine but a fabulous opportunity for them personally. Leslie’s last appearance as a columnist is on Page 28, and Ed’s is on Page 30.
I asked them for a few departing comments — an exit interview, if you will.
What will you do now?
- Leslie: While waiting for my husband to retire, I have been volunteering with Denver Audubon. My county clerk’s office hired me as a temporary employee, and I worked as an election judge for the 2024 presidential election. Once my husband retires, we hope to travel more internationally.
- Ed: Travel, enjoy family and friends, and volunteer.
What memory will always make you smile?
- Ed: Traveling cross country with my wife and 6-month-old son. We drove an old car with a small U-Haul trailer behind it from Michigan to California to start my residency program — no money and a lifetime of dreams ahead of us.
What would you have done if not for the veterinary profession?
- Leslie: I love math and science. I planned to teach at the university level.
- Ed: Teach high school and coach sports.
What do you wish you had known when you started your career?
- Leslie: That life gets in the way, so it’s normal to adapt and change course.
- Ed: How many different aspects of the veterinary industry exist, and how fulfilling a well-rounded career can be.
Thank you, Leslie and Ed. I wish you a retirement filled with joy, adventure and the freedom to pursue your passions.