I have fantastic news for you. Governor Tony Evers just signed the 2019-21 state budget, and the School of Veterinary Medicine's expansion project was included in the budget. 

It has been a long and arduous haul. For those who remember, the first discussions about building an addition to the school were in 2002. Daryl Buss was the dean, and I had just become the Associate Dean for Advancement. Fast forward to 2012, and we were able to convince University of Wisconsin-Madison leadership of the importance of our project, leading to a feasibility study conducted by Flad Architects. This study laid the groundwork for our efforts with campus leadership, UW System leadership, political leaders, alumni, friends, and clients, highlighting the critical nature of this project in our ability to serve the citizens of the state of Wisconsin. 

Whether it's the state-of-the-art veterinary medical care we provide at our teaching hospital, the research that we conduct benefiting both animal and human health, or the instruction we provide to the next generation of veterinarians and biomedical researchers, the school is dedicated to serving our state and beyond. 

I would like to particularly thank Chancellor Blank for her unwavering support for this project, as well as Crystal Potts and Kristi Thorson for their leadership and wise counsel as we pressed our feet to the pedal to garner support for this project. This perseverance brings to mind a quote from one of my favorite movies,  The Shawshank Redemption --  "Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all it takes, really. Pressure ... and time." And that's what this effort has been over the last 17 years, with more pressure applied over the last five years. Pressure and time. 

With this result, our building is funded through the generosity and foresight of our legislators and Governor and the  support of friends like you. And for that, we breathe a collective sigh of relief and send a massive thank you!