AASV President Dr Jeffrey Harker (Purdue ’94) grew up on a diversified livestock and grain farm near Waldron, Indiana. Active in 4-H and FFA as a youth, he received his American Farmer degree from FFA in 1989. Since graduation from veterinary school, Dr Harker has worked exclusively in swine practice. He first joined Dr Max Rodibaugh at Swine Health Services as an associate veterinarian and then became a partner in 2001. Their practice (now AMVC Swine Health Services) is dedicated to swine and serves a very diverse swine clientele ranging from small show pig herds to contract growers in integrated production. Dr Harker has served on the AASV Board of Directors, has represented AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates, has served on the AASV Annual Meeting Planning Committee, and was the Indiana Pork Producers Association president. Dr Harker has also been involved with the National Pork Board’s Operation Main Street program since it began several years ago. Dr Harker was the 2017 recipient of the AASV Meritorious Service Award. He lives in rural Clinton County, Indiana, with his wife Traci and the younger two of their four children; their older two daughters live nearby, each with daughters of their own.
When asked to comment on his thoughts about the future of AASV and his tenure as president, Dr Harker said, “I am looking forward to working with the AASV Board, members, and staff on solving the challenges as they arise over the next year. Considering the current poor market situation along with the increased threat of foreign animal disease, the AASV will need to continue to provide the best scientific information to the swine industry. I hope that I can help maintain AASV’s past success in navigating through these challenges.”
AASV President-elect Dr Mary Battrell (ISU ’95) was born and raised on a diversified crop and livestock family farm in Albany, Ohio. She earned a BS from The Ohio State University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, and her DVM and an additional MS from Iowa State University in 1995. She began her veterinary career in North Carolina working for Dr Fred Cunningham, followed by Brown’s of Carolina, and then Pharmacia as a technical service veterinarian. Since 2000, Dr Battrell has worked for Smithfield Hog Production, where she is currently the staff veterinarian for Smithfield Hog Production’s Central Region and is responsible for the health and well-being of 92,000 sows farrow-to-finish. She has been actively involved in the development of the Smithfield Animal Care Program and their contingency plan for a foreign animal disease. Dr Battrell has served on the AASV Pig Welfare and Pharmaceutical Issues Committees and was the 2018 recipient of the AASV Swine Practitioner of the Year Award.
AASV Vice President Dr Michael Senn (KSU ’91) was involved in agriculture as a youth and raised on a diversified livestock and crop farm in Kansas, where he continues as the 4th generation operating the farm. Dr Senn credits his participation in 4-H and FFA as a youth with his passion for volunteerism and leadership. He has served AASV with two terms on the Board of Directors, as a committee member, as chair of the Foreign Animal Disease Committee (now Committee on Transboundary and Emerging Diseases), and as a student presentation judge. During his nearly 20-year career as a technical services veterinarian, he provided technical support for products and focused on clinical research, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, antibiotic regulatory issues, and emerging infectious disease surveillance. He continues to work as an independent consultant.
Commenting on his upcoming vice-presidency, Dr Senn said, “I look forward to the opportunity to serve the passionate members of AASV, and working closely with the Board of Directors and staff to continue to provide science-based information to address the health and well-being of the animals that we work with, as well as public health. With the ever-changing challenges and opportunities we face, I’m optimistic about developing and enhancing relationships between AASV, allied industry groups, and regulatory agencies to proactively address each one.”
Dr Senn lives in Newton, Kansas with his wife, Stephanie, and children Annika and Jakob.
AASV Past President Dr Nathan Winkelman (UMN ’84) was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm near St James, Minnesota. He received a BS degree in animal science and DVM from the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation, he joined a swine-exclusive veterinary practice in Morris, Minnesota, with Drs Rod Johnson and Tony Scheiber. Currently, Dr Winkelman is a partner with Dr Adam Mueller in Swine Services Unlimited, Inc, a swine research and consulting practice in Rice, Minnesota. He has served on the AASV Board of Directors and currently sits on the AASV Foundation Board. In addition, Dr Winkelman is an active participant in the National Pork Board’s Operation Main Street program giving presentations to various groups to raise awareness about modern pork production.
AASV publishes Swine Disease Manual, 5th edition
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians is pleased to announce the publication of the 5th edition of the Swine Disease Manual, edited by Drs Eric Neumann, Alex Ramirez, and Kent Schwartz.
As in the previous edition, the book provides a concise overview of diseases and syndromes affecting swine. It serves as an informative reference for students, practitioners, producers, and others working in the swine industry. The new publication reflects the many changes that have occurred in the 10 years since the 4th edition was released, including updated information on African swine fever, Senecavirus A, and swine enteric coronavirus diseases.
The softcover book is 191 pages of text, indexed, and includes a section on swine industry terminology and a chart of common abbreviations. A concluding section of tables serves as a valuable resource to identify and compare possible disease agents affecting a specific body system.
The Swine Disease Manual, 5th edition is available for $30.00 per copy, plus shipping and handling. Orders may be placed online at ecom.aasv.org/sdm.
ABVP certifies Dr Neumann in Swine Health Management
Dr Eric Neumann, DVM MS PhD, of Mosgiel, New Zealand, has been certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) specializing in Swine Health Management.
Dr Neumann mastered a rigorous application process and certification examination in order to obtain Diplomate status. Neuman earned an MS and DVM from the University of Illinois and a PhD from Massey University, Institute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences. He has been trained and has provided training in numerous topics including emerging diseases, epidemiology, foreign animal disease diagnosis, continuous quality improvement, and many more. Dr Neumann is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the United States and New Zealand. He has taught at the University of Illinois and is currently an adjunct professor at Massey University. He has served on the Journal of Swine Health and Production Editorial Board and has been published more than 250 times in a variety of media and venues. Most recently, he led editing of the Swine Disease Manual, 5th edition. Dr Neumann is the owner and director of Epi-Insight Limited.
The ABVP, established in 1978, is one of twenty-one veterinary specialty groups accredited by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties, a division of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Today, over 900 veterinarians worldwide are certified in one of ABVP’s 10 practice categories: Avian, Beef Cattle, Canine and Feline, Dairy, Equine, Exotic Companion Mammal, Feline, Food Animal, Reptile and Amphibian, Shelter Medicine, and Swine Health Management. Please visit abvp.com for more information.