Career Opportunities of American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians

Dr. Kristen Clark is a public health veterinarian dedicated to the promotion of human, animal, and environmental health. She holds her BS in Zoology and DVM from Iowa State University,  her MPH from the University of Minnesota, and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. In addition to working in private practice, she previously served as the State of Iowa’s enteric disease epidemiologist and coordinator for food and feed emergencies. In 2015, Dr. Clark began her employment with Iowa State University as a Veterinary Specialist with the Center for Food Security and Public Health and also served as the University’s Acting COVID-19 Public Health Coordinator throughout the pandemic. In 2021, Dr. Clark began serving as Iowa State’s inaugural University Public Health Coordinator where she oversees campus public health operations for all faculty, staff, and students. She is active in organized veterinary medicine at the state and national levels and currently serves as the President-Elect and Public Health Committee Chair of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and President of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium. In addition, she serves as the AVMA Delegate for the American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians. She owns a farm and a charitable sock company and lives just outside of Ames, IA, with her son and fibered, feathered, and furry menagerie better known as the Happy Bottom Homestead. She can be reached on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kristen-k-clark/ and at her email: clarkk@iastate.edu

Dr. Joseph Annelli is currently the Executive Vice President of National Association of Federal Veterinarians. He comes to this position after years serving as a veterinarian in the federal government. 

Commander Willy Lanier is a U.S. Public Health Service veterinary officer assigned as a CDC Career Epidemiology Field Officer to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Willy earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota. He is also board certified in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Willy grew up in Alaska, profoundly influenced by his epidemiologist mother, pathologist father, and adventures while hunting, fishing, and dog mushing. Since July 2021, he has served as the Utah State Public Health Veterinarian, facilitating One Health prevention efforts at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Willy has previously been assigned to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (Office of Field Operations and Applied Epidemiology Staff), CDC (Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services), and FDA (Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network and Office of Regulatory Affairs). His professional interests include epidemiology, pathology, and public health policy and, while not working, he enjoys camping, singing, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. Willy most enjoys being a husband and a father.  

Email: wlanier@utah.gov for any questions.

Dr. Bernadette Dunham shared some exciting highlights of her career that took her from Canada to the U.S. working for the AVMA explaining One Health to Congress, in research for humans, FDA, and as a professor.  =========================================================== 

Bernadette Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D. Professorial Lecturer, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Bio: Dr. Bernadette Dunham is with the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University (2016 to present) where her focus is on One Health issues. In October 2019, Dr. Dunham was appointed as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources for a three-year term thru December 2022. Dr. Dunham served a two year term as an Advisor to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) One Health Initiative from 2019 to 2021. Dr. Dunham has served the FDA as Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) from 2008-2016, Deputy Director of CVM and Director of the Office of Minor Use and Minor Species from 2006-2008, and Deputy Director of the Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation from 2002-2006. Before beginning her government career, she was an Assistant Director with American Veterinary Medical Association’s Governmental Relations Division in Washington, D.C. from 1995-2002. Dr. Dunham served as Director of Laboratory Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at the State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse, N.Y. from 1987-1995. She was a Resident, Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. from 1987–1988. Before returning to academia in 1979 to pursue her Ph.D. and Post-Doctoral research in cardiovascular pathophysiology at Boston University, Dr. Dunham was in private veterinary practice for four years in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Dunham received her D.V.M. degree from the Ontario College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guelph, Canada and her Ph.D. from Boston University, MA.  Dr. Dunham currently serves on the National Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance, Research and Education (NIAMRRE) Leadership Council and the Executive Advisory Board for the Center for Animal and Human Health in Appalachia (CAHA), Lincoln Memorial University. Dr. Dunham is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, the National Academies of Practice, the American Public Health Association, and an Honorary member of the American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians. She is an Honorary Diplomate and an Awardee of the K.F. Meyer - James H. Steele Gold-Headed Cane Award from the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society. She has served on peer review panels for the National Academies of Science, the American Heart Association - New York State Affiliate, United States Department of Agriculture-Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, Competitive Programs, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Dunham served as the Chairperson for the 18th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods.

Dr. Dunham can be reached at bdunham@email.gwu.edu

Dr.  Renate Reimschuessel tells us about the in depth work that led to the discovery that melamine was the culprit in the massive pet food recall of 2007.  Up till that time melamine had not been identified as a  contaminant.  Since melamine shows up as an amino acid in food testing, it was used to counterfeit protein that was added to pet foods to increase the protein content.  It was sold as a protein replacement for far more than actual protein costs.  This is s deep dive as to what went on behind the scenes to figure out this new contaminant and the many veterinarians from multiple agencies and clinical practice who worked together on this mystery.  Dr. Renate Reimschuessel has made her mark on veterinary medicine through her mostly behind-the-scenes life in research, academia, and government.   I am grateful she was able to share her amazing career here for the AAFSPHV YouTube channel.  She can be reached at rreimsch8888@gmail.com .

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CREDIT:   Our Video Editor for this episode  is Dr. Kimberly Orr, PhD

Dr. Reimschuessel retired from being the program director for Vet-LIRN (Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network at the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA).  Graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. BA Degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981.  Practice: Following graduation, she went into small and exotic animal practice for 5 years. Ph.D. in Pathology from the University of Maryland, specializing in aquatic animal pathology. (Thesis title*) Faculty: From 1989-1999 she stayed at University of Maryland School of Medicine as Director of the Aquatic Pathobiology Center, Associate Professor. FDA: In 1999 she joined the Center for Veterinary Medicine at FDA to start up the Aquaculture Research program. Her major research interests include: Food Safety – chemical and microbial, Drug development for aquaculture including:  Biodistribution, residue persistence, metabolism,  Drug efficacy,  Environmental effects of drugs and other chemicals used in aquaculture. Past research included:  Renal toxicologic pathology - studying fish kidney repair responses  Immunotoxicology - using fish immune function as an indicator of environmental pollution,  Diagnostic aquatic animal pathology She is an active mentor for graduate students and for many other students, including veterinary interns, college students and high school science teachers and taught in the AquaVet program for 18 years. She has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has authored multiple book chapters. In addition, she has led numerous workshops on aquatic animal medicine and research.  Dr. Reimschuessel was a finalist for the 2008 Service to America Awards for her work during the Pet Food Recall of 2007 – “Achievement: Made the scientific breakthrough to identify the cause of the largest pet food recall in history (Melamine) and is currently conducting critical research to guarantee the safetyof imported foods.” She was also a co-author on the Society of Toxicology’s “Best Paper of the Year” 2009. The paper describes her collaborative study with P&G during the pet food recall.   In 2010 She created network of over 40 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories to work with FDA to investigate animal food and animal drug contamination/adulteration events. This network, Vet-LIRN ( https://tinyurl.com/Vet-LIRN ) has investigated many high profile cases while also developing new chemical and biological testing methods.  In 2020, she also led an effort to successfully validate veterinary test methods for SARS-Cov2 virus for Vet-LIRN laboratories testing for animal and human COVID-19 cases.   Personal note: Renate is an avid contra dancer, likes Irish music (and beer) and occasionally tries her hand at playing the fiddle.  She can be reached at rreimsch8888@gmail.com   *Toxicity, Regeneration and Nephron Development in the Goldfish Kidney Following a Sublethal Dose of Hexachlorobutadiene ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREDITS: Video edit by Kimberly Orr,  DVM, PhD

Dr. Arnold Goldman is our featured guest for this episode. What makes him so unique for our organizations, the American Assn of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians, is that he remains a full time clinical veterinarian in private practice for 35 years.   For more about him and his practice go to https://cantonanimalhospital.com/about-us/He is also available as a mentor and can be reached at  drrne@comcast.net .

Always wanted to know how to become an Army Veterinary Officer and what they do? Listen to Dr. Laura Rothfeldt 's story and hear how she got into the Army and served in both Active Duty and Reservist. She also talks about how Veterinary School students get into the Army, as well as how her Army Education led to her current job as The Public Health Veterinarian for the State of Arkansas. And yes, she and Dr. DeBonis share their wartime stories when they were deployed at the same time to different areas of the world. Please share and subscribe to the AAFSPHV Channel, and remember: there is more to veterinary medicine that is beyond clinical practice!

Please susbscribe to our AAFSPHV podcast channel and share this channel with veterinary friends. We need more subscribers and appreciate your help.

Also, invite  them to join AAFSPHV for networking opportunities for their career.

Here we are at Season 1 Episode 6 to hear from Dr. Buntain. Bonnie Buntain has a BS and MS in Animal Sciences from the University of Hawaii and a DVM from Colorado State University.  She is a Diplomate Emerita, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Equine), Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and Fellow in One Health at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK.    After 10 years in equine practice, Dr. Buntain worked in Washington DC from 1990-2007, including the FDA CVM (antibiotic approval in food animals) and then 16 years in the USDA, where she was Director of Animal Care in APHIS and then appointed to FSIS as a Senior Executive, where she was the founder of a new program, Animal Production Food Safety, then served as Assistant Deputy Administrator of Public Health, and was promoted to become the first Chief Public Health Veterinarian at USDA.  In 2007 she was recruited to start the new veterinary faculty and curriculum in food safety and public health at the University of Calgary, Canada, where she became one of the founding Deans (Assistant Dean of Government and International Relations) and founding Department Head of Ecosystem and Public Health.   Upon the death of her father and needing to provide care to her elderly mother in Arizona, she left UCVM “retiring” in 2014 and was awarded the honor of Professor Emerita in Food Safety and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary. In Arizona, she led the first accreditation proposal for the new and innovative University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine.  Recently she was awarded Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. She has published many peer reviewed articles on One Health and Food Safety, and continues to provide editorial service, speeches, webinars, and has written chapters in two books on the One Health approach and food safety.  Dr. Buntain has many awards throughout her federal and academic service career including Outstanding Food Safety Veterinarian, Woman Veterinarian of the Year, USDA FSIS Group Honor Award for Excellence in Animal Production Food Safety Team Leadership, Honorary Diploma from the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society, and Distinguished Practitioner from the National Academies of Practice.  Dr. Bonnie Buntain has proudly served on many national and international organizations and provided expert leadership, collaboration and contributions including strategic planning, food safety regulatory-legislative oversight and advice, and advancing federal and international food safety modernization, public health, biosecurity, food defense, and One Health.  She currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her two Miniature Poodles and two horses.  For more info about the Amer. Assn of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians go to www.aafsphv.org . You can also reach Dr. DeBonis, President (2020 to 2022) at drdebonis@gmail.com .

Pamela Abney, D.V.M.-Interview  on 4MAR2022 for AAFSPHV. 5/1979 Auburn University Veterinary School, Auburn, Alabama Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine ====================================== 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS (categories) 

1-private practice  [AMC NYC Intern then emergency practice in Manhattan, house calls (backpack on subway), Willet Chair at Bergh Memorial-ASPCA Hospital (ophtho)]. Involved in organized vet med NYC VMA/NYSVMS.

 2-NGO  Was with AVMA GRD in DC ten years. Policy 5 yrs. (AMDUCA, MUMS, pets in public housing, cash/accrual accounting, etc). Political 5yrs. Managed the Congressional Action Network/grassroots, trained veterinarians to interact with elected officials, also supervised AVMAPAC coordinator. There during Clinton/early Bush years when moderates ruled/civility & compromise were in place. 

3-Government 14 yrs Got married went home to AL. Joined USDA/FSIS as public health veterinarian out of Jackson District. HIMP trained early. Became full time EIAO & worked from home/travel gov car to do recalls, food safety assessments (FSAs), investigation work.

4-Corporate  Director of Food Safety for privately held poultry broiler company in Delaware. Converted their processing plants to NPIS (2in DE, 1 in NC), started up a new processing plant in NC as NPIS, grant of inspection, cool Plant number, maintained Salmonella status in compliance for all plants after analysis of interventions & change to their program.

This is the phenomenal veterinary career of Dr. Eidson. She talks about how she followed her passions in veterinary medicine from her gradation from CSU in 1983 through public health epidemiology working for various governmental agencies all the way to her 2017 retirement.   After officially retiring, she has started a new career as a published author.  Her fictional medical mysteries feature Dr. Maya Maguire, a slightly flawed young veterinary protagonist. You can see more at https://drmayamaguire.com/  as well as  find  out where to buy all formats of her novels.  Welcome to Dr. Eidson's new mystery novels series, the MayaVerse, an exciting journey of Dr. Maya Maguire's unique veterinary career. Based on work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments in New Mexico and New York, Dr. Millicent Eidson expresses the excitement of public health through novels and shorter works.   As a public health faculty member in New York and Vermont, Professor Eidson has engaged public health professionals with a college course on zoonoses and climate change.  She is also the author of over a hundred scientific papers, articles, and book chapters.  “Dr. Millie” began her writing vocation with an underground satirical high school newspaper. Passionate about lifelong learning, Millie studies French, Spanish, painting and photography in addition to creative writing.  With formative years in the Southwest, Millie still enjoys family trips to Arizona and worldwide, but has settled in Vermont along Burlington's beautiful waterfront.  The fictional MayaVerse is supported by Millie's family. The lead character Maya Maguire was created in close collaboration with her daughter, Lian Henderson, adopted as an infant from China. Millie's husband and Lian's dad, Tom Henderson, is the audiobook producer.  The author is an active participant, workshop leader, and Secretary for the Burlington Writers Workshop (BWW). She embraces the workshop process as a source of writer support and growth.  She is also a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Green Mountain Writers, and The Authors Guild.  https://twitter.com/eidsonmillicent https://www.instagram.com/drmayamaguire/