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Dr. Tara Donovan was installed as the President of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians at the association’s 43rd Annual Meeting in Denver, Colo. She succeeds Dr. Randy Jones who is now immediate Past President. Dr. Matt Anderson has ascended to President Elect. The newly elected Vice President is Dr. Michelle Sprague.
AASV President Dr. Tara Donovan (KSU ’98) is the Vice-President of Veterinary Management for The HANOR Company, one of the country’s top pork producers with operations in six states and over 500 employees. After joining the company 13 years ago as a herd veterinarian, her responsibilities now encompass integration among all aspects of pork production in addition to the traditional role involving production, research and development. Dr. Donovan has been active on several AASV committees including chair of the Human Health and Safety Committee. She has also been an active member of several working groups for the National Pork Board and a member of the National Pork Producers Council Antibiotic Working Group.
“I am honored and extremely excited to serve as the President of the AASV. I support the association’s efforts to provide continuing educational opportunities that enhance our members’ knowledge in the variety of challenges and opportunities that face our profession and the swine industry. Swine veterinarians have always been leaders in the area of swine health and well-being as well as public health. We will strive to continue to address those challenges in the coming year. We have a responsibility to work with pork producers to continue to provide safe, wholesome and affordable pork for the domestic and international markets. The AASV continues its commitment to provide guidance on animal care and well-being as well as responsible antibiotic use. We will continue to collaborate and strengthen our relationships with the AVMA and allied industry groups to promote the veterinarian’s role in animal agriculture and the swine industry.”
AASV President Elect Dr. Matt Anderson (ISU ‘99) is a Minnesota native who grew up around hogs, cattle and crop farming near Stuart, Iowa. After graduating from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine (1999), Dr. Anderson started his veterinary practice career in Morris, Minn. He has been a partner/owner in Suidae Health and Production in Algona, Iowa for the last 11 years. Suidae is a seven veterinarian, swine-only practice focused on providing full-service swine veterinary care as well as swine health and business consulting. The practice also has business initiatives in production management and research.
AASV Vice President Dr. Michelle Sprague (ISU ’05) was introduced as the newly elected AASV Vice President during the 2012 AASV Annual meeting in Denver, CO.
Dr. Sprague grew up on a small farrow-to-finish and row crop farm in Glenwood, IA. Following graduation from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, she joined the Audubon Manning Veterinary Clinic (AMVC) in Audubon, IA. She is currently a partner and director of sow health at AMVC. Her responsibilities include overseeing animal health, biosecurity, food safety and animal welfare on all the clinic’s managed sow farms.
Dr. Sprague has been an active member of the AASV currently serving as the chair of the Pig Welfare Committee and as a member of the PADRAP Advisory Committee. She was awarded the AASV Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award in 2010 and is a frequent speaker at various professional and industry meetings including AASV. She also represents AASV as the alternate delegate to the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Committee and is a member of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association.
When asked about her recent election, Dr. Sprague commented, “I am greatly honored to have been elected AASV Vice President. This organization plays an important role in swine medicine and the swine industry in general. I am excited to contribute to the association that has helped shape me as a veterinarian. The AASV is comprised of so many phenomenal people; it is a privilege to serve them in this capacity.”
Past President Dr. Randy Jones (NCSU ’85) is the owner and operator of a veterinary practice limited to swine health and medicine in Kinston, N.C. Prior to that, he was a mixed-animal practitioner for nine years. A member of the AASV since 1985, Dr. Jones was serving his second term as an AASV board member representing southeastern United States before his election to the office of vice president. He is a former president of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Jones grew up on a cow-calf farm in western North Carolina.
March 14, 2012 - AASV
