Speaker Bios

Matt Brewer, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology) is an associate professor and endowed chair at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is the section leader for parasitology diagnostics at ISU. He also leads a research lab and teaching efforts with an emphasis on parasitic diseases.

Dr. David Brown currently serves as the Behavioral Health State Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO). His key program and grant emphases are farm stress assistance, co-parenting, relationship education, workplace resilience, mental health literacy, and suicide prevention. He received his Doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies, with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Iowa State University and his Master of Science degree from Texas Tech University in Family Studies. Dr. Brown has been licensed as a Marital and Family Therapist in the State of Iowa for over 31 years and is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He is also a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) with the National Council on Family Relations.
 
Dr. Aubrey Cordray is a veterinarian owner of the Humboldt Veterinary Clinic. She is a 2014 graduate of Iowa State CVM.  After graduation, Dr. Aubrey wanted to practice mixed animal medicine in a rural community where there was a significant need for veterinary care and a community that she could invest in and stay for the long term. She found that need in Humboldt, Iowa.  She began her career at Humboldt Veterinary Clinic after graduation and bought the clinic in 2017 from Dr. Jim Illg. With seven years of ownership experience, Dr. Aubrey has been able to provide the community with a comprehensive and progressive clinic serving both small and large animals. She has been successful in recruiting a highly talented team focused on providing comprehensive, compassionate veterinary medical care.  This veterinary team was the recipient of the IVMA’s Healthcare Team Service Award in 2021.  The practice has grown from 9 team members to 23, and in 2020 the clinic went through a major renovation and expansion from 3,500 square feet to 13,000 square feet.  Dr. Aubrey and her veterinary team operate the business based on their core values of authenticity, comprehensive, compassion, team, and honesty. In addition to operating and managing a successful, client-focused practice, Dr. Aubrey has been an active member of the IVMA. In 2021, she was a member of the Power of 10 Leadership program and made many great connections within the industry during that time.  In 2022 she was the recipient of the IVMA Rising Star Award as well as the ISU CVM Outstanding Young Alumni Award. 
 
Dr. Grant Dewell received a DVM, Masters in Agricultural Economics, and PhD in Epidemiology from Colorado State University. He has practiced in central South Dakota, been Clinical Instructor at Great Plains Veterinary Education Center and since 2008 has been the Beef Cattle Extension Veterinarian at Iowa State University. Dr. Dewell’s research interests are health management of cattle, animal welfare and economic considerations for beef production operations.
 
Dr. Amy Fertig is a graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Fertig is the Program Director of the DMACC Veterinary Technology Program.  She is Chairperson of the IVMA Committee on Veterinary technician Educational Activities. She served as a member of the IVMA Legislative Taskforce that helped propose HF 670 and draft the new rules in Ch. 811 for Veterinary Auxiliary Personnel.
 
Dr. Rachel Friedrich received her DVM from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She then practiced mixed animal medicine and surgery in west central Iowa and worked in the veterinary biologics industry, developing vaccines for livestock, prior to returning to Iowa State University. Currently, Dr. Friedrich is a senior clinician and section head of the Food Animal and Camelid Field Services unit with a focus on providing veterinary curriculum instruction and professional services in small ruminant and bovine medicine and surgery. Dr. Friedrich and her husband, Ryan, keep busy with twin daughters’ activities, including several sports and pets.
 
With over 35 years of experience in the veterinary field, Dr. Leon Freeland brings a wealth of expertise and a proven record of accomplishment of success in veterinary leadership roles. His passion lies in developing veterinarians to reach their full potential, nurturing their leadership skills, and facilitating their transition to new goals. He has gained diverse experience in various veterinary settings. Dr. Freeland started his career as an emergency clinician in Des Moines, Iowa. From there, he entered general practice as an associate veterinarian. He then opened and operated his own practice in Indianapolis in 1999. After 14 years, he sold the practice to a corporate veterinary group where he continued serving as medical director for the next 10 years while also filling various roles as needed for the corporate owner. Dr. Freeland's promise is to be diligent, dedicated, and focused on developing lasting relationships resulting in a successful succession plan for veterinarians.
 
Dr. Bailey Goos is a 2014 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Goos spent 2 years in a private mixed animal practice in Eastern Iowa before joining the USDA. She spent 3 years with the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) before joining APHIS Veterinary Services as a Veterinary Medical Officer in April of 2019. She currently lives in Vinton, Iowa with her partner, daughter, two bonus kids, two dogs (Ziggy & Hannah), one cats (Lizzo), 15 ducks, and 50 chickens. She enjoys traveling, gardening, baking and DIY projects.
 
Dr. Lisa S. Hindle is a graduate of Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. She is currently the APHIS Field Operations Emergency Coordinator for Iowa. Dr. Hindle frequently deploys with the Federal Incident Management Teams in response to HPAI and enjoys presenting and teaching courses on Emergency Management. She joined the USDA in 2016 after retiring from small animal practice. Dr. Hindle completed the Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator Course at the University of Missouri Law Enforcement Training Institute and deployed to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
 
Dr. Andrea Holmes is a 2014 graduate of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Holmes worked at a mixed animal practice before joining USDA with FSIS. She has been a field Veterinary Medical Officer with APHIS Veterinary Services since October 2020. She lives in Marcus, Iowa with her husband Tim, sons TJ and Andrew, and their two dogs.
 
Ms. Carolyn Ihde is the Small Ruminant Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin - Madison Division of Extension and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Carolyn has worked with small ruminant producers, Extension Educators and specialists, and industry stakeholders to create engaging programs for beginning and experienced producers. Carolyn believes that continued knowledge and experience obtainment; and analyzing data, procedures, and goals are the keys to profitable small ruminant enterprises. Carolyn has a Master of Science in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University. She lives in Clayton County, Iowa, and raises sheep for meat and fiber production.
 
Phillip W Jardon, DVM, MPVM. Dr. Jardon graduated from the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine.   He completed his MPVM and Dairy Production Medicine Residency at UC-Davis.  He has been in private practice and industry for 35 years.  He has particular interest in transition cow diseases, a passion he has had since working on milk fever on his parent’s dairy for his 7th grade science fair project.  He had a role as a Dairy Technical Consultant with Elanco Animal Health in California for the last eleven years.  He is currently a Dairy Extension Veterinarian at Iowa State University.  A role he has had now for one year.  
 
Dr. Albert Jergens is currently a Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Chair for Research and Graduate Studies, Iowa State University CVM. His clinical interests are gastroenterology, GI endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, and performance of clinical trials. His research interests are GI endoscopy, GI immunology, host-microbe interactions mediating GI health and disease, clinical trials in dogs and cats.
 
Dr. Amanda Kreuder received her DVM from Iowa State University in 2008, and then returned following 2 years in private large animal practice to complete a residency in large animal internal medicine in 2014 and a PhD in Veterinary Microbiology in 2016.  She is currently an Associate Professor at ISU where after spending 9 yrs providing clinical services in the Food Animal and Camelid Hospital, she has spent the last 5 years focusing on research, teaching and service related to infectious diseases of large animals and antimicrobial stewardship at the CVM. 
 
Dr. Jeff Kaisand serves as State Veterinarian and Animal Industry Division Director at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship working with federal, state and industry partners to protect the health of Iowa’s livestock industry and develop foreign animal disease response plans. He earned his DVM from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993.
 
Dr. Andy Law received his veterinary degree from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. He then completed a clinical year at Colorado State University, an internship in orthopedics and neurosurgery in the UK and both a rotating internship and small animal surgical residency at Mississippi State University. Dr. Law became board certified in February 2017 while teaching orthopedics as faculty at Purdue University. He then spent four years in specialty private practice in Ohio before joining the Iowa State University and IVS teams. Dr. Law has an interest in all things surgical, with an emphasis on advanced orthopedic procedures and minimally-invasive procedures. When not working, he spends time with his wife, fellow ISU/IVS surgeon Dr. Allison Kenzig, and their pets Peanut, Rajah, and Lolita.
 
Dr. Marta Mainenti is a diagnostic pathologist and clinical assistant professor at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. She obtained her DVM degree in 2011 and since then has always worked in pathology at several universities and diagnostic laboratories across Italy, UK, and the US.
 
Jon Mangum is the co-founder and CEO of dvmReach and dvmRx, both AI-driven companies dedicated to addressing pressing challenges within veterinary practices. Jon previously co-founded ALLYDVM, a client engagement platform that is widely used in the veterinary industry. Jon's diverse career also includes leading the Water and Mining business for Dow Chemical in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, where his commitment to innovative business models for providing clean water to rural African communities earned him recognition as a First Movers Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Previously, Jon served as the CEO of Cove Security, focusing on making home security solutions more accessible to families. Jon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
 
Dr. Katy Martin graduated from Iowa State University CVM in 2018. She began a combined residency and PhD in veterinary parasitology under the mentorship of Dr. Matt Brewer. In November of 2023 Dr. Martin successfully completed the ACVM parasitology board examination to become one of less than 100 ACVM boarded parasitologists in the country. She will complete her PhD in the spring and hopes to remain in academia to educate students and offer support to clinicians and producers for parasitology related cases.
 
Dr. John McAfee is employed at the epidemiology position and stationed in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. McAfee has a Masters degree in animal science and a DVM from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.
 
Dr. Nathan Meyer is a fifth-generation cattleman who was born and raised on a livestock and crop operation in Iowa.  He received a MS degree in animal nutrition from Iowa State University and a PhD in ruminant nutrition from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received MBA and DVM degrees from Colorado State University.  Following graduation, Dr. Meyer worked as a consulting feedyard veterinarian and nutritionist for operations stretching from Western Canada to Southern Arizona.  This experience allowed him to pursue his love for the cattle feeding business and develop his skills as a feedyard consultant.  In 2018, Dr. Meyer joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a Senior Veterinarian serving the Key Accounts team.  In his current role, he is involved in working with producers and consultants to improve cattle health and production through sound research and best practices.  Dr. Meyer has authored or co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and numerous internal publications.  He serves as an affiliate faculty member at Colorado State University, is a past member of the National BQA Advisory Board and AVC Board of Directors and is active in AABP.  Dr. Meyer and his wife, Molly who is also a veterinarian, have two young sons and they reside in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Meyer and his wife continue to be involved in the family cattle and crop operations in Wyoming and Iowa raising cattle (stocker, feedlot), crops (corn, soybeans, hay) and kids.
 
Thomas O’Shaughnessy is the National Plan Consultant for the AVMA Association Retirement Plan which is a national retirement system covering hundreds of animal hospitals and clinics and thousands of veterinary employees.  Tom is also the Director of Insurance Program Operation, and a former Chief Operating Officer, at the American Veterinary Medical Association Trust.  The Trust provides the majority of Professional Liability Insurance for Veterinarians in the United States, as well as supervising the AVMA Life Insurance Programs. With over 25 years of financial management planning experience, Tom joined the AVMA Trust in 2019. He has been a leader in restructuring, reformulating, and growing organizations, as well as creating and executing programs at the Fortune 500 level to improve overall business function. Tom is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and has a Masters of Personal Financial Planning from the College of Financial Planning.  He is also a Registered Investment Advisor, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and is a past president and current member of the Great Lakes Study Group, the regional board of the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA).
 
Dr. Kevin Petersburg is the Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) for USDA,APHIS,VS in Iowa. Prior to his current position he was Assistant AVIC in Illinois and a field Veterinary Medical Officer in Virginia. Dr. Petersburg also served as an Environmental Health Officer in the US Air Force in the United Kingdom.
 
Dr. Jason Pieper is an board certified veterinary dermatologist currently working at Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor for Dermatology at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he graduated veterinary school in 2009. He completed a dermatology residency at the University of Illinois and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology while also completed his master’s degree. He was a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Dermatology and Otology Service Head at the University of Illinois until 2020 when he returned to his alma mater. His areas of interest in veterinary dermatology include otitis, bacterial antimicrobial resistance, dermatophytes, platelet rich plasma, dermoscopy and CO2 laser. 
 
Dr. Jill Shriver is a Veterinary Medical Officer with the USDA's APHIS Veterinary Services and has previous experience with the Food Safety Inspection Service. Dr. Shriver graduated from Tufts University with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (2016) and is credentialled as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS).
 
Ms. Amber Runkel is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and the embedded counselor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. She has been a leading author and co-author of publications in a peer-reviewed journal, Contemporary Family Therapy. Amber enjoys spending her free time going to concerts, being in nature, and going on adventures with her husband, daughter, two dogs (Brittany Spaniel and Golden Retriever), and one cat (who graciously guards the house while the rest of the family is out adventuring).
 
Dr. Stephanie Telek recently joined the faculty as a small animal surgeon at Iowa State University. She earned her DVM at the University of California – Davis, completed a rotating internship at Tufts University, and recently completed her small animal surgery residency at ISU. With a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, Dr. Telek has a passion for orthopedics, physics, and biomechanical design. In her spare time, Dr. Telek enjoys cross-country road trips and long-distance running.
 
Dr. Lisa Thilges obtained her DVM from Iowa State University in 2006. Upon graduation, she worked for several years in companion animal practices in Naperville and Sugar Grove, Illinois before returning to Iowa to open Prairie View Animal Hospital in Grimes in 2013. She currently lives in Johnston with her husband and two children
 
Dr. Jarrod Troy’s professional interests include general large animal/equine surgery and equine rehabilitation. Surgical interests include both orthopedic and soft tissue surgical procedures including arthroscopy, fracture repair, airway, abdominal, urogenital surgeries, and the standing version of these procedures whenever possible. Of special interest is neurosurgical procedures such as intervertebral cervical fusion (i.e. basket surgery) or cervical vertebral fracture repair. These surgical cases also fuel his interest in equine rehabilitation to identify how we can improve outcome for our equine patients while also providing appropriate pain management. By using current and developing rehabilitation strategies we can improve outcome in surgical and non-surgical cases especially those involving neurologic deficits/disorders. Dr. Troy has spoken at both regional and national conferences on equine performance, upper airway disorders, emergency case management, wound management, and equine colic. Dr. Troy’s research focus area includes large animal/equine surgery and pharmacology particularly regarding pain management and antimicrobial therapy. Dr. Troy has published surgical manuscripts involving IV regional limb perfusion with phenylbutazone in horses, the repair of orthopedic fractures in calves, umbilical marsupialization in foals, and intraabdominal adhesions in horses following colic surgery. He is 2014 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is currently Assistant Professor, Equine Surgery at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
 
Dr. Alexus Urbanik received her undergraduate degree at Lake Forest College, and her DVM from the University of Illinois. After veterinary school, Dr. Urbanik completed an internship in emergency medicine, and subsequently worked in a specialty practice in southeast Wisconsin as an emergency doctor and manager of blood banking services. Dr. Urbanik currently works as a Professional Consulting Veterinarian for Hill’s Pet Nutrition where she enjoys leveraging her clinical background to help veterinary practitioners utilize nutrition for best patient care.
 
Dr. Jessica Ward obtained her DVM from NC State University in 2011 and completed her small animal rotating internship at the Ohio State University before returning to NC State for Cardiology residency. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and also serves as the Assistant Dean for Extramural Student Programs. Dr. Ward's research interests include point-of-care ultrasound, pharmacology of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
 
Mr. Tom Wheeler has worked in the Animal Health industry for 29 years and has long been recognized as an accomplished and insightful leader with a successful track record in directing multiple, complex, business functions within a wide array of corporate settings.  Tom’s career includes over a decade of service in “C” suite leadership roles at Akina, Novartis, NVA and VCA. He has spent many years leading hospital acquisitions and operations and for the past seven years Tom has represented Veterinarians by educating, advising and successfully guiding them through their practice transitions. Tom has also worked with the Ackerman Group, Alpine Investors, Alpine Island Partners, Bain & Company, Broad Branch Advisors, Gerson Lehrman Group, and Glazer Capitol in various roles in the field of veterinary consolidation, including participating in over 200 individual hospital transitions.
 
Dr. Denis Wunn graduated with distinction from Iowa State University in 1990.  She spent the next four years in private practice in mixed-animal and small-animal practices.  She completed a residency and graduate degree at Washington State University.  Dr. Wunn joined IDEXX in 2000 and became certified as a clinical pathologist by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2002.  Her specialties include pathology education, cytology, and hematology.  She enjoys teaching and has taught at Washington State University, Iowa State University and Tufts University and has done many continuing education programs in the United States and internationally. 
 
Dr. Bill Williams graduated with his wife, Dr. Amanda Fales-Williams, from the University of Missouri- College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and has experienced companion animal practice from both the associate and owner’s perspective in central Iowa ever since.  He currently is co-owner of Altoona Veterinary Hospital and Hubbell Animal Hospital, two 35+-year AAHA accredited small animal practices in Des Moines and Altoona, Iowa.  Beyond his clinical and medical director roles, Dr. Williams has served in several positions within the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, most notably as president from 2011-2012.  He has served on the AVMA HOD from Iowa as alternate delegate beginning in 2018 and assumed the role of delegate in July 2022.  He relishes the opportunity to speak to students/groups about topics and opportunities in Veterinary Medicine at the ISU CVM and has held a part time clinical professor position in Primary care since April 2023.  His activities and efforts on behalf of the profession have earned him numerous awards including the prestigious ISU-CVM William P. Switzer award and IVMA “Veterinarian of the Year” with his wife Amanda.  Bill and Amanda, a veterinary pathologist at Iowa State University, live in Ames and have 2 children, Laurel and William.

 
Ms. Megan Wych is a licensed mental health therapist who works with youth, adolescents, families, and educators. With over 15 years of experience in behavioral health and human services, she seeks opportunities to learn about and embrace the human experience. Megan believes open engagement and acceptance are critical for our development as individuals and members of our chosen communities. Her focus areas include youth and adolescent development, anxiety, depression, parenting/families, and continued learning for health and helping professionals. Throughout the therapeutic journey, she utilizes an individually tailored and flexible approach focusing on client strengths and mindfulness. Megan has completed Level 1 and Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and utilizes a combination of Gottman Method and ACT for Couples to help them reach their relationship goals. When Megan is not working, you will find her digging in her garden with her dog by her side, reading a good book, having dance parties with her family, or seeking her next adventure!
 
Dr. Jessica Young is a 2004 graduate of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Young spent 10 years as an ambulatory equine veterinarian in Iowa before coming to work for the USDA. She spent one year with FSIS, and then joined APHIS Veterinary Services as a Veterinary Medical Officer in September 2015. She currently lives in Ogden, Iowa with her husband Scott and their two sons, Colton (17 years) and Chase (13 years). Both of her children extensively compete in youth rodeo, and that keeps them busy as a family most of the year! Otherwise, together they enjoy horseback riding, fishing, camping, and taking care of their small hobby farm.