Speaker Bio's

Dr. Betsy Armenta-Leyva obtained her DVM degree in 2019 at the Technological Institute of Sonora and worked in a veterinary diagnostics laboratory in 2020 (Mexico).  She began pursuing a Masters degree in Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University.  She is currently working with Dr. Jeffrey Zimmerman and Dr. Luis Giménez-Lirola as major professors and her research focuses on real-time PCR improvements for swine pathogens.
 
Dr. Laura Bahns graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003.  She currently owns and practices at Kimberly Crest Veterinary Hospital & Specialty Services in Davenport, Iowa and is an adjunct instructor for the Muscatine Community College Veterinary Technician program.  Special areas of interest are canine and feline behavior including using fear free and low stress handling techniques, advanced dentistry, medicine and surgery
 
Dr. Lyric Bartholomay is a Professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She is one of the Directors of the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease – one of four such centers established through cooperative agreements with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The Midwest Center of Excellence was established with three main goals: 1) to train a next generation of public health entomologists; 2) to develop and foster productive communities of practice with colleagues in public health and vector control; 3) to conduct applied research to develop or strengthen vector control methods to prevent exposure to vector-borne disease.  Dr. Bartholomay will share examples of the accomplishments of the MCEVBD and will discuss that work in the context of the proposed National Strategy to Address Vector-Borne Disease Threats in the U.S.
 
Dr. Jenna Bjork is a Lead Public Health Veterinarian at the Center for Food Security and Public Health. Prior to her current position, she worked for eight years as a Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist and ten years in clinical and research settings. Dr. Bjork enjoys promoting human, animal and environmental health.
 
Dr. Justin Brown is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Iowa State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department. Dr. Brown earned his DVM in 2016 from the University of Georgia and PhD in 2022 from Iowa State University. He joined the ISU faculty in 2019 following his time as a post-doctoral research associate with the Swine Medicine Education Center. Dr. Brown teaches swine medicine topics in both the undergraduate and professional curriculums, serves as the lead veterinarian for the ISU swine farms, and conducts research focused on collaborative, applied projects in swine production medicine, disease ecology, and foreign animal disease preparedness and response.
 
Dr. Christopher G. Byers is a board-certified veterinary emergency & critical care and small animal internal medicine specialist based in Omaha, Nebraska. Dr. Byers works as a teleconsultant in emergency/critical care and small animal internal medicine for VetCT. He is the Co-Editor of the textbook, Feline Emergency & Critical Care Medicine and has published chapters and articles in numerous textbooks and peer-reviewed medical journals.
 
Dr. Latonia Craig is the inaugural chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Prior to this appointment, Dr. Craig led the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has devoted most of her career to developing educational programs in social change and changing the conversation from diversity and inclusion to inclusive excellence. Under Dr. Craig’s leadership, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine is ranked “Top College for Diversity” by Insight to Diversity magazine and named a “Diversity Champion”, the first distinction given to a veterinary school. Dr. Craig has been featured on the cover of Today’s Woman magazine and in 2016 was selected as a Top Forty professional in Louisville Business First magazine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in Pan-African Studies from the University of Louisville, a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati, and a doctorate in leadership education from Spalding University.
 
Dr. Matt Culbertson was born and raised on a swine farm in Western Illinois where he gained his initial experiences within the swine industry.  After graduating from Oklahoma State University (BS - Animal Science) and the University of Georgia (MS, PhD – Animal Breeding and Genetics), Matt returned to the Midwest and worked for Heartland Pork Enterprises where he gained experience supervising a range of activities from technical operations to production to business development and transportation.  In 2002, Matt moved to North Carolina and began working for Murphy Brown/Smithfield Foods where he managed their internal genetics program as well as technical operations for their Eastern operations.   In 2011, Matt joined PIC and currently serves as Global Director for Product Development and Technical Services.  In this role, Matt leads a global team focused on continually accelerating the creation and delivery of superior swine genetic products and technical support for PIC customers around the globe.
 
Ms. Jenny Dorman joined Carney Appleby Law as an associate in December, 2017. Jenny maintains a general practice focused on government practice and administrative law. While attending Drake Law School, she participated in Drake Law’s Legislative Practice Program, working as a legal intern in the House of Representatives in the 2016 session, and legal intern for the Senate Majority Caucus staff in the 2017 session. Jenny was a member of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity. The 2023 Legislative Session will be Jenny’s eighth session at the Capitol.
 
Mr. Josh Ervasti has been in the financial services industry, serving his clients in the areas of insurance planning, investment planning, estate planning, and business owner strategies since 1996.  Josh focuses on working with established professionals and business owners in their 40’s and 50’s, with a specialization in planning for veterinarians.
 
Dr. Jordan Gebhardt is a native of west Michigan and obtained a BS in Animal Science from Michigan State University in 2014 and a PhD in Applied Swine Nutrition and DVM both from Kansas State University in 2019. He is an Assistant Professor within the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
 
Ms. Mandy Gerhart is a swine nutritionist for JBS Live Pork, where she oversees the Feed QA lab, nursery program, formulation and tech service for toll mills. She obtained her B.S. in Animal Science from Colorado State University (2009) and Master of Animal Science with a focus in swine nutrition from Kansas State University (2011).
 
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.
 
Dr. Andrea Holmes is a 2014 graduate of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Holmes worked at a mixed animal practice for three years before joining USDA. She then worked for FSIS for three and a half years before joining APHIS Veterinary Services as a Veterinary Medical Officer in October 2020.
 
Dr. Chris Hostetler has served as the Director of Animal Science for the National Pork Board for the past 11 years.  As such, he manages issues in swine nutrition, genetics, reproduction and on-farm management.  Recently, he has led efforts to understand nutrient utilization in all sectors of the pork ecosystem.
 
Dr. Anna K. Johnson is a Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Johnson’s appointment consists of 45% research, 20% teaching, 25% extension and 10% Service. Johnson’s research interests include caretaker-pig interactions, caretaker mental well-being, environmental enrichment and livability.
 
Dr. Jeff Kaisand serves as State Veterinarian 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. Micah Kohles earned his DVM in 2001 and MPA in 2010.  Dr. Kohles serves VP of Technical-Services and Research at Oxbow-Animal-Health/Compana Pet Products, owns Woodland Animal Hospital and serves as an adjunct professor appointment at the University Nebraska. He serves on the World-Pet-Association Board of Directors and is a past-president of AEMV.
 
Dr. Butch KuKanich is a Professor at Kansas State University. He earned his DVM from Virginia Tech and PhD from North Carolina State University. Dr. KuKanich is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. His clinical experience includes companion animal and emergency medicine prior to earning his PhD.
 
Dr. Nels Lindberg is a veterinarian, feedlot consultant, business coach, and a sought after speaker on life and leadership.  His passions have led him to work with and partner with a good number of people on a number of business opportunities from veterinary clinics, to real estate, to animal health research and databases, to providing content that is simply put out to help people in life and leadership across social media, print, and over the air. Dr. Nels works every day to help people create contagious cultures in their businesses or ones he is a part of so that their teams of people can come to work, greatly enjoy what they do, feel a part of something bigger than themselves, and go home at the end of the day happy and successful.  He is sought after for not only his speaking but also as a mediator or negotiator in highly critical situations or conflict to help bring about resolve and what is best for everyone involved, business/organization leadership coaching, and leadership coaching workshops.
 
Dr. Rodger Main is a Professor and Director of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL). ISU VDL’s team of 175 faculty and staff play an active role on the frontlines of US animal agriculture, processing approximately 120,000 diagnostic case submissions and conducting more than 1.5 million diagnostic assays annually. Dr. Main has also been providing leadership to a highly collaborative effort that is developing a US Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) being modeled after the basic tenets of the longstanding National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).
 
Dr. Vengai Mavangira is an Associate Professor of Food Animal Medicine and Surgery at Iowa State University with clinical and instruction responsibilities for veterinary students, interns, and residents. He teaches in different parts of the DVM Curriculum and researches on novel treatments for inflammatory conditions, particularly mastitis in dairy cows.
 
Dr. Enoch Meira received his DVM in 2005, his Master’s in Clinical Sciences in 2010 and his PhD in Clinical Sciences in 2014 from Universidade de Sao Paulo, College of Veterinary Medicine & Animal Husbandry, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. He then did his ruminant health residency at North Carolina State University from 2018 to June 2021.
 
Amanda J. Pitts RVT is an advanced imaging technologist at Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University. She has been a radiologic technologist for 6 years. The first 5 years of her career, AJ worked on the human side at MercyOne Des Moines. She performs x-rays, CTs, MRIs, fluoroscopy, and nuclear medicine on small and large animals.
 
Dr. Delaine Quaresma was born and raised on a dairy farm in California. She completed her BS at UCLA, her DVM at UC Davis and her MPH at the University of Iowa. She has experience in mixed animal practice and currently works for the Center for Food Security and Public Health.
 
Dr. Scott Radke is a 2016 graduate of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he also completed his MS in toxicology in 2018. He is board certified in veterinary toxicology and serves as a clinical assistant professor in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory within the ISU CVM.
 
Dr. Michael Rahe has been an assistant professor in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at ISU since 2019. His research is focused on the immune response and pathology of viral infection in livestock.
 
Dr. Jeff Reiswig DVM, DAVDC/Eq grew up on an animal/grain farm in the panhandle of Oklahoma and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After 3 years in mixed animal practice, he returned to OSU to earn a PhD in Anatomy/Cell Biology. He started his own pet animal and equine practice in 1997 where his interest in equine dentistry developed into a full-time vocation. In 2007 he sold his pet animal practice to focus on equine dentistry by establishing Equine Veterinary Dental Services in central Ohio.  He became a Fellow in the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry/Equine, and in 2015 he achieved Diplomate status with board certification in equine dentistry through the American Veterinary Dental College/Equine. In addition to equine practice, Dr. Reiswig’s professional interests include providing quality dental education for equine veterinarians and enhancing equine dental research.
 
Dr. Rachel Ruden works for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as its first State Wildlife Veterinarian. She earned her VMD and Certificate in Veterinary Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in Wildlife Ecology from Iowa State University. She also holds an affiliate appointment with ISU-CVM.
 
Dr. David Schmitt graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973.  After one year of private practice in Roseville, Minnesota, Dr. Schmitt moved to Stuart, Iowa in 1974 and practiced veterinary medicine in a mixed animal practice there until 1999.  He began his duties in the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) as the Assistant State Veterinarian in 1999 and was appointed State Veterinarian in 2008.  Dr. Schmitt retired from IDALS January 2019.
 
Dr. Kimberly Scully received her DVM from Auburn University in 2011. After graduation, she completed a one year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Charlotte, North Carolina. After completing her internship in 2012, she has worked as a small animal veterinarian in Florida and Nebraska. She joined IDEXX as a Professional Services Veterinarian in February 2019.
 
Dr. Grzegorz “Greg” Tarasiuk obtained his DVM degree at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland in 2019.  After that, he worked for over 2 years in a large integrated company where he serviced GDUs and sow farms. He started a PhD program at Iowa State University in 2021, working with Dr. Zimmerman as his major professor and with a research focus on oral fluids.
 
Ms. Erin Wilgenbusch is a Teaching Professor and an Accredited Public Relations professional in private practice. She teaches public relations at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University and works as a public relations writer for various agencies and clients.
 
Dr. Denise 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 cytology, and hematology. She enjoys teaching and has taught at Washington State University, Iowa State University and Tufts University. In addition, Dr. Wunn has done many continuing education programs for both veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the United States and internationally.
 
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.