Program Analyst
Office of the Director

1. Why did you become a veterinarian?

I became a vet mostly for my love of biology. I also wanted to work in a profession that helped people. I wasn’t sure how I would make a living at it so I worked at a local exotic animal breeding farm and a local vet hospital and I was hooked. I loved the medicine, the surgery, helping people, helping farmers be more profitable, and working outside with the smell of silage in the air.

2. What made you want to work for CVM?

I had the chance to apply my large animal expertise to developing new drugs for cows. I thought it was a great way to give back to the agricultural community in a way that could have a large and beneficial impact on the industry.

3. What is the best thing about being a veterinarian for CVM?

The variety of issues that I get to work on. I have worked on new animal drug evaluation, enforcement actions, cloning, policy, people stuff, legal stuff, new science stuff. There is just no end to what I might find myself being involved in. We also have amazing opportunities for training.

4. What does the veterinary profession mean to you?

Being a veterinarian to me is about public health and public service. We help people, their pets, their livestock, their food sources, their medicines, and our communal environment. People trust us and I like reinforcing that trust when I work with all those who depend on us.

5. What is your most memorable moment as a veterinarian?

I have had many amazing experiences; probably the wildest was when I was at the University of Florida - - I did orthopedic surgery on an alligator after it had been hit by a car.