Connecting members with the latest news from USAHA, and with each other. | | |
Happy Holidays, USAHA!
We hope this USAHA Connection member newsletter finds you enjoying the holiday season doing the things that make you happy and spending time with those you love, whether they are of the two- or four-legged variety. Although it has been a few months since our Annual Meeting, we are pleased to use this edition to get you up close and personal with our 2025 awardees, shine the spotlight on an exemplary contest-winning USAHA member, acknowledge our new and outgoing executive committee members and those who made the Annual Meeting a success, and offer you some important Association reminders as we get ready to close out 2025. We will be back in 2026 with more must-reads, quirky contests, and other news that connects all of us throughout the year. Enjoy the read this time around, and we will see you in the New Year!
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A Shout-Out to Our Generous Sponsors and Hard-Working Staff - Thank You Doesn’t Even Begin to Cover It!
| | The USAHA Annual Meeting would be a very different (and far less good) experience without the colleagues behind the scenes who make it all work, and this includes our wonderful sponsors and enthusiastic staff and volunteer crew. Our staff and volunteers get us registered and stocked up with essential materials, offer guidance throughout a busy agenda, and gracefully troubleshoot issues that pop up unexpectedly. | |
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The ”Front of House” Team – always helpful and always smiling!
From L to R: Kurt Ashmore, Trish Menchaca, Colorado Department of Agriculture; and
Kelly Janicek, USAHA executive assistant
| | | | Our sponsors ensure we eat (very well and often) and are adequately caffeinated, and they share their knowledge and expertise about the essential products, tools, and services that make US animal agriculture work. Some serve as USAHA regional delegates, others as engaged committee members or chairs, and all serve as wonderful friends we look forward to reconnecting with every year. In some professional and industry meetings, attendees make it a point to avoid sponsor tables, but at the USAHA Annual Meeting, it can be challenging to get face time with these sponsor-colleagues because so many attendees flock to their booths. And it is not just for chocolate or drink tickets, based on the amount of both left at the end of the meeting! | | “Thank you” seems inadequate, but we are not sure how else to let these colleagues know that their support means the world, both on a personal and an association level. So, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who made the 2025 USAHA Annual Meeting a success – it wouldn’t have happened without you, and even if somehow it did, it wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable as it was! | | Behind every successful company are committed people. We were able to cut in line and capture the smiling faces of some of our sponsors in the photos that follow. Enjoy! | | |
Representatives from BI were busy networking and attending meetings, but thanks to
Doug Ensley and Joann Maki for their support!
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Allflex/Merck Animal Health
From L to R: Brian Horning; Darrin Soares; Kody Dee Williams; Brandon Manning;
Dave “the tag guy” McElhaney; and Trace Mulligan
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GlobalVetLink
From L to R: Rebecca Johnson; Stacie Noe; and Marty Zaluski
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Shearwell Data Livestock Systems
From L to R: Beef #786014 😊; and Tyler Witt, Head of Sales
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Trace First
From L to R: Michael McGrath; Kathy Finnerty; and Brian Morrow
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VMRD (Veterinary Medical Research & Development)
Represented by Ed Felt
| | Valerie Ragan - USAHA Honors its Most Impactful Mentor with its Highest Award | | |
You’d have to go back to the early 2000s to get to the sort-of beginning of only one of Valerie Ragan’s impactful professional histories, and even at that, you’d be barely scraping the proverbial surface of her layers of accomplishments and contributions to USAHA. So, it’s not surprising there were some less-than-dry eyes in the room at USAHA’s Annual Meeting when Valerie was announced as the recipient of the 2025 Medal of Distinction. The Medal is awarded annually to recognize a distinguished USAHA member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, provided exemplary service, and has made significant contributions to the advancement of the Association. Valerie’s Medal of Distinction is currently snowbirding, serving as a silent travel partner as she splits time between Virginia and Florida but hopefully also as a prominent reminder of USAHA’s appreciation of her numerous contributions.
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A founding member of the Grits Mafia, Valerie has been at the helm of USAHA’s Student Travel Awards Program since it began in 2011. She has tirelessly advocated for, supported, educated, inspired, and counseled students and colleagues throughout her career, and in doing so, has helped ensure USAHA will not only continue, but will thrive. Valerie’s direct contributions to the next generation of veterinary professionals may be the most noteworthy aspects of her career in this context, but they certainly don’t stand alone. Valerie has been an engaged USAHA member since 1994, and after starting her career as a small animal practitioner, she transitioned to a respected expert on brucellosis during her federal service years (and beyond), chaired the Committee on Diagnostic Laboratory & Veterinary Workforce Development, and served as director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine (2009-2025).
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Every great mentor was once a mentee, and Valerie is no exception; in fact, she was guided by the best.
Dr. Claude Barton, the USDA brucellosis guru from Valerie’s early career, inspired her to become a mentor, impressed upon her the benefit her guidance can have on others, and taught her almost everything she knows about brucellosis. Under his tutelage, Valerie taught the subject to USDA’s designated brucellosis epidemiologists and to international colleagues. Nothing like a little trial by fire to instill productive study habits! Dr. Barton died in 2016, and his family asked Valerie to speak at his funeral. She recalls this as a privilege and as one of the hardest things she has ever had to do, identifying the challenge of eloquently capturing the essence of an impactful colleague in only a few short words. But the connection was meaningful, and Valerie was honored and humbled to have been asked.
| Valerie also recognizes USAHA as a forum for that important colleague connection, and the two things she appreciates most about the association are the fellow members it brings her into contact with, and their knowledge and expertise. Valerie told us, “It’s always easier to deal with challenging issues when you already know the people you need to work with to do so, and USAHA is a great place to meet and get to know people you may not otherwise have a chance to interact with in person. Becoming involved in USAHA was formative in my ability to serve well in my USDA roles and later as a veterinary college faculty member. It is the main reason I thought it was so important to initiate the program to bring veterinary students to the meetings.” We agree and couldn’t have summed it up any better! | Although Valerie has been on the forefront of USAHA advancement for many years, there are behind-the-scenes things you may not know about her, and learning the fun stuff is one of the benefits of your Connection newsletter, so here are a few tidbits, in rapid fire… | - To benefit her body, brain, and attitude, Valerie walks at least 4.5 miles every day. But that is actually a “slow” day for Valerie; she usually shoots for 5-6 miles daily, and it has been almost 6 years since she has missed a day. Please repeat that to yourself and let it sink in… Even when Valerie is traveling internationally, another hobby that is in her blood, she sticks to her favorite self-care schedule.
| - Dogs are Valerie’s favorite animal. She currently owns the “world’s best Australian Shepherd” and has loved the breed for years. Due to their high energy, they make great walking buddies, and Valerie works hard to try and tire out her current pup, Skye. She’s only three years old, though, so let’s just say that is a work in progress.
| Valerie and Skye - the smiles of both are infectious. | - Valerie played the violin in the North Georgia Symphony Orchestra for several years and participated in concerts several times per year, including weddings and the community July 4th fireworks. She recalls it as a ton of fun and a great diversion from work. During her last concert, she and the Orchestra had the privilege of performing with Chet Atkins.
| - Valerie is 50% of a USAHA power couple and the only USAHA Medal of Distinction awardee who shares that honor with her husband. Valerie describes watching John Ragan receive his Medal of Distinction in 2012 as her most memorable USAHA moment.
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2012 USAHA President David Marshall awards
John Ragan the Medal of Distinction, Greensboro, NC
| We again congratulate Valerie Ragan, our 2025 Medal of Distinction awardee, on this well-deserved honor. We know we will be seeing more of Valerie when she is not out on the trail or traveling across the Pond, but to hold you over until then, we leave you with some words of wisdom from our awardee. Here is Valerie’s advice to new USAHA members, including students, and in her own words, because we certainly can’t say it better! | “Get involved and talk to people! I’m actually an introvert, so I’m usually mentally exhausted after USAHA meetings, but I really enjoy being involved in the committee meetings and listening to all the speakers there who are so much smarter than I am. And as Dr. Barton taught me, don’t be afraid to stretch and learn new things. Just because you’re not an expert on something, or you don’t have the “normal” background to become one, doesn’t mean you can’t. And for students especially – USAHA and AAVLD want you here – that’s why they funded your travel. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and get engaged. I’ve heard students say sometimes they are hesitant to because they are a bit intimidated by the amazing people at USAHA, but remember – they were all students at one time, too!” | | | |
Brenda Morningstar-Shaw -
Explorer, Photographer, and the
2025 Federal Partnership Award Recipient
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How do you surprise and render speechless a Renaissance woman like Brenda Morningstar-Shaw, an amateur photographer, hiker, and wildlife enthusiast who aspires to be a professional explorer of land and sea in her next phase of life? Easy answer - you call and inform her that she is the recipient of USAHA’s 2025 Federal Partnership Award. When USAHA Executive Director Ben Richey did exactly that, the news hit Brenda in an unexpected way. She describes the conversation as emotional – humbling, validating, and an honor for which she is deeply grateful. Brenda let us know that, more than anything, this recognition of her reflects the incredible people she’s been fortunate to work with over the years, people who truly care about animal health and the poultry industry. Brenda considers herself lucky enough to have worked with the best.
| | USAHA’s Federal Partnership Award honors a federal colleague who has demonstrated outstanding service to the betterment of animal health in the United States. Brenda, a career microbiologist, fits that bill. She spent 28 years at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories’ (NVSL) Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory, including 17 years as the Salmonella team lead and the final two as section head of the Bacterial Typing Team. During her NVSL career, Brenda brought unparalleled insight into, and made critical contributions to, classical Salmonella serotyping as an engaged member of the Salmonella Subcommittee under the NPIP Technical Advisory Committee. From 2009 until her retirement from federal service in September 2025, Brenda collaborated with colleagues on, and contributed greatly to, the NPIP Salmonella diagnostic workshops that serve laboratory technicians from nearly 100 authorized labs across the country. Brenda’s efforts helped ensure these technicians could earn the certifications that keep their labs authorized and our poultry industry safe and thriving. | |
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Capturing images of important work
often takes a back seat while that
work is being completed, but we were fortunate to obtain a (fitting) bird’s eye
view of Brenda instructing at a
Salmonella workshop held at the
Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network.
| | | | | Some might find the transition from a regimented “controlled chaos” scientific environment to a “world is your oyster” kind of freedom overwhelming, but Brenda is embracing her plot twist. She spent her first official morning of retirement doing everything BUT grabbing an extra few hours of sleep and taking it easy. Instead, she made extremely strong coffee and accidentally began what has now become a comical ‘friendship’ with a murder of crows. She reset her mind and soul by taking a long Jeep ride to breathe in much-needed fresh air, and she spent a quick weekend away in her tiny camper before returning home to set up a small office space. | | But we may not find Brenda in that home office too much because tops on her bucket list is to take off on an unplanned road trip with no agenda, no timeline, and no idea where she’ll end up. Her prerequisites for success are good coffee, back roads, a sense of adventure, and of course her husband, owner of numerous didn’t-think-we’d-need-these-but-glad-we-have-them tools and a spirit for adventure. | | |
If you own a Jeep Rubicon,
this is how you reset your mind and soul.
| Even after Brenda tics her number one to-do off her bucket list, you’ll still have to hit the great outdoors to find her, either on the trails or on the water. And bring plenty of pup treats with you because you will likely find Brenda accompanied not only by Doug but also by her two tiny dogs who remain convinced they’re fierce off-road wolves, despite all evidence to the contrary. | |
And of course, we couldn’t let Brenda get out of a Connection newsletter interview without inquiring about her favorite poultry species and whether she owns any birds, given that she dedicated her career to that same industry. So, to end that suspense… Brenda’s favorite poultry ‘species’ is the wild Key West rooster, “mostly because they embody pure, feathered chaos. They have no respect for order or schedules, zero interest in blending into the scenery, and yet somehow, they still manage to be charming. I do not own poultry, but if I ever did, I’d want that level of chaotic confidence in my backyard.” Based on this response, it comes as no surprise that Brenda’s desired superpower is the ability to bring instant clarity to chaos. We actually suspect she has had this superpower all along, given her numerous professional accomplishments that contribute to her being such a worthy award recipient.
| Based on our conversation with Brenda, we are confident she has this whole work-life balance thing figured out and plans to stick to the best version of it. Brenda, enjoy your new chapter, and in your own words, make sure it’s one where the dress code is “Jeep casual,” and good coffee is mandatory. Be sure to keep Doug close, too, and keep him adequately caffeinated since it sure sounds like you’re going to need that adventure toolkit. And many congratulations to you for being USAHA’s 2025 Federal Partnership Award recipient! | | Brenda’s husband, Doug, is her partner in adventure and in life. | Brenda’s rescue pups, Hunky and Poppy, looking relaxed and happy as they take a well-deserved break from their perimeter control duties. | Yep, this looks like the face of a happy person exploring all the benefits of retirement, and Doug doesn’t look disappointed either. Congratulations, Brenda! | | | |
Congratulations to Kevin Snekvik on receiving the highest award from APHIS for his dedicated service
and commitment to safeguarding
U.S. agriculture.
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Congratulations to Nora Wineland on receiving the highest award
from her NASAHO peers in her line of
work in animal health.
| | | President's Dinner and Keynote Speaker Panel | | USAHA and AAVLD Program Chairs, Charlie Broaddus and Ashley Hill, drew on lifelong expertise from leaders across both organizations to assemble an exceptional Keynote Speaker panel for the 2025 Annual Meeting. With more collective experience than we could begin to tally, we were truly enlightened and inspired by the stories they shared during the Fireside Chat. | | |
From L to R: Bruce Akey, John Clifford, Jerry Saliki, Don Lein, Valerie Ragan,
Ashley Hill and Charlie Broaddus.
| | Sara McReynolds -Turning a “Room with a View” into the “Win of a Lifetime” | | It’s hard to imagine any award doled out by the USAHA Connections team could beat the one that Sara McReynolds won “back in the day” – a T-shirt commemorating two hard-earned Kansas State intramural basketball championships while in veterinary school – but we think we may have done it! By any modern standard, bragging rights beat out T-shirts, right? Maybe not, but you can wear both like a badge of honor, and so we are officially granting USAHA bragging rights to Member-Extraordinaire Sara McReynolds, either indefinitely or until we have another winner of a Connections newsletter contest, whichever comes first. Sara used her knowledge of geography, her familiarity with USAHA executive committee colleagues, and a tiny bit of educational guessing to come in first under the wire with correct answers to our Room with a View contest. This historic win has earned her a member highlight so, as promised, here we go! | | Sara serves the citizens of Kansas as the Assistant Animal Health Commissioner within the Kansas Department of Agriculture. In addition to her numerous home state core responsibilities, Sara has formally shared her knowledge, expertise, and leadership skills in other ways throughout her career, including serving two terms as an elected representative on the AVMA’s Council on Public Health and serving as vice chair followed by chair of USAHA’s Committee on Animal Emergency Management (CAEM) during the years of 2018-2024. Those who serve with Sara attest that she is engaged and impactful in her work. As CAEM Chair, Sara coordinated and hosted virtual monthly meetings that benefited CAEM committee members scattered across the US, enabling all to better serve their respective constituencies. Sara’s committee leadership ethic represented the gold standard for which the USAHA leadership team perennially advocates. And that is just one of many USAHA examples of Sara’s work ethic. | |
It's not often that you see two thumbs up in full PPE, but Sara is in her element here! | | Sara remains an engaged member of multiple USAHA committees and is a consistent contributor to the regional and annual meetings. When asked what she enjoys most about USAHA, Sara had this to say: | “Certainly, what I probably enjoy the most is networking. However, I’ve learned a great deal from hearing others share their challenges and experiences. We all face daily obstacles, and I often find myself reflecting on information that was shared through USAHA such as lessons learned, research findings, and insights from district meetings that help guide our response planning. I’ve also gained valuable perspective by listening to how others approach similar goals in different ways.” | | Sara enjoys working with her Kansas team and appreciates their patience and perseverance as they work to complete important jobs, but Sara also values her time outside of the office. She is an avid climber and has already summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro – no easy feat! Conquering Machu Picchu is on her bucket list, and we have no doubt she will succeed with that one too, in due time. Although she would have to fast-forward into the future to get that bucket list item checked off, Sara enjoys learning from the past. She appreciates history and believes there is much we can learn from those who have come before us. Sara’s willingness to incorporate the lessons of the past into making a better future is likely one of the philosophies that makes her such an accomplished regulatory veterinarian and emergency manager. | | |
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Sara is a devoted K-State Wildcat football fan. She even traveled to Dublin, Ireland this past August to cheer her team on in the fourth annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic. We need to ask Sara if she had a Guiness with
Willie the Wildcat.
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| | And what closing bit of advice does Sara have for USAHA colleagues? Well, being open to the unexpected has served Sara well, and she urges us to do the same because you never know what professional opportunities an open mindset may open for you. We are certainly glad Sara remained open to the unexpected and landed where she has; both the state of Kansas and USAHA are better as a result! | |
Congratulations to Our New Executive
Committee Members and thank you to Steve Crawford and Beth Thompson for your service
| USAHA has been evolving to meet its members’ expectations and the needs of our constituencies since the Association’s first meeting in 1897 in Ft. Worth, Texas. Part of that beneficial evolution involves an annually rotating USAHA executive committee (EC) that ensures all US geographic districts and the USAHA District-at-Large are represented within the USAHA leadership team. This colleague rotation also ensures adequate mentorship of the incoming EC member (3rd vice president), primarily by the immediate past-president, who also hails from the same region. The system works because of the hard work of the members of the leadership team, and the last Connections newsletter of 2025 is a perfect time to congratulate our new EC members and thank those who have completed their leadership terms. | During this year’s Annual Meeting, we elected Scott Leibsle (ID), representing the Western district, as the new USAHA 3rd vice president and Nora Wineland as our new treasurer. Although Nora hails from USAHA’s northcentral district, her position as treasurer is geographically neutral. You will be hearing more from and about Scott and Nora in an early 2026 Connection edition (Scott and Nora, that was your official heads up), but before we close out 2025, we want to extend a robust congratulations to both colleagues for stepping up to the plate to serve USAHA in important ways! | |
From L to R (front row): Peter Mundschenk, Charlie Broaddus, Justin Smith.
(Back row): Kate Levine, Kathy Simmons, Nora Wineland, Scott Leibsle.
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Our outgoing leaders also deserve our collective recognition. Steve Crawford (NH) rotated out of USAHA’s immediate past president position and off the EC at the close of the 2025 meeting. For Steve, and maybe for you, it may have felt like a bit of déjà vu. That’s not the result of overactive imaginations because Steve did in fact pinch hit for USAHA’s northeast district and served on the EC, including as USAHA president, twice. Steve is the only person in USAHA’s history to have done that, and we are grateful to him for it. He didn’t just check a box twice, he approached both rotations with equal enthusiasm and for our benefit, with unparalleled expertise. Thank you, Steve!
| Beth Thompson (SD) was the first USAHA treasurer elected under updated Association bylaws that conferred term limits upon this important EC position. Prior to her tenure, the treasurer position had no term limit, and those who signed up for the responsibility did so knowing of the potential for an extended commitment. The good news about the bylaw change is that it brought the treasurer term in line with other EC position commitments, but the bittersweet news is that we had to let Beth move on to other professional endeavors at the end of this year’s Annual Meeting. Thank you, Beth, for using your expertise, strong work ethic, and excellent (and patient) communication skills for our collective benefit. | |
Beth holds the podium as USAHA treasurer at a 2025 membership meeting as
Executive Director Ben Richey and President Peter Mundschenk listen intently.
| We look forward to benefiting from the leadership of the 2025-2026 USAHA executive committee and wish many good things for our departing EC colleagues in the coming year. | USAHA’s past presidents want to remind you of the following as you close out 2025: | | |
L to R (front): David Schmitt, Barbara Determan, Don Hoenig
(back): Steve Rommereim, Marty Zaluski, Boyd Parr,
Dusty Oedekoven, Kristin Haas and Steve Crawford.
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As a whole, USAHA membership approved 22 total resolutions.
Visit https://usaha.org/usaha-resolutions/ to view them.
You have heard it before – the USAHA resolutions are our organization’s most important work products! USAHA resolutions embody a significant amount of work completed by members of our 19 committees and 12 subcommittees (including those we share with AAVLD) and reflect the important issues of our time. Resolutions drive change, set policy, and clarify goals for collaborations with partner agencies and organizations. In short, they are important and deserve our collective due diligence.
| | 2026 USAHA Dues - Renew Now | | |
Prices Increase
January 1st
| | | Committee/Subcommittee Membership - Join today | | To join a committee for the upcoming year, click on the Join Committees button below or visit https://www.usaha.org/member-profile and click on My Info to view your current memberships under LISTS/COMMITTEES on the right. Deadline to join is Friday, January 16th at midnight (CST). The next opportunity to join will be approximately June/July (watch for that email). | |
Thank you for another successful year.
We look forward to seeing you in 2026!
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