[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Vilsack names members to Advisory Committee on Animal Health[/title][fusion_text]Wednesday, August 19th 2015
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has named 19 members of his Advisory Committee on Animal Health that will serve through June 2017. The panel, which is supposed to represent “a broad range” of groups within agriculture, includes a veterinarian from the National Pork Producer Council, several academics and livestock producers as well as the director of veterinary policy with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), an animal welfare group that is widely unpopular in some circles of the agriculture industry. Agriculture groups have criticized HSUS for its tactic of engaging in lawsuits to force producers and producer groups to spend money on legal fees and for helping to create legislation perceived by some as harmful to agriculture, such as the California egg law, which increased the space allocated in cages for every egg-laying chicken in the state. HSUS’ critics have also spoken against the very name of its organization, claiming it is deceitful since the organization gives very little money – less than one percent of its budget – to local pet shelters. In a recent release, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said the committee “will provide outside perspectives on USDA strategies, policies, and programs to prevent, control and/or eradicate animal health diseases.” USDA says that in vetting candidates for the committee, “diversity objectives will be considered-geographic, points-of-view, and otherwise-in order to achieve a balance of perspectives.” APHIS said the other 18 members of the Advisory Committee for Animal Health are:
- Stephen Crawford, state veterinarian and deputy commissioner of agriculture from New Hampshire
S. Peder Cuneo, extension specialist and assistant director of university animal care at University of Arizona from Arizona
Glenda S. Davis, program manager for tribal veterinary services from Navajo Nation
Mark J. Engle, technical services manager, swine business unit, for Merck Animal Health from Missouri
David L. Fernandez, a sheep producer and extension livestock specialist from Arkansas
Maximiliano A. Fernandez, a cattle and sheep producer and advocate from Washington
John R. Fisher, director and professor of cooperative wildlife disease study at University of Georgia from Georgia
Daniel L. Grooms, chairperson and professor of large animal clinical sciences at Michigan State University from Michigan
Annette B. Jones, state veterinarian and director of animal health and food safety services from California
Mary Ann Kniebel, rancher and feedlot nutritionist from Kansas
John R. MacMillan, vice president of Clear Springs Foods, Idaho
Judith I. McGeary, producer and attorney at law from Texas
Willie M. Reed, dean of the college of veterinary medicine at Purdue University from Indiana
G. Donald Ritter, veterinary director of health services for Mountaire Farms from Maryland
Charles Rogers, chief executive officer for Clovis Livestock Auction from New Mexico
David R. Smith, endowed professor and beef program leader at Mississippi State University from Mississippi
Belinda Thompson, faculty, advisor and interim assistant executive director, animal health diagnostic center at Cornell University from New York
Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian for National Pork Producers Council from Minnesota
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