AASV Installs 2018 Officers

March 14, 2018 — 

Dr. Scanlon Daniels was installed as the President of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians on March 6, 2018 during the association's 49th Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. He succeeds Dr. Alex Ramirez who is now immediate Past President. Dr. Nathan Winkelman has ascended to President-Elect. The newly elected Vice President is Dr. Jeff Harker.

AASV President Dr. C. Scanlon Daniels (ISU '98) grew up on a family owned and operated livestock enterprise in central Iowa. He attended Iowa State University where he received a BS degree in Animal Science and DVM degree. He also has a MBA from the University of Guelph. Dr. Daniels has been previously employed as a staff veterinarian by Iowa Select Farms and Seaboard Foods. Currently, he operates a diversified food animal veterinary practice, laboratory and multi-species contract research organization in Dalhart, TX. Dr. Daniels has been active in multiple AASV committees and has served on the AASV Board of Directors representing District 7 on two occasions.

AASV President-Elect Dr. Nathan Winkelman (UMN '84) was raised on a diversified crop and livestock farm near St James, Minnesota. Dr Winkelman received a BS degree in Animal Science and DVM from the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation, he joined a swine-exclusive veterinary practice in Morris, MN with Drs Rod Johnson and Tony Scheiber. Currently, Dr Winkelman is a partner with Dr Adam Mueller in Swine Services Unlimited, Inc, a swine research and consulting practice in Rice, Minnesota. Nate has served on the AASV Board of Directors and currently sits on the AASV Foundation Board where he chairs the Foundation's Research Project Selection Committee. In addition, Dr Winkelman is an active participant in the AASV/National Pork Board Operation Main Street project giving presentations to various groups to raise awareness about modern pork production.

AASV Vice President Dr. Jeffrey Harker (Purdue '94) Dr Harker grew up on a diversified livestock and grain farm in south central Indiana. His father built one of the first confinement swine barns in the community in 1980. Interacting with the veterinarians that visited their farm stimulated his interest in population medicine and becoming a veterinarian. Dr Harker was accepted to veterinary school at Purdue University in 1990.

After graduating veterinary school in 1994, Dr Harker joined Dr Max Rodibaugh at Swine Health Services as an associate veterinarian and then became a partner in 2001. Their practice (now AMVC Swine Health Services) is dedicated to swine, and serves a very diverse swine clientele ranging from small show pig herds to contract growers in integrated production. The bulk of their clients have independent family farms.

Dr Harker has been involved in many organizations starting with 4-H club president and FFA chapter president. He also received the American Farmer Degree from the FFA. He served 7 years on the Indiana Pork Producers Board of Directors and was president in 2008. Dr Harker served as AASV District 4 director at the time of his election. He represented AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates until his second term ended in 2017. He has also served on the AASV Annual Meeting Planning Committee and currently chairs the AASV Continuing Education Committee. Dr Harker has been involved with the National Pork Board's Operation Main Street program since it began several years ago.

When asked to comment on what his election meant to him, Harker responded, "I look forward to serving this great association over the next few years as we transition from the "first half century" to the future. I have been a member and attended the annual meeting for 28 consecutive years and intend to use my historical perspective to guide our future direction."

Dr Harker and his wife, Traci, reside in Frankfort, IN. They have four children: Kathleen, Sarah, Matthew and Amelia and one granddaughter Libbi.

AASV Past President Dr. Alejandro "Alex" Ramirez (ISU '93) grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico. He obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Iowa State University (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine and joined Valley Veterinary Center, a mixed animal practice, in Cherokee, IA. In 2004, Alex left practice and returned to ISU to pursue a teaching career. He obtained a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Iowa and concluded a PhD at ISU in 2011. He first served as a substitute judge for the student presentations at the AASV Annual Meeting. Shortly thereafter he was asked to co-chair the student oral competitions. He has also co-chaired the Collegiate Activities Committee for the past few years and has served on the Journal of Swine Health and Production Editorial Board since 2010. He represented District 6 on the AASV Board of Directors from 2013 to 2015.