The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) honored top veterinarians throughout the country during the association’s 51st Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga., on March 7-10.
2020 Swine Practitioner of the Year
Joel Nerem, DVM, was named the 2020 Swine Practitioner of the Year for demonstrating an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients.
A West Union, Iowa native, Nerem received his DVM from Iowa State University. He began his career as a mixed-animal veterinarian at the Postville Veterinary Clinic in Postville, Iowa, before joining the Harmony Veterinary Clinic in Harmony, Minn. He recognized a passion for swine veterinary medicine and went to work for Christensen Family Farms in Sleepy Eye, Minn., in 2001. Five years later, he joined Pipestone Veterinary Services where he currently serves as the chief veterinary officer, instilling a culture of veterinary leadership and service to the 46 veterinarians he leads.
He’s been a strong voice in promoting responsible antibiotic use in swine and decreasing antimicrobial resistance, according to an AASV release. He oversees the Pipestone Antimicrobial Resistance Tracker initiative, which was developed to engage the Pipestone System and Pipestone Veterinary Services customers in the areas of antimicrobial resistance surveillance and antibiotic use.
2020 Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year
Wesley Lyons, DVM, was named the 2020 Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year for his exemplary service and proficiency early in his career.
Lyons grew up in Paris, Tenn. The son of a mixed-animal veterinarian, Lyons knew early on that he wanted to be a veterinarian, an AASV release said. Showing Romagnola beef cattle across the U.S., showing livestock in 4-H and FFA and serving as the Tennessee State FFA Treasurer helped shape his life and career.
He received his DVM from the University of Tennessee. A member of the Pipestone Veterinary Services team since 2016, he is currently the regional health director and oversees health and production recommendations for managed sow herds in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. He has served on the National Pork Board’s Animal Welfare Committee since 2015, participated in the National Pork Producers Council Veterinary Public Policy and Advocacy Program, served as a member of the 2019 Pig Welfare Symposium planning committee and completed the Illinois Pork Producers Association’s Future Leaders Program.
2020 Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year
Jer Geiger, DVM, was honored as AASV’s Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year for his unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in delivery of veterinary service to his company and their clients, as well as AASV and the swine industry.
Involved in selling breeding stock all his life, a career in veterinary medicine was a natural evolution for Geiger, an AASV release said. With two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree and a DVM all from the University of Illinois, Geiger is currently a Health Assurance Veterinarian for PIC North America and resides in Tennessee.
He worked as a private veterinary practitioner for eight years, but since then has served small producers, large producers and corporate pork production systems. He has consulted in more than 20 countries around the globe. In addition to providing decades of service to AASV, he represented AASV on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Welfare Committee and helped draft the AVMA euthanasia guidelines as a member of the AVMA’s Panel on Euthanasia Food and Fiber Animals Working Group.
2020 Howard Dunne Memorial Award Recipient
Glen Almond received AASV’s 2020 Howard Dunne Memorial Award for his important contributions and outstanding service to the association and the swine industry. He is a professor of pig health and production medicine at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and advises veterinary students, summer interns, international students and graduate students.
With a personal mission of improving pig health and production through education, research and service, Almond has provided outstanding service to the AASV and the entire swine industry for decades, an AASV release said. Almond is passionate about advancing the knowledge of swine veterinarians and has served on the Journal of Swine Health and Production editorial board, the Pig Welfare Symposium steering committee, and has authored countless scientific abstracts, journal articles and book chapters. He has also helped plan the educational program for at least seven AASV meetings.
Almond has participated on the North Carolina Pork Producers Council’s Board of Directors and the National Pork Board’s Welfare Committee. Perhaps his most notable contribution is his commitment to swine-interested students worldwide, an AASV release said. His open-door policy demonstrates his drive to help others succeed. As a mentor, he is highly supportive of students and continues to advocate for their success.
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