Tara Donovan, DVM, was honored as the 2023 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) during it’s 54th annual meeting in Aurora, Colo.
In a heartfelt address before the crowd of veterinarians from across the world, Donovan shared how special AASV has been to her life and in her development and growth in the field of veterinary medicine.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award. I’m grateful to all the wonderful people at The HANOR Company whom I have had the privilege to work with the past 24 years. Thank you to all of my friends, colleagues and mentors at the AASV for teaching me as I learned along the way and to my family for their love and support,” Donovan said.
This award, given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients, recognizes Donovan’s success over the years.
She grew up on a diversified livestock farm by Loup City, Neb., where she was active in 4-H and FFA. She was a Nebraska State FFA officer and a recipient of the American FFA Degree.
Donovan earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and DVM from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She is currently enrolled in the master of veterinary science program at the University of Illinois.
As the vice president of health and management for HANOR Company, she oversees the veterinary management for 85,000 sows and 1.9 million grow-finish pigs. She is responsible for preventive health programs, pharmaceutical management and compliance, animal caregiver training, and on-farm swine health practices.
“She is appreciated for her ability to provide and communicate science-based and realistic recommendations for the animals under her care. She is well known for networking her peers for knowledge sharing about a disease or on-farm animal care practices,” AASV said in a release.
Deemed a devoted servant leader, AASV shared that Donovan has dedicated countless volunteer hours to the organization. She has served on the Transboundary and Emerging and Infectious Diseases, Human Health and Safety, Pig Welfare, and Pharmaceutical Issues Committees, the PRRS Task Force, the Center for Veterinary Biologics AASV working group. She represented AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates and is currently a state delegate for the Swine Health Improvement Program. She served as AASV president in 2012.
In addition, she’s received the Iowa State University Science in Practice award, the Kansas State University Gentle Doctor award, the Wisconsin Pork Association Agri-Communicator award, and the Wisconsin Pork Association Distinguished Service Award.
Although her list of professional achievements is impressive, AASV noted, she is most proud of her family. She and her husband, Dirk, who is also a large-animal veterinarian, have two children, Gus and Tekla. She considers seeing her children grow into adulthood to be her greatest accomplishment.
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