We’re led by a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who are committed to the NAVC mission of supporting the veterinary profession.

Dr. Townsend has served on the NAVC board since 2019 and is currently the Dairy Technical Services Veterinarian at Merck Animal Health. He previously served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Townsend grew up on a small dairy farm in Maine, sparking his interest in livestock, especially dairy cows, and veterinary medicine. After receiving his B.S. from the University of Maine, Dr. Townsend attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, where he graduated in 1995. After graduation, he spent time working as a private practice veterinarian in New York shortly before starting his Dairy Production Medicine residency at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue. There, his love of livestock was re-ignited, and he devoted the rest of his career to working with and caring for large animals. Veterinary medicine is a family affair for Dr. Townsend, with his twin brother, Matthew, and his wife, Wendy, both practicing veterinarians. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time on his small farm in Indiana with Wendy and their two daughters, cheering on his New England sports teams, and attempting to develop a herd of Jersey show cows.

Owner, Marathon Veterinary Hospital in the Florida Keys
Dr. Diethelm-Mader grew up in Hong Kong when it was still a British Colony and attended veterinary school at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Diethelm-Mader completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Washington State University, Pullman before moving to Los Angeles, California and from there, to the Florida Keys. For over 20 years, she has owned and built up the Marathon Veterinary Hospital, the local general, referral and emergency hospital in the Keys. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture and homeopathic medicine and practices herbal medicine, Tui Na (chinese massage), food therapy and veterinary medical manipulation. Today, Dr. Diethelm-Mader is still rebuilding the Marathon Veterinary Hospital after Hurricane Irma and looks forward to finally enjoying her home and the garden after this recovery process. Most importantly, Dr. Diethelm-Mader has loved being part of the NAVC family for the last 20 years… and counting!

Dr. Tammy Miller Michau, a native of Pennsylvania, received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) and combined masters (Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology) degrees from The Ohio State University. Following veterinary school, she then completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at Colorado State University. Dr. Miller completed her specialty training in a 3-year comparative ophthalmology residency and masters (MSpVM) program at North Carolina State University in 2003. Following the completion of her residency, she joined the faculty at NCSU as an assistant professor of ophthalmology before joining BluePearl Veterinary Partners in 2008 in their Florida location. Teaching and education has always been a priority, and she has been awarded the Bayer Faculty Teaching Award while at NCSU and Educator of the Year at the Western Veterinary Conference. At BluePearl, she was instrumental in the development of the House Officer Program, including didactics within BluePearl University, scientific program support, educational and training outcomes measures, and the online BluePearl journal library. In 2019, she joined Mars Veterinary Health as the Vice President of Medical Affairs Operations and moved to the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys traveling, riding her horse Wodan (a Dutch Warmblood) in dressage and spending time with her friends and 2 Shih Tzu, Benjamin Wade and Theodore Roosevelt.

Dr. Navarre received her DVM from Louisiana State University in 1990. Following graduation, she worked in a private mixed animal practice in Sulphur Springs, TX before going to Texas A & M for a large animal internal medicine residency and master’s degree. Dr. Navarre joined the Food Animal Section at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital where she spent 11 years providing clinical service and teaching of food animal medicine and surgery. Dr. Navarre is currently Extension Veterinarian with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator.
In 2023, the NAVC was thrilled to recognize and celebrate Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM-LA, as Louisiana’s 2023 Veterinarian of the Year. Dr. Navarre was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association at its annual meeting mid-February 2023.
Dr. Navarre is Past President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and a Past President and current Treasurer of the North American Veterinary Community. She and her family raise SimAngus cattle and her extended family is involved with the beef and farming industries.

David Haworth, DVM, PhD is a highly sought-after advisor and consultant to some of the largest and smallest organizations in the animal health and wellness space.  He serves on numerous boards including the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) and DOG TV and Chairs the Scientific Working Group of the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). Most recently, he was an Executive Vice-President at Embark Veterinary, responsible for Research & Development, Business Development and Corporate Strategy.  Prior to Embark, he was the co-founder and president of Vidium Animal Health, a genomic diagnostics company, and helped lead it to a successful acquisition.  He is also a former President of PetSmart Charities in the US and Canada, where he managed the largest strategic grant-making organization in animal welfare as well as the former President & CEO of Morris Animal Foundation, providing millions of dollars in grants for veterinary medical research.  Prior to his work in non-profits, he served in multiple positions at Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis, Inc.), the largest producer of veterinary pharmaceuticals and vaccines in the world, ending as the Director of Global Alliances within the Business Development group and before that a Director in Pfizer Animal Health's Research & Development division. Prior to joining Pfizer Animal Health, he was an associate veterinarian at a small animal and emergency clinic in Washington State. Dr. Haworth received his bachelor of science in biology from the College of William & Mary and his doctor of veterinary medicine and doctorate of philosophy from Colorado State University. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University's Animal Cancer Center.  He has two adult children and splits his time between Denver, Colorado and Bozeman, Montana with his wife of over 30 years and their Golden Retriever, Breckenridge.

Dr. Christina V. Tran received her undergraduate degree at University of California, Davis, and her veterinary degree from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has spent the majority of her career in small animal private practice — as a full-time associate, relief veterinarian, and house call practice owner. In addition, Dr. Tran has worked in shelter medicine and in academia. She served as veterinary technology faculty at Portland Community College (Oregon) and as veterinary technology program director at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Currently, Dr. Tran is on faculty at University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine as an associate professor of practice and Clinical Relations Lead Veterinarian. In addition to her academic positions, Dr. Tran has worked in other non-clinical
 roles including veterinary telehealth consultant, Chief Veterinary Officer for a telehealth platform and executive director for a veterinary non-profit organization.
Dr. Tran is passionate about volunteering and currently serves in multiple veterinary medical organizations including the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (past president and founding board member), Not One More Vet (advisory committee), Virtual Veterinary Care Association (board member), American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Committee, Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board (investigative committee), and the AVMA’s Council on Education (site visitor). In addition, Dr. Tran and her dog Marley are a registered pet therapy team with Pet Partners.

Dr. Cindy Trice is a multi-state licensed relief veterinarian with over 20 years of experience working in many unique general practice, emergency, mobile, and shelter clinics. She is the founder of Relief Rover, ( reliefrover.com ), a community connecting relief vets and techs to jobs and resources. In 2023, Relief Rover was acquired by Hound and she now serves as their Chief Veterinary Officer.
She’s a serial entrepreneur and based on her experiences as a cancer patient, she founded a clothing company called KickIt Pajamas ( kickitpajamas.com ) that designs sleepwear and other clothing for women battling cancer.
She spends most of the year living in Bradenton, FL with her husband and 3 long and low dogs. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer, cook, scheme travel plans, and write rap lyrics for hamsters.

Trish Farry is a registered veterinary nurse with specialist qualifications in emergency/critical care and anaesthesia/analgesia. She is a lecturer and clinical instructor in anaesthesia at The University of Queensland in Australia. Her areas of teaching include emergency medicine, anesthesia, analgesia, and clinical practices for undergraduate veterinary and veterinary technology students. Professional positions held previously include: President of the Academy of Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses (AVECCTN) and Member-at-Large of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists (AVTAA) and Vice President of the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia. She has been honored to receive the VNCA Veterinary Nurse of the Year and the AVECCTN Speciality Technician of the Year Awards. Trish is currently on the Board of Directors of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) and is the technician program coordinator for the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS). Trish is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning and is active in the development of CPD and career opportunities for nurses and technicians both nationally and internationally. She is currently completing a research Masters degree through The University of Queensland.

Megan Brashear, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC) graduated in 2000 with a BS in Veterinary Technology and obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Emergency/Critical Care in 2004. She has enjoyed working in emergency and critical care since 2000 and is the Senior Manager of Veterinary Nursing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana. Here, Megan truly enjoys the opportunity to work with veterinary nursing supervisors as well as teach and train technicians and students on the hospital floor.

Eugene (Gene) O’Neill joined the NAVC in 2013 as Chief Financial Officer. He was promoted to Deputy CEO and CFO in 2018 and was named CEO in late 2019. O’Neill helped transform the NAVC’s educational portfolio which consisted primarily of its annual veterinary conference(VMX) to now include: a media division that has become the veterinary industry’s largest trade publisher; an online news station; a robust online learning platform (Vetfolio); certification programs; and an online recruiting tool for veterinarians. This strategy enabled the NAVC to more than double its revenue. Under Gene’s leadership and vision, the NAVC has expanded its virtual portfolio, taking the events and continued education opportunities through which the NAVC built its global reputation and making them available to veterinary professionals worldwide. Prior to joining the NAVC, O’Neill held executive and financial leadership roles at the Institute of Internal Auditors, IIA-Australia and SeaWorld of Florida. He has held CPA and CIA designations throughout his career. O’Neill served as the Interim CEO for The Institute of Internal Auditors-Australia, based in Sydney. During his four month term there, he was able to implement new programs and benefits that turned around a declining membership base, develop an operating business plan for the organization that matched the changing dynamics of the structure of The Institute and produce a world-class conference for members in Australia and SE Asia. Prior to joining The IIA, O’Neill spent 10 years with SeaWorld of Florida, holding positions in Administration and Finance areas. He also spent eight years as the General Manager of Baseball City Sports Complex, the spring training site of the Kansas City Royals.

Meghan Golden is a global branding, communications and association management leader who is responsible for driving the growth and development of the veterinary profession since 2003. Combining strategic vision with the ability to take decisive action, she has earned the reputation for achieving results through identifying new opportunities, building management teams, moving products to market and driving revenue to achieve organizational objectives. In her previous role as Vice President of Marketing, her notable accomplishments include marketing and communications campaigns that resulted in record-breaking VMX (formerly the NAVC Conference) attendance for three consecutive years, the launch of VetFolio – a disruptive online learning platform that has earned global recognition, the rebranding of the NAVC, a pivotal step in accelerating the organization’s current growth and service offerings and helping to complete a successful move to the Orange County Convention Center. Meghan successfully led the transformation of the NAVC from being known as the world’s largest veterinary conference to a global community that relentlessly strives for better care for animals everywhere through collaboration.

Dieter is an accomplished management professional who is responsible for the strategic application of resources to assure the sustainability of the organization.
Before joining the NAVC in 2014, Dieter was the Chief Financial Officer of the University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals in Gainesville, Florida. His primary responsibilities included interpreting financial data to make business decisions and drive bottom-line results. faculty members, deans, vice presidents, the campus and the veterinary community. He was also active in the campus GBAS program with Finance and Accounting and worked with other industry CFOs to resolve administrative, regulatory, and legal issues. His previous role with the same organization was Small Animal Hospital Operations Manager, managing all aspects of the hospital operations including patient care, 30 direct reports, and customer and vendor relations. He worked directly with clients, clinicians, referring veterinarians and vendors to improve overall service levels and decrease average appointment duration.

An Englishman in NJ, Dan shares his life with his better half, Christina and his boss, Holly the 12 year old Yorkie who has him firmly wrapped around her little paw. In 2023, Dan and Christina welcomed a baby boy, Adam.  Dan has had the honor and pleasure of being able to lead businesses and teams around the world, across the US, Europe, Russia and the CIS, Asia, South America and Africa. Dan’s career started in publishing, moving into events in 2007. Having worked across multiple industries, Dan has had the opportunity to learn from amazing people and industries and brings those learnings to each and every day. Most recently Dan led CloserStill Media’s activity in North America including their recently award winning Vet Shows. His time at CloserStill has led to a deep passion to continue to assist in helping the veterinary industry to continue to evolve.

Joe is responsible for managing the operations of our flagship event, the NAVC Conference, including our multiple venues, transportation, food & beverage, housing, audio/visual and customer service issues from the initial planning stages through execution. He works with numerous staff members, contractors, vendors and volunteers during the year to make sure the Conference experience is exceptional.
Joe is an association executive with experience working with local, state, national and international groups. He has directed all aspects of non-profit management including marketing, event management, membership development, leadership development, conferences, quality analysis, publications, certification programs, and more. Joe formerly served as a senior manager at a full-service association, corporate event and conference management company based in Orlando overseeing events in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

Dana Varble received her B.S. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University in 1999 graduating Suma cum laude with departmental and university honors having completed an honors thesis evaluating abnormal behavior in captive Spectacled Bears. She earned her veterinary degree with high honors from University of Illinois in 2003 where she pursued a non-traditional clinical rotation schedule and fulfilled her clinical and academic requirements at University of Illinois, University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University, Brookfield Zoo, and University of Pretoria. She also completed an externship at Marathon Veterinary Hospital including clinical experience at the Sea Turtle Hospital and Key West Aquarium.
She has practiced clinical medicine in exotic pet, small animal general practice and emergency medicine and continues to serve as an associate veterinarian on a limited basis for Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital in Skokie Illinois and as a relief veterinarian for emergency services. She has served as a veterinary consultant to the Mississippi River Sturgeon Project and Central Arizona Animal rescue.

As the Chief Media Officer, Laura Walker oversees the creation and implementation of an organization-wide strategic business plan that elevates the unification of the NAVC’s sponsorship, advertising and publishing sales efforts. Her role also includes oversight of the publishing of Today’s Veterinary Business, Today’s Veterinary Nurse, Today’s Veterinary Practice and Veterinary Advantage, the official journals of the NAVC.
Joining the NAVC with a diverse background in sales, marketing and publishing (traditional and digital), Walker brings a proven track record of developing results-driven campaigns for a wide range of industries. Most recently, she served as a group publisher for Bonnier Corporation, one of the world’s most respected media groups, where she oversaw all aspects of the business from advertising and strategic planning, to print circulation and budgeting, for seven magazine brands. She also previously served as vice president of digital and strategy for Bonnier where she oversaw all facets of digital business for more than 20 magazine brands. She also held the positions of online editor for Rodale and video journalist for CNN before her time with Bonnier.

Prior to joining the NAVC in 2014, Whitney spent 15 years working in diverse roles that spanned sales, sales training, sales development, strategic account management, and district management responsibilities with Novartis Animal Health and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Whitney is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and now resides in North Carolina with her husband Adam and their children, Andrew and Emily. They also have a cat, Tony and a goldendoodle, Cash (after Johnny).  

Ellen Edmonds leads public relations for the NAVC, guiding the overall media vision and strategy for the organization. She brings over two decades of sales, marketing, and communications experience to the role. Ellen is passionate about telling NAVC’s story to various audiences, showcasing all the organization has to offer as well as its deep commitment to the veterinary community.

Before joining the NAVC in 2025, Ellen oversaw external communications for AAA where she led the national media strategy, crisis communications, and a cross-functional team
who delivered high impact campaigns, and drove media results through data-drive decision-making and thoughtful storytelling.

Summer joined the NAVC Team in 2012 and has led NAVC Marketing since 2017. She has a B.A. in Public Relations with a Concentration in Business Management from the College of Journalism & Communications at the University of Florida. Before joining the NAVC in 2012, she worked at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and in full-service marketing and public relations agencies including Frankel Media Group in Gainesville, Florida, and The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Florida. Summer has served clients such as TPC Sawgrass, Cape Eleuthera Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, South Seas Island Resort, Bertram Yachts and the University of Florida.
Summer is a Florida native, born in Central Florida. She and her husband Matt now live in Jacksonville with their three children, Camden, Carlee and Cadence and their cavapoo, Oliver. Summer enjoys tennis, music, art and traveling and is passionate about animals of all kinds and their wellbeing.

Clay Logue is an accomplished technology professional with over twenty years of experience in the education, non-profit, association, real estate, and banking sectors. His skills span project management, strategic direction, engineering, service delivery, team leadership, and budget control. Before joining the North American Veterinary Community in 2024, Clay served as Senior Director of Technology for Southern New Hampshire University and was the Director of Technology at IAAPA. Clay holds degrees in Business Administration (Management Information Systems) from the University of Central Florida and Computer Science from Auburn University. In his free time, Clay enjoys woodworking, sporting events, and traveling with his family.

Suzanne is a graduate of the Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Go Gators!
She has been a Certified Meeting Professional since July, 2006 and is active member of the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and BoardSource. She has also earned a Certification of Nonprofit Board Education.
She has been with the NAVC since 2000 and has served in many roles including Hospitality and Event Operations. She currently serves as Vice President of Governance and Administration.
Her hobbies include gardening, yoga, reading, cooking and anything outdoors. She has two children, Kyle and Madisen, and two fur babies, Sadie, a Golden Retriever mix and Moon, a medium haired tuxedo kitty.
She is from Gainesville, Florida.

Erin has been with the NAVC since 2017 where she was instrumental in the creation and development of the Certification Division including The Human-Animal Bond, The Pet Nutrition Coach and Certified Veterinary Business Leader. Currently, she leads NAVC VirtualXP initiative which includes VetFolio, VMX Virtual and Certifications.
Prior to NAVC, Erin’s experience has been in virtual learning and project management for over 15 years. Erin is a project management and LEAN process improvement professional – in previous roles she has worked in implementation, management, research and development.
Erin is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and lives in Maitland, FL with her husband, Brian. Children- Colin and Juliet and beloved animals- Snickerdoodle, Keke, Alladin.

Susan, a resident Floridian, has lived in the suburbs of Gainesville, Florida most of her life. She attended college at Santa Fe College. She was a licensed CSR in the insurance field prior to her career at NAVC.
She joined NAVC in 1994 as an Administrative Assistant… and was promoted to Program Assistant and then to Director of Event Operations in 2010 and Vice President of Program Operations in 2015. She is the organizer of speaker relations and maintains the conference educational schedules. She is a member of the Florida Society of Association Executives and the American Society of Association Executives.
Her hobbies include spending time with her family, swimming, volleyball, and reading. She is a small business partner in the concession industry. She is involved in fundraising for community organizations such as Relay for Life and March of Dimes.
Susan devotes much of her spare time to her sons Kyle (27), who loves Florida Gator football; and Corey (24), who spends as much time with moto-cross and has started his own business. She loves to spoil her grandkids Kinsley (3), Mason (1) and Kyndle (1) whenever possible.

As Vice President of Media Strategy, Andy leads the production of the NAVC's four publications: Today’s Veterinary Business, Today’s Veterinary Nurse, Today’s Veterinary Practice and Veterinary Advantage. In this role, he works to ensure that the NAVC continues to produce trusted, evidence-based resources by partnering with leading experts in the veterinary profession.

Andy has more than a decade of experience in publishing, with a special focus on magazine editing and production. He started his career as an editor for Golfweek magazine, honing his reporting and digital media skills before taking a position as a managing editor at Bonnier Corporation. There, he oversaw the production of multiple titles and helped expand their digital audiences. Andy also spent time working in communications at the University of Central Florida (UCF) before joining the NAVC in 2020. He is a two-time graduate from UCF, with a bachelor's degree in journalism and master's degree in communication. He has a passion for creative storytelling, continuing education, and communication research.