We are VAFAW
![JReynolds pic w cows[8].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/231617_27da36b0787e4192b5a90b383462ab19~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_185,h_185,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/JReynolds%20pic%20w%20cows%5B8%5D.jpg)
Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, DVM, MA
Board Member (Chair) & Director of Policy Development
Dr. Reyes-Illg is a practicing veterinarian in Oregon. Since entering the profession in 2008, she has worked with a range of species in diverse clinical settings, including veterinary hospitals, shelters, sanctuaries, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. She is currently the veterinary consultant for the farmed animal program at the Animal Welfare Institute, where she works to ensure that sound ethical practices and the latest research in animal welfare science inform animal agricultural policy. Dr. Reyes-Illg is an alumna of the University of Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in zoology and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. In 2017, she completed a master's degree in philosophy at Colorado State University, focusing on animal and veterinary ethics.
Barry Kipperman, DVM, DACVIM, MSc, DACAW
Board Member & Director of Research
Dr. Kipperman is a veterinary specialist in animal welfare. He received a master’s degree in animal welfare, ethics and law from the University of Edinburgh. Dr. Kipperman teaches veterinary ethics at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and animal welfare and ethics for the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. He serves on the Consumer and Animal Advocacy Committee of the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council and the Animal Welfare Committee of the California Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Kipperman is the co-editor of the book Ethics in Veterinary Practice: Balancing Conflicting Interests.
James Reynolds, DVM, MPVM, DACAW
Board Member
Dr. Reynolds is currently a Professor of Large Animal Medicine & Welfare at Western University, College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, CA. He graduated from UC Davis in 1982 and was in private dairy and beef practice in California for 14 years. He was the Chief of Clinical Services for Production Medicine at University of California, Davis for 12 years. Dr. Reynolds has served as chair of the Animal Welfare Committees of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He received the AVMA Animal Welfare Award for 2007.
Jeffrey Hill, MSc
Board Member
Jeff Hill currently leads Livestock Welfare Strategies LLC (LWS), an international consulting agency driven by the principle of optimizing the animal’s quality of life by encouraging positive experiences while minimizing stress and eliminating distress. He has dedicated his life to the growth and advancement of the agricultural industry. Mr. Hill's educational background extends across multiple disciplines, including production agriculture, animal behavior, meat science, and agricultural engineering. This, combined with his industry experience, provides a unique insight and an unmatched ability to bring integrated, holistic approaches to the livestock and meat industries.
Indu Mani, DVM, DSc, MSc
Board Member
Dr. Mani serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at Brief Media, a leading veterinary company that develops practical peer-reviewed educational content and point-of-care tools for veterinary professionals worldwide. She is the president-elect of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Mani is co-chair of the Animal Ethics Study Group at the Yale University Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. She has been awarded recognition as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow in the National Academies of Practice and is a member (Hon.) of the Website Advisory Board for the One Health Initiative. She is a fellowship alumna at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.
Susan Krebsbach, DVM
Executive Director
Dr. Krebsbach is the founder of Creature Counseling, a veterinary animal behavior consulting service. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and working for several years for the IBM Corporation, her passion for animals led to a professional shift and pursuit of a veterinary degree from The Ohio State University.
Over the years, the welfare of farm animals—the most oppressed of all species of animals just in sheer numbers—has become a professional and personal priority for Dr. Krebsbach.
Abigale Zoltick, DVM, MSc
Director of Education
Dr. Zoltick is an Animal Welfare Resident at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, where she recently earned her Master of Science in Animal Welfare and Behavior. She graduated from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Zoltick spent eight years living and working on biodynamic, organic, and conventional farms in Scotland and the United States, caring for cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. She has experience teaching farm workers, veterinary students, and undergraduate students in classroom, clinical, and farm settings. Dr. Zoltick currently conducts research on welfare and behavior in pigs.
Debra Teachout, DVM, MVSc
Secretary
Dr. Teachout owns an editing business focused on veterinary manuscripts and animal journalism. Previously, she worked as a veterinary clinical pathologist, a small animal practitioner, and an urban wildlife veterinarian. She authored a journal column on ethics and animal welfare in wildlife rehabilitation. Dr. Teachout is the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association’s Illinois State Co-representative.
Cheryl Sutton
Director of Finance
Mrs. Sutton has over 30 years of experience in accounting, budgeting, and compliance with oversight laws and regulations. For over 13 years, she has held multiple senior executive-level positions, including Director of Finance, Chief Operations Officer, Director of Corporate Affairs, and Director of Events and Partnerships at Brief Media. Brief Media is the publisher of Clinician’s Brief and Plumb’s™ which provide educational information and point-of-care tools for small animal veterinary practitioners and their teams.
Cameron Krier Massey, JD, MPH, MSc
Director of Advocacy & External Affairs
Mrs. Krier Massey brings more than 15 years of policy and legal experience to VAFAW. She previously served as a staff member in the United States Senate and has worked for more than a decade with members of Congress on health-care policy. In addition to her Juris Doctorate and Master of Public Health, she has a Master of Science in Animal Welfare and Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Her passion for farm animal welfare and advocacy stems from owning livestock and a desire to improve the lives of animals on industrial farms.
Kate Brelje, MA, PhD
Director of Resource Development
Dr. Brelje is an environmental ethicist and feminist philosopher, with over a decade of teaching and research experience. She earned her MA in philosophy at Colorado State University (2014) and her PhD in philosophy at Temple University (2023). Especially interested in animal ethics and plant ethics, Dr. Brelje is the showrunner for the Networking with Plants in the Anthropocene podcast, where she interviews academics and practitioners working in the environmental humanities from across the globe. More about her publications and work are available on her website.
Interested in joining our team?
We are looking for someone who is passionate about our mission,
has experience with fundraising/grant writing, and would like to assist our efforts on a volunteer basis.
If interested, please email info@vafaw.org.