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Dr. Tracy Fisher, President
Dr. Tracy Fisher grew up in Calgary, Alta. but moved to Saskatchewan with her family in 1990. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997 and has since been practicing small animal and exotic medicine in Regina. Dr. Fisher has a special interest in avian and exotic animal medicine as well as soft tissue surgery. She also performs some laboratory animal work for the University of Regina, as well as some wildlife rehabilitation.
While Dr. Fisher and her business partner recently sold their practice, she continues to work as an associate in the hospital. She has been involved with the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (SVMA) since graduation, serving on the Professional Promotion Committee, Discipline Committee, Legislation Committee, Centennial Committee, and Council with a term as President in 2004-2005. Dr. Fisher has also served on the Board of Prairie Diagnostic Services, was the President of the Regina Association of Small Animal Practitioners, and is currently the SVMA representative for the University of Regina Senate, in addition to being the Saskatchewan Representative on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Council.
In her spare time, Dr. Fisher enjoys running, fishing, skiing, horseback riding, and many other outdoor activities. She and her husband Rick enjoy upland bird hunting and have bred and trained Large Munsterlanders. Their cat, Leonard, who tolerates the presence of everyone else in the house, is a fan of CVMA Zoom meetings and dutifully guards the house when they are away.
Dr. Kathleen MacMillan, President-Elect
Dr. Kathleen MacMillan grew up on a horse farm in Prince Edward Island and has deep roots in the Standardbred racing and Sport horse industries in P.E.I. She is an equine ambulatory veterinarian and Associate Professor at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island. She graduated from AVC in 2001 and earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in equine exercise physiology and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Equine Practice.
Since graduation, Dr. MacMillan has worked in private practice both as an associate and as a practice owner where she operated a solo equine ambulatory service in P.E.I. for six years prior to joining the AVC faculty in 2010. Her clinical and research focus is on equine sports medicine, preventive medicine, and equine welfare. Dr. MacMillan obtains great satisfaction in taking care of her equine patients while teaching future veterinarians the intricacies of equine practice. Apart from her clinical and didactic teaching, she believes strongly in education and provides educational opportunities to veterinarians, horse owners, and regulators.
Dr. MacMillan also believes in service to the profession and has dedicated her time over the last number of years to various national and international organizations including the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (via Council, Executive, Professional Development Committee Scientific Coordinator, and National Examining Board), the International Council for Veterinary Assessment/North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the Prince Edward Island Veterinary Medical Association, the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission, the National Farm Animal Care Council, the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada, and the Canadian Equine Veterinary Advocacy Alliance.
Dr. MacMillan now resides in Stratford, P.E.I. with her three cats while her horses live in the country.
Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury, Vice-President
Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury was born in Prince Edward Island and grew up in Southeastern Ontario. She obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Animal Biology from the University of Guelph in 2005, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2009. Upon graduation, she moved to St. John's, N.L. to work as a general practitioner in a busy small animal practice, where she worked on call and gained experience in all aspects of companion animal medicine. Dr. Brown-Bury transitioned to working in emergency and critical care in 2016 with the opening of Newfoundland and Labrador’s first and only referral and emergency hospital until 2022 when she became a full-time relief veterinarian. work full time. While her home remains St. John’s, she works in small animal practices all over the province with a focus on supporting rural practices.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Brown-Bury has been actively involved in the veterinary profession in a variety of ways. She regularly speaks with local journalists about pet related issues, lectures for her local college’s Veterinary Assistant Program, and actively educates pet owners through social media on a variety of topics. Dr. Brown-Bury has been a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Veterinary Medical Association Council since 2011, serving as President from 2014 to 2020. She has also volunteered with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association since 2014, representing Newfoundland and Labrador on Council and participating in a variety of committees and activities through this role.
Dr. Brown-Bury is often away from home, but her heart is always in. St John’s with her husband Steve, their two "orange cat energy" poster children, Westley and Phil, and Pancake, an explosive ball of large feelings disguised as a dog.
Dr. Karin Orsel, Executive Member
Dr. Karin Orsel gained valuable hands-on experience while working at several veterinary practices in the Netherlands between gradating with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Utrecht University in 1996 and going on to become a clinician in its Department of Farm Animal Health’s ambulatory clinic in February 1997. After active involvement in an epidemiologic study during the country’s Foot and Mouth disease outbreak in 2001, she began graduate training on this topic and obtained both a Master of Science in 2004 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2007 in veterinary epidemiology and economics at her alma mater.
With a keen interest in the epidemiology of infectious diseases of cattle, she joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary (UCVM) in 2008 where she is currently a full professor. Dr. Orsel passed the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination in 2009, which allowed her to also practice part-time at Veterinary Agri-Health Services in Alberta. She also received Board Certification from the European College of Bovine Health Management in 2011.
Dr. Orsel’s research and teaching focuses on beef and dairy cattle and, occasionally, wildlife. As her main passion is herd management, infectious diseases, and, in more recent years, welfare-related topics like lameness and beef cattle preconditioning, she is currently leading UCVM’s cattle research group. An ardent advocate for One Health, Dr. Orsel has recently taken on the role of Convenor of the One Health Initiative at the University of Calgary.
Many of Dr. Orsel’s volunteer activities centre around student engagement as demonstrated through the creation of “Karin’s Dream Team” where she combines learning with fun, monthly student events. Her interest in cattle is satiated via her work as the Chair of the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) Dairy Network and as a member of the CAHSS Beef Network. She is a member of the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar Committee, where she was Program Chair for five years, and is an active participant in the Western Canadian Animal Health Network meetings. Most recently, she started volunteering for Veterinarians Without Borders North America working with dairy co-operatives in Kenya.
Along with her role as Executive Member of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), she also fills one of the two academic seats on CMVA Council as the representative for the Ontario Veterinary College, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and UCVM.
In their spare time, Karin and her husband Frank enjoy the outdoors with their Stabyhouns in Alberta, while leaving their multiple cats in charge at home in Calgary.
Dr. Timothy Arthur, Immediate Past-President
Dr. Timothy Arthur is a companion animal veterinarian with a special interest in ophthalmology and wildlife medicine. He is a 1982 Ontario Veterinary College graduate who completed externships at Angel Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. After two years in practice, he established the Coxwell Animal Clinic in Toronto, Ont.
Dr. Arthur has volunteered with the Toronto Academy of Veterinary Medicine providing continuing education to Toronto’s veterinary community, organized Toronto’s Annual Rabies clinics, sat on the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) Complaints Committee, was part of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) working group that established a voluntary fee guide for the profession, was a Council member and President of the CVO, and was a Board Member and President of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
He was elected to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association as Ontario Representative on Council and sat on the Board of the OVMA as the CVMA representative. Dr. Arthur sold his clinic to a corporate entity and moved to Ottawa where he works part-time for VCA and NVA Canada. He lives in a bilingual family with his son Jake, partner Jennifer, and multiple four-legged friends.
Dr. Brian Evans, Treasurer
Dr. Brian Evans is an alumnus of the University of Guelph where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1974 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1978. His career has spanned a broad spectrum of the veterinary profession including private, public, and international practice. Following several years in clinical practice with an interest in reproductive herd health and embryo transfer, Dr. Evans was recruited by the Canadian federal government to develop domestic and international standards and certification programs in support of the safe international movement of animal semen and embryos. He had a distinguished career in public service which included serving as Canada’s fourteenth Chief Veterinary Officer for 15 years, as well as Governor-In-Council appointments as the Executive Vice President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and as Canada’s first Chief Food Safety Officer.
Dr. Evans also served as the Government of Canada’s Delegate to the 182-member country World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for 13 years during which he was elected as the Secretary General for the WOAH Regional Commission for the Americas and to four consecutive three-year terms as a representative of the member countries of the Americas Region on the Council of the WOAH. Upon his retirement from the federal government in 2013 he was recruited by WOAH to be the Deputy Director General responsible for animal health, veterinary public health, and international standards based in Paris, France.
He is a strong advocate for the integrated management of the social, economic, biosecurity, and food security risks that emerge at the interface of eco-system, animal, and human health. Dr. Evans has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards including the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s President’s Award, the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee medals, and two Public Service of Canada Excellence awards. He has also been conferred with Honorary Degrees of Laws by both the University of Guelph and the University of Calgary. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2024.
Joel Neuheimer, Chief Executive Officer / NEB Registrar
Mr. Joel Neuheimer has over 30 years of experience in federal government advocacy, leadership, and governance. Originally from Montréal, he has lived in Ottawa with his wife Tina and their three daughters since 2001. Mr. Neuheimer holds an undergraduate degree in political science and a master’s in communications. He began his career at what was the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and then moved to the Forest Products Association of Canada. Mr. Neuheimer joined the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the National Examining Board in 2023. He has been a member of the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) since 2008 and a member of the CSAE Board since October 2021.