Rising Leaders Committee

WHY DOES THE RISING LEADERS COMMITTEE EXIST?

The VIN Foundation Rising Leaders Committee believes in helping colleagues elevate their personal and professional endeavors, and through this effort, improve the profession as a whole. Improving lives of colleagues depends on a solid foundation of leaders willing to rise to the occasion.

The intent is to support those leaders to thrive as a diverse committee, helping guide their colleagues to success along the way. The committee seeks to serve and cultivate a community of pre-veterinary students through new graduates (up to five years out of veterinary school).

Operating under VIN Foundations’ Core Values and Guiding Principles, Rising Leaders looks to maintain a fresh perspective on the challenges and current issues within the rising veterinary community, and reduce suffering, and struggles wherever possible.

VISION

The VIN Foundation Rising Leaders Committee believes establishing a healthy veterinary community, both personally and professionally, begins in the earliest stages of pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Through identifying and addressing issues faced by our newest colleagues, the committee is able to improve the future of veterinary medicine.

RISING LEADERS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Rising Leaders Committee | Emily Farmer

Emily Farmer, MPH

Emily is a 4th-year veterinary student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Born and raised in Iowa, she attended the University of Iowa and earned a B.S. in Health and Human Physiology in 2014. While in veterinary school, Emily earned her Master’s in Public Health degree with an emphasis in Infectious Disease and Zoonoses. She also served as the 2019 National VBMA Vice President where she was able to focus her passion for helping her colleagues and giving back to the profession, and she is excited to continue that mission with the VIN Foundation Rising Leaders Committee. During her 4th year, Emily discovered her love for clinical anesthesia. She plans to complete a Small Animal Rotating Internship following graduation, and then move on to complete a residency in Anesthesia and Analgesia on the path to becoming board certified in the discipline. In her spare time, Emily loves to crochet and hike with her pup, Sawyer, as well as serve as a mentor to other pre-veterinary and veterinary students.

Shiloh Landskov, DVM

Shiloh is a 2020 DVM graduate who spent her first 6 months out of vet school working full time at an emergency and specialty hospital, and part time at a general practice in central Illinois. Her main interests in vet med include ER medicine, critical care, and surgery. In vet school, Shiloh was the National Compliance Director of the National Veterinary Business Management Association and was also involved in multiple other school organizations. Her interests outside of medicine include business ownership and helping to improve the profession through leadership. Shiloh now works in central Minnesota at a general practice while doing ER relief work in her spare time. She enjoys spending time with her husband who is a paramedic, her 4 cats, and cattle dog Irwin (named after Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter).

Rebecca Mears, DVM

Dr. Rebecca Mears grew up in Delaware before moving to Lexington, KY; where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she served as the National Business Certificate Director for the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) and as a board member for Vets for Pets and People. During this time she took an active role in wellbeing awareness and access within the veterinary community. Dr. Mears is now an equine practitioner with a dedication to client education. Her non-clinical interests include improving financial literacy and encouraging wellbeing within the profession. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. Dr. Mears is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do so as a member of the VIN Foundation Rising Leaders Committee.

Ricky Walther, DVM

Dr. Ricky Walther was born in San Jose and grew up in a rural community north of Auburn, CA. Dr. Walther is a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine from the class of 2020 and has a BS in Animal Science from UC Davis as well. He works as a small animal veterinarian at a large 8 doctor general practice in Folsom CA. He has a special interest in veterinary business and a passion for improving the profession for veterinarians and support staff. He was the 2019 National President for the VBMA and has joined the VIN Rising Leaders Committee to help new graduates find resources and stay connected to the greater veterinary community. Dr. Walther is dedicated to helping solve issues surrounding student debt in the profession and on improving career satisfaction and personal well being. He is excited to be a part of a committee focused on making the profession an exciting and fulfilling career for the next generation of veterinarians.

Are you interested in being part of the Rising Leaders Committee, or know someone you think would be a good fit? Wonderful, please reach out.

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