The National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council (NFAHW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Melanie Barham as Executive Director, effective July 15, 2021.
Council Co-Chairs René Roy and Hélène Trépanier welcome Dr. Barham to Council’s senior management position and look forward to her role in supporting Council stakeholder collaboration and the continued development and evolution of the Council. They are counting on Dr. Barham’s contribution to work with the Council board, stakeholders and staff to pursue the Council projects and achievements, in the spirit that has been instilled in the work of the Council since its creation.
Dr. Barham comes to the Council with a strong leadership background with over fourteen years of experience across the animal health and veterinary industries specifically within the practice, surveillance, non-profit, and business spaces with her most recent position being the Ontario Animal Health Network Coordinator. She holds a veterinary degree, project management designation, and has completed an MBA from the University of Guelph. She has successfully managed international and local teams and forged collaborative partnerships with a focus on stakeholder value. These skill sets will enable the Council to continue to enhance its capacity to meet stakeholder needs and advance animal health and welfare in Canada.
“This is an exciting time for the NFAHWC, and I look forward to serving the Council and all of our stakeholders across Canada as we work to collectively support animal health and welfare in our country,” said Dr. Barham.
Over the past three years the Council has experienced significant growth and transition taking on a more operational role to support the advancement of animal health and welfare in Canada. The Council incorporated two Divisions; the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System and the National Farm Animal Care Council, as well as supported the delivery of several multi-year projects addressing animal welfare, animal health surveillance, animal health emergency management and livestock transportation. The Council has also worked to enhance industry and government collaboration by supporting the African Swine Fever Executive Management Board which is working to establish a Canadian integrated approach to disease response and the development of the Animal Health Canada model, a formal structure for the industry-government collaboration required to successfully implement the animal health components of the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada (PAHS).
The Council would like to thank Dr. Megan Bergman for her dedicated leadership of the Council during her time as Executive Director and wish her well in her new role as the Chief Executive Officer and Registrar for the British Columbia College of Veterinarians.
The Council was formed in 2010 as an outcome of the National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (2009) and was established as an advisory body to the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Regulatory Assistant Deputy Ministers of Agriculture Committee and other stakeholders.
The Council has evolved into a unique not for profit organization which is funded jointly by federal, provincial, territorial and industry/non-government stakeholders. The Council engages expertise to address important topics such as animal welfare, emerging diseases, animal health surveillance, antimicrobial use and resistance, and the emerging theme of “one welfare”. The Council along with its divisions leads the initiation of projects to address animal health and welfare stakeholder needs in Canada.
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