Dr. Scamahorn, a mixed animal practitioner in Greencastle, Indiana, has worked to support veterinarians and the veterinary profession at the local, state, and national level throughout his career. He served as president of the Indiana Veterinary Association and as Indiana’s representative to the AVMA House of Delegates. His service to the IVMA includes serving on and chairing numerous committees and task forces. He is currently chairman of the Legislative Working Group. Dr. Scamahorn is also the current chairman of the Indiana Animal Health Foundation.
In 2005, Dr. Scamahorn was elected to the AVMA Executive Board. While on the AVMA Executive Board, he chaired the Legislative Advocacy Committee, the State Advocacy Committee, and the Task Force on AVMA Model Practice Act Review and was liaison to numerous entities including the Council on Veterinary Services, the Animal Agricultural Liaison Committee, and USAHA. Dr. Scamahorn continued to advocate for quality education for veterinarians and veterinary technicians as a member of the Council on Education and the Committee on Veterinary Education and Activities. He was an Accreditation Site Visitor for both.
Dr. Scamahorn was recognized by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association as Veterinarian of the Year in 1994. In 2001, he was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Scamahorn represents the veterinary medicine as chairman of the Putnam County Board of Health. He has volunteered as a 4-H leader for over 30 years and has served on the Putnam County Extension Board and 4-H Council. In 2016, he was inducted into the Putnam County Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Dr. Rich is a 2006 graduate of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He was president of IVMA in 2018. He owns Country Acre Animal Clinic in New Castle, IN.
Dr. Philip Borst is a 1975 graduate of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has practiced small animal medicine at the Shelby Street Animal Clinic in Indianapolis since graduation. Dr. Borst is a past president of the Central Indiana Veterinary Medical Association and the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association. He currently serves as the alternate delegate from Indiana to the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates.
Current civic activities include chairman of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame board, and chairman of the Big Ten Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament LOC. Dr. Borst also served for 28 years as an Indianapolis city-county councilman and as it’s president. He was also co-chairman of game management for the 2021 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship all held in the state of Indiana and assistant tournament manager for the 2022 round one and two Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.
Dr. Kristi Kantz grew up in Troy, MI. She became interested in veterinary medicine as a career through her involvement in horses and working at a small local boarding facility. She received her Bachelor of Science at Wayne State University and her DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1998. She was a member and held a variety of leadership positions as a student in SCAVMA, the International Veterinary Association, and the student chapter of AAEP. A job opportunity that included medical student loan disbursement for her husband (family physician) required a move to Southern Indiana in 2001 and they never looked back. Currently, they are almost empty nesters with 3 children in college. Dr. Kantz is currently a small animal practitioner in Southern Indiana.
Dr. Kantz became involved in the IVMA when she suffered a pretty significant case of burnout and was looking for new ways to be inspired by the profession. The IVMA has provided the perfect opportunity to collaborate with fellow veterinarians on issues facing our profession. She is passionate about mentoring young professionals, work-life balance, and addressing student debt. In her free time, she still loves to ride her horses, walk her dogs, travel, and spend time with her family.
Dr. Chris Brahos is a 2012 graduate from Purdue with a BS in the College of Science and a 2016 DVM graduate from Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. He practices small animal and exotic medicine in his hometown of Chesterton, IN.
He is a member of both the IVMA and AVMA. In his day practice, he attempts to give back by donating time for the local shelter and animal rescue organizations, including organizing vaccine clinics and working with the area’s police canines. He is also a registered wildlife rehabilitator. He has helped as a surgeon for the past four years with the joint IVMA and Purdue University’s Spay and Neuter demonstrations at the Indiana State Fair.
Dr Brahos is a passionate advocate for accessibility in veterinary medicine. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife, and two dogs. They are expecting their first child in winter of 2024.
John T. Feutz, DVM is a 2005 graduate of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a partner in the Princeton Veterinary Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Princeton, IN. He is a past resident of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association and the Purdue Veterinary College Alumni Association, President of the Gibson County Farm Bureau, Inc., is active with the Gibson County Fair and 4-H, as well as the Gibson County Antique Machinery Association and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. John is an avid collector of antique tractors. He and his wife Marybeth Miskovic Feutz DVM, Dipl. ACVIM and son Joseph operate a small beef cattle and hay farm with his father, James M. Feutz, DVM.
Julia A. Wickard serves as the Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association and Constituent Liaison. Previously she served as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Indiana.
Wickard also served as the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Program Support and the Agricultural Liaison at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for the State of Indiana. In addition, Wickard served as the State Executive Director for FSA in Indiana from 2008-2017.
Before her federal service, Wickard served as the Executive Vice President of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association. She also worked for Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Inc., and served as Deputy Director in the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture for seven years. She has worked for two members of Congress in Washington D.C., and she serves on several agricultural and community boards and commissions.
Wickard graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and political science. She received the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association Certificate of Distinction and was selected as a College of Agriculture Distinguished Alumni. She is a graduate of the two-year Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program through AgrIInstitute where she has served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
She received the Purdue Women in Agriculture Leadership Award in 2024 and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Administrator as the Supervisor of the Year, as well. Wickard was a recipient of the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association Certificate of Distinction in 2022. She was awarded as a 2019 Distinguished Alumni from the Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication Department in the College of Agriculture at Purdue University. Wickard received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 2004 from Governor Joseph E. Kernan, and the Beck’s Hybrids “Beyond the Fence” in 2015.
She received numerous national awards during her USDA tenure and was appointed to the Indiana State Fair Board of Directors by Governor Mike Pence in 2015. She currently serves on the Hancock County Community Foundation Board of Directors and is a Hancock County 4-H Meat Goat Superintendent.
Wickard, her husband, Chris, and their two young adult children – Jordyn and Jacob, reside in Hancock County on their 100-year homesteaded family farm where they raise registered Angus cattle, Boer goats and assist in operating the farm with her family. Chris also is a graduate of Purdue, BS agribusiness management in 1993, and their kids are students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
Dr. James Stepusin, DVM is a veterinarian with extensive experience in the animal health industry and a strong commitment to organized veterinary medicine. He currently serves in a senior consulting veterinarian leadership role with Elanco, where he supports veterinary professionals and animal health initiatives across the region.
In addition to his industry work, Dr. Stepusin has been an active leader within the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association, including serving as IVMA President in 2016.
His career reflects a passion for advancing veterinary medicine, supporting practitioners, and strengthening the profession through service and leadership.
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Agriculture (BS, 1977) and College of Veterinary Medicine (DVM, 1980) in 1980.
Before joining the Indiana State Board of Animal Health in 1995, she accumulated 15 years of experience in private practice as a companion animal and equine veterinarian in Central Indiana as a relief veterinarian and general practitioner. She continues to practice at veterinary hospitals in a relief capacity after retirement. She also instructs in the K-9 Search and Rescue Academy at the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
In her position as BOAH’s Director of the Companion Animal and Equine Programs, Dr. Norman has worked to increase Hoosier awareness of animal and public health, including rabies; equine diseases, such as EIA and EEE; and disaster preparedness issues. Dr Norman retired from the state of Indiana in July of 2021. She is a member of National Veterinary Response Team which responded to Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters along with attending animals at national special events. Locally, Dr. Norman was the pet expert on TV channel 13-WTHR (NBC) for more than 20 years during the Monday noon broadcast. She is past president, vice president and treasurer, along with holding many committee chairs and membership, of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association. She is a member of the Indiana Animal Health Foundation Board, Indiana Horse Council Foundation, Purdue for Women and President’s Council. She is a past member of the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Board and an ardent supporter of Purdue especially their volleyball team.
Dr Norman and her husband Fred have three daughters and sons in law and three grandsons. She shares her life in Indianapolis with her husband and her dogs Athena (Labrador) and Bear (Pembroke Corgi). She enjoys hiking with her husband and dogs, sewing and crafts and spending time with family.
Dr. Bret Marsh, DVM serves as Dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Chief Executive Officer of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital, and Clinical Professor of Veterinary Medicine.
A proud Purdue alumnus, he earned his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences in 1981 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1984. Prior to returning to Purdue in November 2024, Dr. Marsh spent more than 30 years in public service as Indiana’s State Veterinarian, where he provided leadership on animal health, food safety, and issues connecting animal, human, and environmental health.
Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his commitment to veterinary medicine, public service, and the advancement of One Health principles.
Veterinary Professional in Animal Health with proven success in:
Dr. Schnarr graduated from Purdue and spent 9 years as a veterinarian in the Air Force. After the Air Force Veterinary Corps was disbanded in 1982, he transitioned the BioMedical Science Corps and retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1979. He started a small animal practice in Indianapolis and retired in 2016.
He is active in organized veterinary medicine having served as President of the CIVMA, was a member of the Purdue Veterinary alumni board, was on the Purdue Vet College admissions committee, was co-chair of the IVMA Annual Meeting Program committee for many years. He served as the Delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates for 11 years. He is active on the IVMA Well Being Committee, the Crossroads program committee and is a member of the State Veterinary Licensing Board.
Hobbies include photography and scuba diving. He is married to his wife Barbara and they have two sons.
Dr. Jim Weisman (Purdue ‘97) is a small animal practitioner, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member and administrator.
At the Purdue, Dr. Weisman is the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education and is a Clinical Associate Professor. In addition to these responsibilities, he continues to practice as an Emergency Clinician in the Purdue Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Weisman has been a very involved and effective leader within the organized veterinary medicine over the past 25 years. He first served on the IVMA Board of Directors as a District Representative and then held the leadership positions of the IVMA leading to his year as IVMA President in 2006. Since 2010, he has served the veterinarians of Indiana as their Alternate Delegate and now Delegate to the AVMA. He has taken additional responsibilities within the AVMA by serving as a member of the Early Career Development Committee which is focused on establishing programming to meet the needs of our colleagues just entering and early in their professional careers. In addition, Dr. Weisman was recruited to serve on the 6-member Strategic Management Process Core Team which developed the process by which the AVMA aligns their strategic planning, strategic programming, and budget. Dr. Weisman then served on the inaugural Strategic Management Committee which implemented this process still in place today.
In addition to his service to the profession, Dr. Weisman continues to be involved in his community through involvement with 4-H and other civic organizations. Dr. Weisman completed a 4-year term as a Director of the Indiana State Fair and during this time served as its Vice President for two years. As the first veterinarian to serve on the State Fair Board, Dr. Weisman insured the veterinary profession was continuously represented and integrated into decisions which impacted animal wellness and care at the Indiana State Fair.
Dr. Weisman believes that involvement within one’s professional society is an essential commitment to their profession. He embraces this commitment and welcomes the opportunity to further serve students, colleagues, and our profession.
