FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ellen Edmonds | M: +1.407.580.6084
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 25, 2026) – NAVC, the organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals through its comprehensive continuing education events and resources, has elected Dr. Jonathan Townsend as president of the NAVC Board of Directors. The gavel was officially passed from outgoing president, Dr. Sally Haddock, to Dr. Townsend during the NAVC annual business meeting held at VMX 2026 in Orlando, FL, on January 20. In his new role, Dr. Townsend will work closely with other NAVC board members and staff to guide the organization over the next year.
“NAVC is an unwavering advocate for the veterinary community and it is my honor to lead the board of directors over the next year,” said Dr. Townsend. “Veterinarians are a diverse group of hard-working individuals who do their best to help animals and the people who care for them. I am proud to represent this profession and expand NAVC’s impact on this vitally important industry.”
Dr. Townsend has served on the NAVC board since 2019 and is currently the Dairy Technical Services Veterinarian at Merck Animal Health. He previously served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Townsend grew up on a small dairy farm in Maine, sparking his interest in livestock, especially dairy cows, and veterinary medicine. After receiving his B.S. from the University of Maine, Dr. Townsend attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, where he graduated in 1995.
After graduation, he spent time working as a private practice veterinarian in New York shortly before starting his Dairy Production Medicine residency at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue. There, his love of livestock was re-ignited, and he devoted the rest of his career to working with and caring for large animals.
“During his time on the NAVC board, Dr. Townsend has been an integral part of our success,” said Gene O’Neill, CEO for NAVC. “As an organization, we are lucky to have a board of directors stacked with veterinary experts from across the profession. I am confident that Dr. Townsend will steer us toward new initiatives so we can further our mission to help veterinary healthcare teams across the globe thrive.”
One area of focus for Dr. Townsend during his tenure will be to strengthen opportunities for mentorship throughout the profession. He believes that mentors serve an important role in supporting new members of the veterinary healthcare team and providing encouragement and guidance to help them succeed. Dr. Townsend attributes much of his own success to three of his early mentors, Dr. John Roemmelt, Dr. Tim Dennis and Dr. Glenn Fahnestock, whom he met at his first job at Eastview Veterinary Clinic in Penn Yan, New York. NAVC past-presidents, Dr. Gatz Riddell and Dr. Christine Navarre have also played an important role in the trajectory of Dr. Townsend’s career.
Veterinary medicine is a family affair for Dr. Townsend, with his twin brother, Matthew, and his wife, Wendy, both practicing veterinarians. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time on his small farm in Indiana with Wendy and their two daughters, cheering on his New England sports teams, and attempting to develop a herd of Jersey show cows.
2026 – 2027 NAVC Board of Directors:
Jonathan R. Townsend, DVM, PhD, DABVP
Sally Haddock, DVM
Geraldine Diethelm-Mader, Dr. Med. Vet., CVA
Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM)
Tammy Miller Michau, DVM, MS, MSpVM, DACVO
Megan Brashear, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC)
Trish Farry, RVN AVN VTS (ECC) (Anesthesia & Analgesia)
Tina Tran, DVM
Cindy Trice, DVM
Alicia Wisnewski, DVM
David Haworth, DVM, PhD
Gene O'Neill, Ex-Officio
About NAVC
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. The world’s leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best medical care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including: educational events, headlined by VMX, the world’s largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; the veterinary industry’s largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized annually as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC’s products and brands, visit https://navc.com/.
To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit https://navc.com/calendar/.
