Welcoming the U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jack Shere

April 20, 2016 — 

Dr. Jack Shere, a long-time employee of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), was recently named USDA’s Chief Veterinary Officer leading APHIS’s Veterinary Services program. [Source: USDA APHIS VS, April 19, 2016] Dr. Shere joined APHIS in 1990 and has held a variety of field and leadership positions – serving as the area commander during the exotic Newcastle disease outbreak in 2003 and spending many weeks in Iowa during the 2015 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak where he represented USDA and Secretary Vilsack. Dr. Shere also spent several years in private veterinary practice prior to joining APHIS.

Asked about his goals for Veterinary Services under his leadership, Dr. Shere explained that the program has faced with budget changes over the past several years, which has reduced our field force and the ability to respond as quickly as we would like. He’s committed to moving the program forward and addressing those needs. “The challenge is to re-strengthen and build us back to what we used to be.”

Dr. Shere will bring his enthusiasm for learning to his new role. While he already has many degrees – B.S. in Biology and Chemistry, M.S. in Education with a minor in counseling, doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and Ph.Ds in both Poultry Science and Microbiology – Dr. Shere wants to continue to be a lifetime learner. “There’s always new knowledge out there, and you can always acquire more. It’s just fascinating to know how much you won’t ever know!”