New Board members for Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization

Saskatoon, Sask., January 7, 2003

Four new members have joined the Board of Directors of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon.

VIDO's Board includes a broad cross-section of representatives from the livestock industry, government and academia, charged with advising, guiding and reviewing the fiscal policies of VIDO. VIDO is a global leader in food animal infectious disease research and in the development of livestock vaccines. It delivers leading-edge technology for disease solutions, to benefit livestock producers, the food industry and society as a whole.

New representatives to the 13-member Board include Dr. Chuck Rhodes, Acting Dean at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Bryan Harvey, Acting Vice-President of Research at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Larry Milligan, former Vice-President of Research at the University of Guelph, and Gordon Nystuen, Deputy Minister, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization.

"These new members come to the VIDO Board at a time of tremendous opportunity," says Dr. Lorne Babiuk, VIDO Director. "VIDO is in the final stages of a new $20 million expansion, which will strengthen our traditional work in disease research and vaccine development, while boosting capacity in key areas such as genomics and bioinformatics. The wealth of experience and expertise these members bring as leaders in research, academia, education and industry will help guide VIDO in this new generation of progress."

The balance of the VIDO Board of Directors includes broad expertise and representation from across Canada. Government and university representatives include: Dr. Howard Tennant, Alberta Science and Research Authority; Dr. Gordon Dorrell, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Dr. W. Ronald Usborne, Vice-President of Quality Assurance at Caravelle Foods; along with Dr. Lorne Babiuk, VIDO Director.

Industry representatives include: Peter Schuld, a beef and dairy producer from Iron Spring, Alta.; Dickson Gould of Elite Swine Inc., from Landmark, Man.; Thomas Nash, a dairy producer with the B.C. Milk Producers Association, from Hope, B.C.; Brad Wildeman, a beef industry representative who is also President of Pound-Maker AgVentures in Lanigan, Sask.; and, John Hoover, President of Welcome Poultry Limited in Milton, Ont. Outgoing members include Dr. Alex Livingston and Dr. Michael Corcoran from the University of Saskatchewan, and Ontario swine producer Don Winslow.

VIDO is a non-profit research institute wholly owned by the University of Saskatchewan. It operates with substantial support from the Province of Alberta and Province of Saskatchewan. Since 1975, the organization has developed numerous vaccines and generated valuable disease control information.

For more information, contact:

Stuart Bond
Associate Director, Producer Relations
Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization
Phone: (306) 966-7465
Fax: (306) 966-7478