Two finalists named for top veterinary diagnostic lab position

After an extensive search, two finalists have been named for the top position at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), Wisconsin’s primary testing facility for animal diseases and education and consultation services.

Finalists for the post are Thomas McKenna, laboratory director for the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) in Plum Island, N.Y.; and Peter Vanderloo, case coordinator and chief of client services and current interim director for WVDL.

The laboratory provides routine testing on different animal species in Wisconsin and also monitors outbreaks that impact animal and human welfare, such as the recent equine herpes virus, the avian influenza virus and chronic wasting disease. Partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, WVDL has also aided the examination of bioterrorism threats since the 9/11 attacks.

McKenna currently oversees the diagnosis of exotic livestock diseases, coordinates the treatment and testing for imported livestock and animal products, and trains veterinarians in the recognition and diagnosis of foreign animal diseases for FADDL, where he has worked since 1995. In this position, he administers a budget of $3 million and manages 40 staff. McKenna also supervises the North American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank.

Vanderloo has been with WVDL since 2001 and has served as its interim director since January 2006. In addition to having served as the President of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, where he is currently the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Johne’s disease. Vanderloo has also taught as a member of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

“We are very pleased with the backgrounds and abilities of these two candidates,” says Daryl Buss, dean of the UW–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. “The depth of experience exhibited by both candidates is essential for leadership of this important statewide resource.”

Buss also notes the importance of this position for the State of Wisconsin and its animal health infrastructure, as many of the diseases the lab evaluates affect livestock and natural wildlife of the region.

As an organization, WVDL has had many recent upgrades, including a full reaccreditation by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians in 2004 and the opening last week of a new 78,000 square foot facility, which incudes a self-contained Biological Safety Level 3 laboratory where work with infectious organisms can be performed.