Profile PictureFull NameCompany/OrganizationJob TitleSpeaker Bio
Justina Caldas, PhDJustina Caldas, PhDAviagenPoultry Nutrition Specialist for North AmericaAreas of Expertise Relation between nutrition/feeding strategies, breeder physiology, energy and amino acid metabolism. Impact of feed sanitization at the feed mill on nutrition. Research designs for nutrition studies. Experience: +17 years of experience in poultry nutrition Joined Aviagen Inc. in Sept 2020 Worked for Cobb Vantress Inc., USA (2016-2020) Research Assistant at University of Arkansas, USA (2012 - 2015) Worked for San Fernando, major poultry integrator in Peru (2006 - 2011) Teaching Assistant at La Molina Agrarian University, Peru: (2006 - 2007) Skills Feeding high value breeding stock, data analysis and customer support Education B.S. Animal Science at La Molina Agrarian University, Peru (2001-2005) Specialization in Poultry Physiology and Nutrition (U. Sedes Sapientiae, Peru (2010-2011) PhD in Poultry Nutrition at the University of Arkansas, USA (2012 - 2015)
Shawn FairbairnShawn FairbairnPoultry PartnersGeneral ManagerShawn developed a love for livestock nutrition in his days at the University of Saskatchewan that surprised a city kid and lead to him achieving a M.Sc. in Swine Nutrition. Shawn began his career working in a sales and multi-species nutritionist capacity for the Wetaskiwin Co-op feed mill and New-Life Feeds. These opportunities allowed for Shawn to gravitate to more time in the field solving problems and working alongside producers and other industry stakeholders. In 2011, Shawn was presented the chance to join Poultry Partners, a collaborative consulting effort between Poultry Health Services and Nutrition Partners. For the past eleven years Shawn has worked with the team to develop innovative services with a wide range of clients in the Canadian poultry industry. Shawn lives in Saskatoon with his family and loves to go canoeing in Northern Saskatchewan.
Dominic FrappierDominic FrappierJefo Nutrition Inc.Liquid Products Technical Specialist and Sales - GlobalBorn and raised in Québec. Graduated from the Agriculture School, in St-Hyacinthe (Institut Techno-Alimentaire de St-Hyacinthe) in 1997. Married to his college sweetheart and they are the proud parents of 3 kids, Eve (18), Juliette (12) and Benjamin (11). Dominic worked 6 years for a premix company: Vita, bought by Provimi then bought by Cargill, and worked as a swine technical expert. In 2003, Dominic is joined Jefo as sales rep of Jefo’s Liquid Products, for Québec. In 2020, Dominic was named as Sales Director for the Jefo’s Liquid Products in Canada and since April 2021 he is the Global Technical Support and Liquid Products Specialist at Jefo.
Teryn GirardTeryn GirardPrairie Livestock VeterinariansVeterinarianTeryn joined the Prairie Swine Health Services team in 2020. Teryn attended the University of Alberta where she received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Poultry Ethology, with application to animal welfare. During her time at the U of A, she worked as a teaching assistant and won numerous graduate student teaching awards. Teryn then completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary where she was elected class valedictorian and won the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Leadership award. In addition to performing swine and poultry veterinary medicine, Teryn enjoys presenting at poultry conference and small flock workshops; in addition to guest lecturing at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary.
Liz KoutsosLiz KoutsosEnviroFlightPresidentLiz Koutsos is the President of EnviroFlight, a company that is pioneering the commercialization of black soldier fly larvae for feed and food applications. EnviroFlight upcycles regionally sourced by-products into sustainable high value ingredients to improve plant, animal and human nutrition worldwide. EnviroFlight is wholly owned by Darling Ingredients (DAR, NYSE) and opened the first commercial-scale black soldier fly production facility in the US in 2019. Prior to EnviroFlight, Liz was the Director of Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition, a division of Land O’Lakes/Purina Mills leading a team to enhance the nutrition and conservation of exotic and endangered animals worldwide, successfully launching the brand into mass retail and e-commerce. Liz joined Mazuri following an appointment on the faculty of the Animal Science Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she managed the Cal Poly Poultry Unit, developed a research lab and MS program and engaged undergraduates in the “Learn By Doing” model. Liz is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a BS in Animal Science, and the University of California, Davis with an MS and PhD in Nutrition and Immunology. Liz is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at North Carolina State University, and a Smithsonian Research Associate.
Samantha McPheeSamantha McPheeUniversity of SaskatchewanStudentSamantha McPhee is from Kamloops, B.C. Prior to beginning her undergrad, Samantha had no experience with livestock or poultry. During one of her undergrad courses, she discovered her love for chickens. She completed her BSc. in Animal Bioscience in May 2020 and worked with Dr. Schwean-Lardner’s research team until December 2020. Samantha began her MSc. in January 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Schwean-Lardner. Her project examines the effects of LED light flicker on pullet behaviour, production, and welfare.
Jenny NicholdsJenny NicholdsUniversity of GeorgiaClinical Associate Professor, Avian MedicineJenny Nicholds is a clinical associate professor of avian medicine and the director of the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Centers diagnostic lab, in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. Her interests include poultry parasites and metabolic disease. Before making a move to Athens, Dr. Nicholds worked as the Poultry Extension Veterinarian at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and as a Veterinarian with Poultry Health Services Ltd., in Alberta, Canada. She has won the American Association of Avian Pathologist’s award for best field case/diagnostic report in 2017 and 2018, and loves a good case report. Nicholds earned her bachelor’s in agriculture from the University of Alberta, Canada. She followed this with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, and Master’s of Avian Medicine (MAM) at UGA. When she is not in the lab or in a poultry barn, she and her husband enjoy restoring vintage airstream travel trailers under the close supervision of their two young ‘project managers’.
Chinenye NnajideChinenye NnajideUniversity of SaskatchewanStudentChinenye is a second year PhD student in the department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan. She joined White’s lab at Vaccine and Infectious Disease (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada in January 2021 where she has been working on “using whole genome sequencing to track E. coli strains causing colibacillosis in Saskatchewan broiler chickens”. She received her M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Microbiology as a best graduating student in 2018 from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. During her MSc, she worked on “molecular characterization of uropathogens isolated from tertiary institutions in South-eastern Nigeria” which got published in Canadian Journal of Infectious Disease and Medical Microbiology. In 2014, she got her Bachelor of Science degree in General Microbiology. Chinenye began her career working as a Research Scientist at Safety Molecular Pathology Laboratory/ Molecular Pathology Institute which is one of the leading research institute / laboratory with modern facilities in Enugu, Nigeria. She has over three years of experience in research and training. She is skilled in Nanopore sequencing, quantitative/qualitative analysis of microorganisms using real-time PCR and gel electrophoresis. She is also skilled in microtomy for immunohistopathological studies, ELISA, microbiological assays, and many others. In addition to research, she enjoys volleyball and hiking. She enjoys research and look forward to meeting amazing people in her field of research and study.
Etseoghena ObiEtseoghena ObiUniversity of AlbertaStudentEtseoghena (Etse) Obi is a graduate student (masters by research) in Animal Science under the supervision of Professor Martin Zuidhof in the Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta. Her current project ties many of her research interests which include precision feeding system and growth modelling in poultry production. She is presently working on “The effect of maternal growth strategies on hatching parameters and broiler performance”. Etse’s research is supported by the University of Alberta Graduate Research Assistantship Fellowship. Prior to her master’s program, Etse completed her bachelor’s degree program in Agriculture (Animal Science) from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria with Honours. She has several experiences working in research groups with focus on poultry production in her home country, Nigeria.
(not set)Scott Olsen(not set)MANAGER GARRY OLSON TURKEY FARM; ATP DIRECTOR; TFC DIRECTORSCOTT OLSON IS THE MANAGER OF GARRY OLSON TURKEY FARMS LOCATED IN WETASKIWIN ALBERTA. TURKEY FARMING HAS BEEN IN THE OLSON FAMILY FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THE OLSON FAMILY PRIMARILY GROWS TURKEY TOMS; HOWEVER, THEY WERE ONCE A TURKEY BREEDER INVOLVED IN SUPPLYING ALBERTA PRODUCERS WITH LOCALLY PRODUCED POULTS. FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, SCOTT HAS BEEN A DIRECTOR ON THE ALBERTA TURKEY PRODUCERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND AT THE TURKEY FARMERS OF CANADA. SCOTT IS A TEAM PLAYER; HE HAS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, AND HE ENJOYS LISTENING AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS. SCOTT IS A COMMUNITY LEADER; IN HIS SPARE TIME, HE COACHES VARIOUS SPORTS AND VOLUNTEERS WITH VARIOUS YOUTH-DRIVEN INITIATIVES.
Mike PetrikMike PetrikMcKinley HatcheryPresidentI grew up on a poultry farm in Ontario, raising broilers, turkeys, laying hens and layer pullets. I graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1998, and has worked as a full-time laying hen vet for McKinley Hatchery in Ontario for 20 years. I received my MSc in Animal Welfare in 2014 from the University of Guelph. I’m proud of my dual roles as a welfare scientist and active poultry veterinarian. I’ve has worked on multi-species welfare education projects, the meat bird and laying hen codes of practice and advised and worked with industry, veterinary and government groups at provincial and national levels. I’ve been instrumental in developing euthanasia, hatchery and breeder welfare programs that are in use across Canada. I’m an author or co-author of several scientific articles on animal welfare and poultry health, as well as numerous articles in industry publications.
Noel Ritson-BennettNoel Ritson-BennettCanadian Food Inspection AgencyOperations ManagerNoel Ritson-Bennett is a veterinarian with experience in a number of large animal and food animal settings. He has worked to support emergency animal disease preparedness and response activities in field and laboratory environments both in Canada and abroad. Currently, Noel is the CFIA’s Veterinary Program Manager for Western Canada and he is the Planning Chief in the ongoing avian influenza investigation. Noel is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine. He lives with his family in Calgary, AB.
(not set)Shievannessah SalinasSofina FoodsPanel MC(not set)
Graham ShermanGraham ShermanTool Shed Brewing CompanyOwnerGraham Sherman is a self-professed “high level geek” who used his love of technology to disrupt an entire industry. In 2013, Sherman took homebrewing “too far” when he launched the Tool Shed Brewing Company. What was originally a hobby in his backyard tool shed is now a 22,000 square foot brewery with product sold in over 1000 locations. Speaking on his bumpy entrepreneurial journey, Sherman’s passion comes through in every talk as he shows audiences how to harness disruption to transform their lives. Prior to starting Tool Shed, Sherman, along with his business partner, worked on contracts for the Canadian and US governments and military forces, installing encrypted, tactical communication networks. By day, they rolled around Afghanistan in armoured vehicles, “geeking out” in the world of satellite communications. By night, they aimed their obsessive, high-level thinking at mastering everyday tasks such as roasting their own coffee beans and brewing the perfect cuppa, learning to control their homes in Canada remotely with their iPhones, and finally, perfecting batches of beer. After quitting his well-paying, stable government job to jump head-first into the craft brewing industry, Sherman quickly learned that his new-found vocation was actually illegal in his home province of Alberta. So, he changed his game plan from simply brewing craft beer to disrupting the industry. It took one year of relentless perseverance for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Corporation to change their legislation. It was through this process he learned the importance of adaptability, resiliency, and collaboration in any success story, and it is these traits that helped his brewery see sustained success throughout a difficult pandemic. Sherman has been nominated for Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year, was named one of Calgary’s 2016 “Top 40 Under 40” by Avenue magazine, and won the 2018 Business in Calgary Leaders Award.
Jessalyn WalkeyJessalyn WalkeyProduction Poultry Veterinary Services(not set)Jessalyn (Jess) Walkey became an owner at Joyce Vet Services (JVS) in the Fall of 2018, shortly after graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College earlier that year. Prior to OVC, Jess attended the University of Guelph and the University of British Columbia. During her time in BC, Jess played for the Canadian National Field Hockey team, competing internationally for almost 4 years. In 2022, the JVS practice became Production Poultry Veterinary Services, and with this change came a second location in Huron, Ontario. Jess & the PPVS team focus on bird health, communication, stewardship, and data tracking & trends. Jess is passionate about working on farm with producers, collaborating with industry members, and is committed to proactive & profitable poultry production.
(not set)Ron WardropPMT GroupWorkshop Chair(not set)