Speakers

Dr. Silvia Carnaccini

Dr. Carnaccini obtained her DVM degree from the University of Bologna, Italy in 2012 and her PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences from the University of Georgia in 2020. Dr Carnaccini is specialized in both poultry medicine and general pathology as a diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, respectively. She is now an Assistant Professor at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Population Health Department of the University of Georgia. Her appointment includes routine diagnostic for poultry species, teaching veterinary students, graduate students and residents, and development of her own independent research program. Carnaccini’s research, currently focuses on avian influenza pathobiology, antigenicity, and evolution at the level of the wildlife-poultry interface. Her dream is to apply spatial transcriptomics and AstroPath analysis to solve common poultry diseases. In her free time, Dr Carnaccini enjoys to paint, play with her kitties, and gardening.

 

 


Andy Curliss

Andy Curliss is National Director of Strategic Initiatives at SAS Institute, the global leader in advanced analytics. Prior to joining SAS, Andy was a leader in the pork industry – as global director of external affairs at Smithfield and, before that, as CEO at the North Carolina Pork Council. He has previously led a public affairs division at a leading B2B marketing and communications firm – and spent the first two decades of his career as a journalist, particularly as an investigative reporter focused on public policy and politics. He serves in a variety of board positions and roles, including current service at N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University.

 

 

 


Jay Halliday

Jay Halliday graduated from the University of MN with Spanish, Global, and Foreign study degrees, and later completed an MBA in International Business. He started in the poultry industry in 2007 with Nova-Tech Engineering. As the business development manager for South America and Spain, he frequently traveled internationally installing equipment and validating treatments both in hatchery and on farm. In 2019, he joined the Vaxxinova team as the Midwest Key Account Manager, serving customers from Ohio to California. Jay lives in Willmar, MN and loves being dad to his two young kids.

 

 

 

 

 


Darrin M. Karcher, PhD

Darrin Karcher is the Extension Poultry Specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University. He is directly engaged with stakeholders across the poultry economies and uses his applied research program as a platform to deliver research-based Extension programs. His program’s focus is poultry well-being coupled with food safety and quality as impacted by management practices, physiology and nutrition.

 

 

 

 


Katrina Morgan

Katrina Morgan specializes in Autogenous Vaccines for Elanco Animal Health and has 18 years of experience that include quality, regulatory, marketing, poultry vaccines, commercial sales, logistics and manufacturing operations with a passion for working with customers to find solutions.  Katrina provides guidance from start to finish with a customized approach for all customers while understanding that autogenous vaccines are a critical offering and play a valuable role in many vaccine programs.

Katrina holds a BA in Business and is a Licensed Veterinary Technician.  Katrina has spoken at multiple industry events, internal and external trainings and has won MVP for her business unit in 2020.  Outside of focusing efforts on Autogenous Vaccines, Katrina’s number one role is a wife and mom of two and enjoys all things outdoors at her home in Maine.

 

 


Dr. Travis Schaal

Dr. Travis Schaal serves as a Senior Key Account Manager with Boehringer Ingelheim, working with egg layer producers across the US.

He previously worked in the egg layer primary breeder industry, supervising farm and hatchery operations, and providing technical support related to biosecurity, animal welfare, and flock health programs.

Dr. Schaal received an Honors B.S. degree in Animal Sciences and his D.V.M. from Oregon State University, and board certification as a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

 

 


Jim Shirk

Jim Shirk graduated in 1993 from Penn State University and for the last 15 years has managed poultry vaccine sales for CEVA as their Northeast Territory Business Manager.  Jim actively volunteers in poultry associations across the region and enjoys advocating for the agriculture industry in the United States.  Jim and his wife Stephanie are the 9th generation owners of their family farm where they live in Lancaster County, PA.

 

 

 

 

 


Dr. David Suarez

Dr. David Lee Suarez obtained a degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1988 from Auburn University.  He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University in Veterinary Microbiology in 1995.  Dr. Suarez is board certified in the American College of Veterinary Microbiology in both Virology and Immunology.  From 1988 to 1991, he worked as an Associate veterinarian at Quintard Veterinary Hospital in Anniston, AL. He remains a licensed veterinarian in the state of Iowa. He joined the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agriculture Research Service, USDA as a Veterinary Medical Officer in 1995. In 2005, he became Research Leader of the Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Disease Research Unit with the same institution.  He is currently the Acting Laboratory Director for the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory.  His primary research interests are avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV).  Since 1996, he has held the position of Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia.  He is actively involved with numerous international collaborative projects.

 

 

 


Blair E. Telg, DVM, MAM, DACPV

Blair holds a BS in Biomedical Science (2001) and a BS in Poultry Science (2001) from Texas A&M University.  He also holds a DVM (2006) from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Avian Medicine (2008) from the University of Georgia.  After completing his academic education in 2008, Blair went to work for Elanco Animal Health as a Technical Consultant.  In 2014, Blair left Elanco to become the Director of Veterinary and Technical Services at OK Foods, Inc. in Ft. Smith, AR.  He remained at OK Foods until 2017 at which time he left to join Phibro Animal Health in his current role as a Senior Technical Services Manager.