Who We Are

We’re a community of Washington
State veterinarians.

We’re the ones who understand
that being a veterinarian is more
than just a career choice.

It’s a deep sense of compassion
for the health and healing of an animal.

To us, it’s knowing that we’re doing
our part to ensure our patients
always have an ally.

Because to us, our patients are not
just pets, they’re a valued member
of the family.

For this cause we have prepared
ourselves with the latest advances
in diagnosis and treatment.

For this cause we are moved to do
more.

To us this is more than a profession,
it’s who we are.

Together, we are the Washington State
Veterinary Medical Association.

Jennifer Bennett graduated in 2002 from the University of Washington – Seattle, with an MS in Behavioral Neuroscience and in 2008 from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with her DVM. She has been the Medical Director for the Seattle Animal Shelter (City of Seattle) since 2017 and has a passion for shelter medicine and surgery. Dr. Bennett served on the House of Delegates for the California VMA before relocating to Washington, where she has been an active member of the WSVMA since 2015. She has worked with a variety of municipal and private organizations in California and the PNW, developing shelter medicine and surgery programs, participating in community outreach clinics, and working with humane law enforcement. In 2019, Dr. Bennett formed SAVeSS (Seattle Area Veterinarians in Shelter Services), a monthly support group for shelter veterinarians.

Dr. de Vries is a member of the American Association of Fish Veterinarians, American Veterinary Medical Association, Christian Veterinary Mission, World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association, Washington State Veterinary Medical Association, and the 2018-2019 WSVMA Power of Ten leadership class. She helped organize, produce, and distribute their class project, the Ready Vet Go podcast (https://wsvma.org/power-of-ten/podcast/). She was selected to attend the 2020 Veterinary Leadership Conference as the rising leader for Washington State by the WSVMA Board of Directors. Dr. de Vries has held leadership roles in veterinary school including WSU SAVMA Vice President, Treasurer of the WSU ACVIM student Chapter, and represented WSU at an AVMA Student Legislative Fly-In.

Sally Thompson-Iritani, DVM, PhD, is Assistant Vice Provost at the University of Washington (UW) and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. She received her DVM from Iowa State Univ. and her PhD at the UW. After graduation she worked in the Biotech/Pharma industry as a Director, Scientist and Veterinarian overseeing preclinical product development for 18 years. She then went back to the UW as Director of the Office of Animal Welfare and currently oversees one of the animal care divisions. She’s been actively supporting WSVMA since 2013 and joined the Leadership Development Committee in 2017. She works nationally with AVMA and currently serves on the Board for the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners.

Richard M. DeBowes, DVM, MS, DACVS, is a Professor of Surgery and the Director of the Professional Life Skills program at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Working with Dr. Kathleen Ruby and others, Rick helped fund, develop, promote and host, the Cougar Orientation and Leadership Experience at WSU and the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Experience (VLE) program for the global veterinary profession.  Based on his experiences in veterinary practice and his awareness of the “people skills” needed to be a great health care team member, Rick currently oversees the practice management curriculum and continues to teach in the leadership and the clinical communication courses for which he was the founding co-director

Raised in Shelton, Washington, Dr. Eddie Haigh graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. After graduation, Dr. Haigh returned to Shelton where he currently works at and owns the Haigh Veterinary Hospital with his parents (both Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduates). In 2020 Dr. Haigh completed a two-year Aquaculture Fellowship through the University of Florida. Dr. Haigh served as chair of the WSVMA Program Committee that oversees the Pacific Northwest Veterinary Conference from 2015 to 2020. Dr. Haigh lives in Shelton with his wife and two children and enjoys spending time with his family outdoors and golfing.

Dr. Gary Marshall graduated from the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. He practices full-time at the feline-exclusive practice he founded on Mercer Island, Wash. in 1996. His special areas of interest are feline geriatrics, client communication, and the training and mentorship of veterinary students and recent graduates. As Adjunct Professor for WSU/CVM, several veterinary students receive part of their clinical training at Island Cats every year. Dr. Marshall is WSVMA’s immediate Past-President. He represents Wash. in the AVMA House of Delegates, serves on both the Board of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative and the Advisory Group of the AVMA/AAVMC Commission for a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Veterinary Profession. He also enjoys engaging with new grads as the North American Mentor for the VetX International Thrive community.

Candace Joy has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association since 2002. She is a past president of Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) and is a recipient of VMAE’s Executive of the Year and Distinguished Service awards. She has served on numerous veterinary-related boards and committees, and currently chairs VMAE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and serves on the DEI Advisory Group to the AVMA/AAVMC Commission for a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Veterinary Profession. Candace enjoys writing, hiking, travel, and the arts. She has two grown children, a granddaughter, and one cat, Pookie, a ginger tabby who suspects he’s really a lion.

Meet the Past Presidents of the WSVMA

We’re thankful to all of those who have volunteered time and resources to
improve veterinary medicine and the lives of those touched by it.

1909 Dr. J. Hilton
1910 Dr. S. T. Miller
1911 Dr. S. T. Miller
1912 Dr. A. J. Damen
1913 Dr. J. W. Kalkus
1914 Dr. J. T. Seely
1915 Dr. Robert Prior
1916 Dr. E. E. Wegner
1917 Dr. L. C. Pelton
1918 Dr. L. C. Pelton
1919 Dr. Walter Ferguson
1920 Dr. R. A. Button
1921 Dr. G. A. Jones
1922 Dr. J. W. Woodside
1923 Dr. H. A. Tippeer
1924 Dr. R. J. Donohue
1925 Dr. P. G. MacKintosh
1926 Dr. J. R. Fuller
1927 Dr. C. S. Phillips
1928 Dr. J. J. Stratton
1929 Dr. George W. Staggs
1930 Dr. E. A. Ehmer
1931 Dr. J. E. McCoy
1932 Dr. O. G. Button
1933 Dr. A. H. P. Hendricksen
1934 Dr. V. O. Pauhlman
1935 Dr. Ray Gilliam&lt
1936 Dr. Stanley Worley

1937 Dr. C. E. Sayer
1938 Dr. R. R. Isham
1939 Dr. J. P. Johnson
1940 Dr. Harry Marsden
1941 Dr. F. E. Smith
1942 Dr. M. O. Barnes
1943 Dr. W. L. Kilpatrick
1944 Dr. W. L. Kilpatrick
1945 Dr. O. Leighton Bailey
1946 Dr. George Folger
1946 Dr. Philip Millard
1947 Dr. Norman Garlick
1948 Dr. M. O. Mulqueeney
1949 Dr. LeMar Gaw
1950 Dr. T. Robert Phelps
1951 Dr. John Stevens
1952 Dr. Philip Hinze
1953 Dr. James Kraft
1954 Dr. Don Clarke
1955 Dr. Roy Hostetler
1956 Dr. Irwin Erickson
1957 Dr. George Duby
1958 Dr. William F. Harris
1959 Dr. Ernest Stone
1960 Dr. Robert Burch
1961 Dr. Howard DuBois
1962 Dr. Philip Pfarr
1963 Dr. Robert Ebright

1964 Dr. Harold Warsinske
1965 Dr. Ivor Evans
1966 Dr. Neil V. Follett
1967 Dr. Thomas Guilfoil
1968 Dr. Alex J. Ryncarz
1969 Dr. Orin G. Swanson
1970 Dr. Leon M. Bodie
1971 Dr. Clyde M. Bemis
1972 Dr. Robert E. Wilson
1973 Dr. Ronald J. Streeter
1974 Dr. L. Everett Macomber
1975 Dr. Stanley B. Coe
1976 Dr. William L. Yakely
1977 Dr. Arnold C. Slater
1978 Dr. John E. Alexander
1979 Dr. Jerold D. Gemar
1980 Dr. Michael J. Lust
1981 Dr. Robert L. Pietila
1982 Dr. Verner Pedersen
1983 Dr. Dee G. Meek
1984 Dr. Reilly P. Glore
1985 Dr. G. Gary Duskin
1986 Dr. Daniel L. DeWeert
1987 Dr. A. Roger Harder
1988 Dr. Thomas F. Meyer
1989 Dr. Harmon A. Rogers
1990 Dr. Brian E. Albers
1991 Dr. Charles R. Root

1992 Dr. Warwick M. Bayly
1993 Dr. Jerry Pospisil
1994 Dr. Kim A. Nicholas
1995 Dr. Donald I. Kelts
1996 Dr. Kathryn M. Haigh
1997 Dr. William B. Holleman
1998 Dr. Robert W. Bishop
1999 Dr. William Testerman
2000 Dr. Kathleen M. Connell
2001 Dr. Kit B. Bowerman
2002 Dr. Jayne E. Jensen
2003 Dr. Clive C. Gay
2004 Dr. Saundra E. Willis
2005 Dr. Robert R. Gilpin
2006 Dr. Saundra E. Willis
2007 Dr. Robert A. Thompson
2008 Dr. Debora Wallingford
2009 Dr. Carrie La Jeunesse
2010 Dr. Kit Wenrick
2011 Dr. John Cannon
2012 Dr. James McCutchan
2013 Dr. Jocelyn Woodd
2014 Dr. Lisa Parshley
2015 Dr. Lisa Parshley
2016 Dr. Kathy Hickey
2017 Dr. Paul DeMaris
2018 Dr. Jean Gulbransen
2019 Dr. Gary Marshall