Meet the Executive Board
President - Deanna A. Brown, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM, MS 1990 (President 2021 and 2022)
Dr. Brown has been a member of the AVMA, NAFV and AAFSPHV for most of her professional career. She has served NAFV as FSIS Rep to the BOD as well as two terms as Secretary-Treasurer. Her interest in becoming NAFV President lies in her belief that NAFV is the primary voice to speak on behalf of federal veterinarians, to promote the value and skills that we bring to our agencies, and to ensure that decisions being made to reduce costs don’t reduce our ability to protect public health.
NAFV has made great progress, but she recognizes that we have significant challenges ahead. As federal agencies continue to change, NAFV is our voice to speak on our behalf. We must ensure that decisions made by Agency leadership doesn’t reduce our ability to protect public health. Her experiences in the military and FSIS will help her to serve you and to help lead our association as we negotiate these challenges.
President Elect - Rachel Cezar, DVM, MSU, 2002 (President Elect 2023 and 2024)
Dr. Rachel Cezar (APHIS-VS Import/Export), DVM of Waldorf, MD is interested in assisting NAFV as president-elect. She served as an NAFV coordinator in Riverdale, MD for five years. A member of the NAFV since 2005, Dr. Cezar is currently working as the Director of the Import and Export Animal Staff. Previously, she also served as a Supervisor Veterinary Medical Officer for the USDA APHIS National Horse Protection Program and has served for the last 6 years as the Equal Employment Opportunity/Civil Rights Chairperson with the USDA APHIS Animal Care Program.
Dr. Cezar has experience with outreach and recruitment programs. She is trained and experienced in budget management, human resource management and policy development and execution. From beginning her career in USDA as a field operations VMO fifteen years ago, she has continued to achieve the mission of USDA APHIS at the national-level and support her federal veterinarian colleagues as a supervisor, mentor, recruiter, civil rights and EEO advocate, Dr Cezar believes she will be an exceptional fit to serve as NAFV president and further the goals of NAFV members.
Secretary-Treasurer - John Sanders, DVM, ACVPM, TEN 1985 (Secretary –Treasurer 2021 and 2022)
Dr. John Sanders (DHS Workforce Help) is a Veterinary Medical Officer in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Workforce Health. He is responsible for providing veterinary medical for DHS working dogs and horses. He also provides information on emerging zoonotic diseases to protect DHS frontline workforce. Dr. Sanders holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee, and a Master of Exercise Practitioner designation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute.
Dr. Sanders' 33-year career in government has spanned four agencies across three departments: U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA-FSIS), the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (HHS-FDA), and DHS' Office of Health Affairs (OHA).
His past leadership includes serving as the Vice Chair, and then the Chair for the U.S. Animal Health Organization's Public Health and Rabies committee from 2001-2002 and then 2003-2008 respectively, and he has served in many positions with NAFV including Secretary-Treasurer on the 2013-2014 Board. Dr. Sanders has received over 40 awards for his work on veterinary issues. In 2008, he received the Helwig-Jennings Award and in 2016 received 2016 ACVPM DISTINGUISHED DIPLOMATE AWARD from the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.