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-Martinez was elected in 2021 to be the incoming President of the National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV) for 2023 and 2024. She has been a dedicated member of the NAFV for the last 20 years serving in multiple different committees and board positions.

Dr. Cezar-Martinez currently serves as the USDA APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) of MS and LA. Previously she was director of live animal imports in the Washington DC area. She has been with USDA APHIS since 2004 in different leadership arenas of Animal Care, Veterinary Services, and Civil Rights/EEO. Therefore, Dr. Cezar-Martinez enjoys promoting the array of USDA career opportunities as well as supporting the retention and recruitment of veterinarians to the federal workforce.

Since starting her career as a veterinarian in 2002 after graduating from Michigan State University, Dr. Cezar-Martinez has strived to be a leader in the overall veterinary profession in which just to name a few…she has served as founder of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA), Executive Director of DCVMA and President of WVLDI.

Currently, she serves on the diversity and nominating committees for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the AVMA house of delegates representing the NAFV.

Along with her dedication as a public servant and veterinary medicine, she, fortunately, has a supportive husband, Dennis, that works for the American Horse Council, and two young kids, Zaiden and Zoey aka Bubba and Sister that are preparing to be in 4-H and FFA to continue the Creole and Hispanic cowboy and farming tradition of their grandparents from Southwest Louisiana and El Salvador.

Dr. Cezar-Martinez is extremely excited to serve as NAFV president for 2023 and 24. As always she has an open door so please feel free to reach out to her at drrachelcezar@gmail.com or rachel.cezar-martinez@usda.gov.

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.