INDIANAPOLIS – The search is on for a new head of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) after long-time State Veterinarian Dr. Bret D. Marsh resigned to become dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Kyle Shipman, director of BOAH’s Animal Programs Division, will serve as interim state veterinarian until the role is filled permanently. Marsh’s last day was Nov. 1.

BOAH will accept applications through Nov. 30. Those wishing to apply should visit https://WorkForIndiana.IN.gov. BOAH’s 11-member board will select the new state veterinarian.

“Once applications are received, members of the board will convene in executive session to review the applicants and select those they would like to interview,” Denise Derrer Spears, BOAH’s public information director, told Farm World. “They plan to do that in early December. The board will convene a meeting, likely in January, to conduct interviews. The list of finalists will be interviewed by the board in a public meeting. After the interviews, board members will make their selection to offer the position.”

After the candidate is vetted – including a background check and financial disclosure – his or her name will be submitted to the governor for final approval, she noted. The new state veterinarian would then assume the position as agency head, Spears added.

State statutes define the qualifications for the state veterinarian position, she said. Applicants must be a graduate of a recognized veterinary college and have at least five years of experience as a general practitioner of veterinary medicine or as a veterinary administrator. Applicants must be licensed and accredited to practice veterinary medicine in Indiana by their start date, she pointed out. The state veterinarian may not be a member of BOAH.

Shipman is a graduate of Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture. He has helped lead BOAH’s response to bovine tuberculosis in cattle in southeastern Indiana, and played a significant role in the agency’s response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza event in Dubois County in 2016, according to a release.

In 2020, he visited Uganda for a hands-on training course on how to diagnose and respond to cases of foot-and-mouth disease, the release said. Shipman is a USDA-certified and trained foreign animal disease diagnostician.

Marsh served as state veterinarian for 30 years. Farm World was unable to reach him for comment before he left BOAH. In the agency’s November newsletter, Marsh said he was excited to start a new chapter at Purdue.

“It has been my high honor to serve you, the citizens of Indiana, for more than three decades,” he said. “The duties of a state veterinarian are wide-ranging and sometimes confusing to the public, but the primary goal is always to provide steadfast leadership for the protection and preservation of our nation’s agricultural assets.

“I’ve often said that this (BOAH) team is unmatched by another in the country. Likewise, it’s been my privilege to work with the citizens and professionals who serve as members of BOAH’s board. These individuals must be commended for giving of their time, talent and wisdom to set policies for BOAH and serve the state of Indiana.”

Marsh mentioned the creation of the Indiana Center for Animal Policy (IN-CAP), which serves as an umbrella agency for BOAH and the Indiana Board of Veterinary Medicine. IN-CAP was formed in July 2023.

“Under IN-CAP, we have begun using the resources and talents of both these boards to address the issue of veterinary deserts in Indiana – those areas where veterinary services are difficult to obtain,” he said. “As the two boards work together, there is so much more to be accomplished in the future.”