Our Board of Directors

Corrie Brown is founder and Chief Executive Officer of LifeStock International and a veterinary pathologist who has worked in animal health in developing countries for more than 30 years. Her work on enhancing the livelihoods of poor farmers through improving animal health has taken her to over 60 countries, on projects financed by various organizations, including the USDA, USAID, US Department of Defense, US Department of State, the United Nations, and the World Bank. She is fluent in Portuguese, French, and Spanish, and has a working knowledge of Arabic.

As Director of Strategy, Tanja guides LifeStock’s long-term direction and ensures our initiatives remain aligned with our global mission. She is a board-certified veterinary pathologist and Senior Fellow-Pathologist at Genentech (2011-current). After her BA from Princeton University, she earned a veterinary degree from University of Georgia and completed her residency at UC Davis and San Diego Zoological Society. At Genentech, she works in Development Sciences Translational Safety and co-leads a global effort to generate our next generation of standard biofluid-based labs. In her time outside of Genentech, she maintains a strong focus on sustainable ecosystem health, including the marine environment. Additionally, she is the co-founder and previous chair for the Global Health Pathology Network within the Davis-Thompson Foundation.

As Director of Operations, Cris oversees the execution of LifeStock’s programs and organizational priorities. He is a Professor of Practice at Auburn University and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Cris received his DVM from Auburn University and completed his MPH at Western Kentucky University. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and has served in several leadership roles with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services. Cris is also a Colonel in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Reserve.

Dr. Porter-Spalding started her career in the Peace Corps in Morocco and Niger before attending Michigan State University for her DVM. She also holds an MVPH from North Carolina State University. Barb was an Epidemiologist and Emergency Responder for the USDA-APHIS for 30 years. She also was part of the National Preparedness and Incident Coordination staff leading the VS National Training and Exercise Program, traveling to many parts of the world to conduct workshops on outbreak response and epidemiology.

Dr. Tesfai Tseggai, a native of Ethiopia (now Eritrea), received advanced degrees in animal health from Nigeria and France. He worked in regulatory veterinary medicine, private industry, and academic research in Ethiopia, France, and the US, before joining UN-FAO as an Animal Health and Livestock Expert. At the FAO he served in more than a dozen countries in Asia and Africa, and collaborated with multiple donor agencies. He is a well-recognized specialist in biosecurity/biosafety of laboratories, epidemiology, and control of Transboundary Animal Diseases.

Whitney is a veterinarian teaching topics in global veterinary medicine and systems development at University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She also works in emergency medicine with Veterinary Emergency Group. Her background includes seven years of active duty Army service as a veterinarian, and she continues to serve in the Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs Officer. She has worked in international systems development, primarily in Asia, for the last eight years and emphasizes practical skills, sustainable development, and collaboration between US and host personnel.

Hayley is a large animal veterinarian in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. Her passion for working with farmers started long before veterinary school, but as a student, she regularly volunteered abroad with LifeStock International, which inspired her interest in transboundary animal diseases. She plans to combine her field epidemiology training with livestock infectious disease experience to contribute meaningfully throughout her career to smallholder farmers and global animal health. As the Director of Student Engagement, she finds great joy in giving back to the organization through developing student programs and inspiring more young veterinarians to devote their time to global livestock health initiatives.

Brian co-manages a farmer and veterinarian training initiative in Iraq and Kurdistan for LifeStock International. He also serves as Merlin Entertainment’s North American Lead Veterinarian and consults for many aquariums. He most recently retired as Washington’s State Veterinarian. He also was a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve Veterinary Corps, with deployments to Afghanistan, Central and East Africa, the Alaskan Arctic, Central America, and the Middle East.

Nate serves as Executive Director of LifeStock International while also supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Global Health Supply Chain program. A former Medical Operations Portfolio Manager in the U.S. Army, Nate is a certified Project Management Professional, holds a B.Sc. from the University of Tampa, and is currently pursuing his MBA at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Throughout his career, he has led teams and collaborated with smallholder farmers, laboratories, supply chain professionals, and government partners across Africa.