Doug Sawyer - President
Doug and his wife Carole have a beef operation near Pine Lake. Doug has over 20 years experience working within the livestock industry, as well as serving in various capacities on numerous industry-specific boards and committees, and uses a combination of skills and abilities within the boards he serves on. Doug is a producer who stays up-to-date with current industry trends and impacts. He has a strong history of identifying and implementing advanced strategic practices and policies, and has an extensive history of engaging and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders. He has proven experience within many facets of the beef production sector, including both cow/calf and small scale feedlot operations.
Doug joined the Alberta SPCA Board of Directors in 2014.
Andrea Edwards RVT - Vice President
Andrea has enjoyed a diverse career as a Registered Veterinary Technologist and currently works in a small animal/exotic practice in Edmonton, where she is the hospital manager.
Born in Alberta, she was raised on an equine farm where she raised and showed black Arabians. After graduating from the NAIT Animal Health Program, she started working as an RVT in mixed animal practice where she learned a lot about dairy and beef cattle.
After having her 3 children, she went into small animal practice and found her passion for HR and business.
Andrea has been on the board of both Alberta Veterinary Associations (ABVMA and ABVTA) and is now excited to join the Alberta SPCA Board to help make a difference in animal welfare.
In her downtime she enjoys spending time at the lake with family, dog Remy, and can’t leave out her cat Stella!
Dr. Duane Landals - Past President
A fourth generation Albertan with deep roots in the province’s pioneer history, Dr. Duane Landals graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture with a major in animal and soil science, in 1971. In 1975, he obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
Dr. Landals spent 25 years working in a rural mixed veterinary practice. After leaving private veterinary practice, he served 13 years as Registrar and Secretary-Treasurer of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. He is the former President of both the Alberta and Canadian Veterinary Medical Associations and served as Vice-President of the World Veterinary Association as well as chair for the 29th World Veterinary Congress in Vancouver.
Aside from a career in veterinary medicine, Dr. Landals’ commitment to improving the care and welfare of animals extends to several appointments, including Director and Vice Chair for Alberta Farm Animal Care, and Director for Veterinarians Without Borders, Canada.
Dr. Landals lives on a small farm near Onoway with his wife Lucille. They share their life with 19 head of riding and driving horses and a joyful golden retriever. Their farm is conveniently located close to the families of their three daughters and six grandchildren.
Dr. Landals joined the Alberta SPCA Board in 2016 and was elected President in 2018.
Dr. Connie Varnhagen - Treasurer
Dr. Varnhagan is a professor of Psychology in the Agricultural Life and Environmental Sciences department at the University of Alberta. As part of her work, Dr. Varnhagan studies, teaches and writes about the human-animal bond. Her educational achievements include a Masters of Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 and a PhD in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara in 1985. Dr. Varnhagan is affiliated with the Centre for the Human Animal Bond at Purdue University of Veterinary Medicine where she began working with the organization to help low income people keep their pets.
Dr. Varnhagan joined the Alberta SPCA Board in 2017.
Lexi Burt - Secretary
Lexi and her husband Michael have a beef and grain operation south of Leduc. All cattle work on the farm is completed off horseback or using a dog. Lexi is a University of Alberta graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Health in 2016. Growing up around animals gave Lexi the passion to work in agriculture, and through post-secondary education, she expanded her knowledge of livestock production practices and the realities of livestock production in Alberta.
Aside from work on the farm, Lexi enjoys training dogs in agility and disc dog.
Lexi joined the Alberta SPCA Board in 2020.
Dr. Marion Anderson - Director
Dr. Marion Anderson is a veterinarian from the Innisfail area. She completed her veterinary training from WCVM in Saskatoon and spent three years at Iowa State University completing an internship and residency and earning her MSc in animal reproduction. After returning to Canada, she worked in large animal practice with a focus on equine animals and their reproduction.
After nearly two decades of private practice, Marion joined the faculty at Olds College as coordinator and instructor of the Equine Science program and manager of the Equine Reproduction Center and she is still there.
Marion has a very strong affinity for animals and takes their care and well-being very seriously. She joined the board of directors of the Alberta SPCA in 2011 and served as its president from 2012 until 2018. After a brief break, Marion returned to the board in 2021. She believes strongly in the mission and vision of the Alberta SPCA and in the great work that the organization does. She feels that it is a privilege to be able to contribute in a small way in supporting its operation.
Kris Rooney, B.Ed., CPDT-KA - Director
Kris brings an educator’s point of view and over 30 years of experience as a teacher and school counselor as she returns to the Board of Directors. She has been a long-time supporter of the Alberta SPCA and served as Director from 2004-2012. Now retired, Kris was employed by Battle River School Division and taught at Holden Elementary School using her dogs, Archie, Angus and Spencer as Activity Assistance Dogs in her classroom and role as school counselor. The welcoming of dogs in the school was unheard of at the time but became an important part of the school’s culture. She has a passion for humane and character education, and the study of canine body language. Kris has participated in a number of projects with the Alberta SPCA, including informational interviews, presentations for SPCA staff and videos for the organizations’ YouTube Curious Questions segments.
Kris is a professional member of the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers and the Alberta Force Free Alliance. In 2009, Kris earned her professional designation as a Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) from the Council for the Certification of Pet Dog Trainers, an organization recognized world-wide for its adherence to the highest standards of education. For five years prior to the presence of COVID and the enormous changes it forced in the canine training community, Kris was working as a Wellness Dog evaluator for CAAWLS (Chimo Animal Assisted Wellness and Learning Society). This included offering prep classes for up-and coming dogs, in addition to serving on the team that developed the test and ongoing evaluations.
Having grown up on a mixed farm in central Alberta, Kris has an understanding of the workings of a small farm which featured raising beef cattle and grain production. As a youngster, Kris rode her pony daily out to the pastures to “check on the cows just in case rustlers had raided the herd” and spent summers on the tractor raking hay for 10 cents an hour. Kris and her husband, Daryl, live on an acreage named Ministik Hills, in the Tofield area, sharing the land with their furry family, which currently includes Golden Retrievers Quinn and Cooper. Most recently and perhaps foolishly, Golden puppy Dublin and kittens Fiona and Orla have been added to the gang. Aside from companion dog training activities, Kris enjoys travel, gardening and walking the groomed trails on the acreage.
Colin Quast - Director
Colin Quast is a born-and-raised Albertan. He spent 26 years with the Edmonton Police Service where he was both a handler and the supervisor in charge of the Canine Unit. He has judged at numerous national championships of the Canadian Police Canine Association as well as being a past champion (a long time ago). Colin has trained narcotics, explosives, and general purpose dogs and earned the title of Master Dog trainer with the Canadian Police Canine Association. In between stints in the Canine Unit, Colin was a detective in the Serious Offender section and the Gang Unit where he was involved in complex investigations.
After retiring from the police service, Colin went on to become the plant manager at an Edmonton-based private company. He has been married to his wife, Allison, for over 40 years and they have four adult children as well as numerous grandchildren.
Colin is an avid trail rider having ridden in the Alberta Rockies for the past 40 years. He has owned numerous horses over the years and currently is trying to keep two horses “trail ready.” You will find Colin riding at Ministik Bird Game Sanctuary or the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Recreational Area when he can’t get out to the mountains. Colin is also a member of the Alberta Trail Riding Association.
Dr. Teryn Girard - Director
Dr. Teryn Girard is a poultry veterinarian servicing commercial and small flocks throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. Her journey in poultry health started by receiving a MSc in Poultry Behaviour from the University of Alberta and proceeded into poultry medicine after graduating from UCVM in 2019.
Dr. Teryn joined Prairie Swine Health Services in 2020 and spearheaded the clinic’s expansion into poultry medicine. The practice has now transitioned to become Prairie Livestock Veterinarians where she finds herself in the current role as lead poultry veterinarian in a growing poultry team, as well as veterinarian for Cargill Animal Nutrition in Western Canada.
In addition to her busy daily duties, she enjoys dedicating time instructing at the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, and is a highly sought after speaker for numerous engagements within the poultry industry. Dr. Teryn has been recognized amongst Canada’s top young poultry veterinarians as the recipient of the Canadian Top 4 Under 40 and the CVMA leadership award in (2018), and as the young vet of the year in Alberta (2023).
As Teryn journeys through her career, she is immensely dedicated to teaching and mentoring students in poultry management and medicine; a way to give back to the community that has always supported her. In her free time, you can often find this poultry veterinarian exploring the mountains and coast in a camper van with her husband, Darren, and their two schnauzers, Zack and Zoey and Bernedoodle, Bruce-Andy.
