Dr. Rosemary Sifford named recipient of 2026 AVMA Public Service Award

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) June 24, 2026-The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today honored Dr. Rosemary Sifford, recently retired U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer and Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as the winner of the 2026 AVMA Public Service Award.

The award, established in 1968, recognizes an AVMA member veterinarian for outstanding public service or contributions to the practice or science of public health and regulatory veterinary medicine.

"Dr. Sifford has dedicated her entire career to protecting the health of the nation's animals, its food supply and the public's trust in veterinary medicine," said Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president of the AVMA. "Her steady, science-based leadership through some of the most complex animal health emergencies in our history reflects the very best of public service. She is exactly the kind of leader this award was created to honor."

Dr. Sifford, a 2000 graduate of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, devoted her professional career to federal service in animal health. She joined APHIS in 1997 and went on to hold field and headquarters positions across Veterinary Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, and Animal Care, including early service as an agricultural quarantine inspection veterinarian.

She advanced through a series of leadership roles, serving as associate deputy administrator for both Veterinary Services and Animal Care before being named Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services and Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States on Aug. 1, 2021. In that role-the most senior regulatory and public health veterinary position in the country-she served as principal veterinary advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture and led the nation's animal health programs, emergency response systems and international veterinary representation.

Dr. Sifford guided the country through some of the most consequential animal health emergencies in modern history. She directed the most complex highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) response the United States has ever faced, including the first-ever detection of HPAI in U.S. dairy cattle, coordinating an integrated national effort spanning commercial poultry, backyard flocks, wildlife and dairy cattle while addressing milk safety and sustaining science-based international trade.

She also led federal efforts to protect the United States from the reintroduction of New World screwworm, working with USDA, Mexico's SENASICA and industry and wildlife partners to strengthen bi-national surveillance and reinforce the sterile insect barrier that shields U.S. livestock, wildlife and companion animals. Earlier, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped ensure the continuity of essential veterinary services, food supply operations and regulatory functions, and supported One Health coordination on cases of SARS-CoV-2 in animals.

Dr. Sifford's leadership extended well beyond U.S. borders. She served as the U.S. Delegate to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and led the Board of its Regional Commission of the Americas, and she represented the United States among the Quadrilateral group of chief veterinary officers, advancing global preparedness for emerging diseases and science-based trade. Throughout her career she remained a dedicated mentor and a champion of the federal veterinary workforce, supporting the development of the next generation of public service veterinarians.

To learn more about the AVMA Public Service Award and past recipients, visit https://www.avma.org/about/awards.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, senior media relations manager, at 847-732-6194 (cell/text) or [email protected].