Serving as the Kansas Animal Health Commissioner and State Veterinarian, Dr. Justin Smith leads a team of animal health officials as they strive to ensure the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health is meeting the needs of Kansas’ livestock industry. The team oversees regulatory issues, disease surveillance and management, and disease emergency response and preparedness. Dr. Smith, a Kansas native, graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in agriculture and then earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine. He uses his range of experiences gained from over 15 years as a large animal veterinarian practitioner, 10-plus years as a manager of a large cow-calf/stocker ranch, and service as a livestock production extension agent to develop applicable and practical solutions for topics such as regulatory medicine, disease control, and livestock emergency management. During his tenure as the Animal Health Commissioner, Kansas has been a leader and innovator when it comes to response planning for a large-scale animal disease event. This includes hosting and participating in large-scale functional exercises, engaging with industry partners to develop workable plans, and leveraging tools such as Secure Food Supply plans. Dr. Smith continues to adopt the strategy that an effective response balances a thorough disease mitigation plan with support for business continuity. He currently lives in Manhattan, Kansas, with his wife Donna and surrounded by grandkids. He enjoys the outdoors, hobby farming, and watching the grandkids excel.