speaker biographies
bill bruce
Bill Bruce joined the City of Calgary in 1981 in the Traffic
Engineering Department where a great deal of his work was focused on
traffic safety, regulations and truck and dangerous goods movement and
regulation. Bill also served a two year term as assistant to the City
Commissioners office before joining Animal and Bylaw Services in 2000.
Bill came into the Animal and Bylaw area with a vision of
moving the focus from enforcement to a broader goal of achieving and
maintaining compliance to the City’s bylaws, utilizing tools such as
clear, understandable bylaws and policies, partnerships, conflict
resolution techniques and public education to raise awareness and
improve voluntary
compliance. The areas of priority have been activities that effect
public health and safety, protection of the environment and protection
of municipal infrastructure. Bill believes that the municipality’s
bylaws must reflect the standards of the community and that service
should be delivered in partnership with communities, business groups,
other agencies and
city departments. In the Animal Services area the focus has been to
create a community of responsible pet owners in collaboration with all
of the groups involved with animals in the community with specific
goals to reduce the number or aggressive incidents involving dogs,
increase the return to owner rates for both dogs and cats, reduce
euthanasia and work towards becoming a no more homeless pets
municipality.
Bill is a believer in continuous improvement and is
committed to improving the quality of life in the community for both people and animals.
dr. leslie lyons
Dr.
Leslie Lyons is well known for her work in genomics and her passion
for cats. Her recent work has included the analysis of the origin of
cat breeds and the sites of cat domestication. This body of knowledge
was recently featured by the National Geographic program, 'The Science of Cats'.
National Geographic - The Science of Cats I
National Geographic - The Science of Cats II
Leslie Lyons was born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania, one hour
south of Pittsburgh, in Uniontown. Dr. Lyons received her graduate
degrees from The University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public
Health, Department of Human Genetics. Both her Masters and Doctorate
degrees are in human genetics, specializing in both laboratory and data
analysis of human disease gene mapping.
In 1992, Dr. Lyons joined the National Cancer Institute, Laboratory of
Genomic Diversity for her post-doctoral career in comparative genetics.
While at the NCI, she helped organized the Feline Genome Project. Dr.
Lyons developed a
feline genetic mapping pedigree using natural mating and assisted
reproductive techniques between domestic and Asian Leopard cats. These
hybrid cats are known as Bengals by cat breeders. Dr. Lyons was
promoted to Research Fellow at the NCI and expanded her interests by
initiating population genetic and disease gene mapping projects for the
domestic cat.
In
the fall of 1999, Dr. Lyons joined the University of California, Davis,
School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health and
Reproduction, to further pursue
disease gene mapping and genetic map construction in companion animals,
including the cats, dogs, horses and primates. The laboratory’s major
focus is the genetics of the domestic cat, including disease, inherited
traits, and population diversity.
Dr. Lyons’ research laboratory has had recent success with the
identification of the gene causing Persian cat polycystic kidney
disease, which is the most prevalent inherited disease in cats. The
laboratory has also identified the mutations for Siamese, Burmese,
albino, chocolate and cinnamon coat colors as well as the mutation
causing cat blood group B. Each of these mutations can now be used as a
genetic test in cats.
The Lyons’ laboratory has also led an international collaboration to
develop a worldwide genetic panel for parentage and identification
profiling in cats, which is even being used in forensic applications.
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dr. elizabeth o'brien
Born and raised in Hamilton, Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien, DVM, Diplomate
American
Board of Veterinary Practitioners certified in feline practice, is the
current owner of two successful feline exclusive practices, The Cat
Clinic in Hamilton and Village Cat Clinic in Ancaster.
Dr. O'Brien graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph,
Ontario in 1985. Today, Dr. O'Brien is the only board certified feline
specialist in Hamilton with only 4 in Canada.
In partnership with the Hamilton Burlington SPCA, Dr. O’Brien
piloted a trap-neuter-release program in 2004 in hopes of developing a
program that will reduce the stray and feral population.
Dr. O’Brien received the prestigious Jean Rumney award in
2008. This award recognizes those who have shown outstanding commitment
and dedication to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and to the animals and
the communities it serves. The award is the most esteemed honour the
HBSPCA can bestow upon an
individual.
The Cat Clinic was the recipient of the National Award for
Animal Wellness in 2008 at The Banff Summit for Urban Animal Strategies.
Dr.
O’Brien is member of various feline organizations including Cornell
Feline Health and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. She
chaired ‘The Year of the Cat’ for the SPCA, is chair of the ‘Feline
Advisory Committee’ for the SPCA, appeared on several radio talk shows
and spoken for numerous events including youth education on animal
care.
larry r. evans
For more than thirty-five years, Evans has been
involved in the development of new markets for large multi-national
firms. In 1981, Evans was hired by Ericsson Communications of Stockholm,
Sweden to join a team bringing wireless and switched products to North
America. This small team won more than 20% of the North American cellular
market in just three years.
Evans is one of the founders of the Lenbrook Group
of Companies. This privately held company grew to become one of the
leading Canadian companies in electronics, but is best known for its
development and subsequent sale of Clearnet Inc. a national cellular network to
TELUS Mobility Inc. in one of the largest transactions completed in the North
American telecommunications industry.
In late 2001, Evans was engaged as President &
CEO of PetLynx Corporation. Raising capital for an emerging company in a
new category was very difficult under prevailing market conditions. Evans
completed a new business plan, raised new investment, completed initial
technical developments, and delivered the PetLynx vision to market in 48
months. With Evans' leadership, PetLynx has developed a vision and built
a successful Information Utility that will provide a new level of connectivity
to the companion animal industry in North America.
Although Evans is best known for his tenacious
grasp of business development and his ability to articulate a vision of the
future, he is also known for his ability to meet and overcome personal
challenges. In 1984, Evans suffered a serious accident which kept him out
of active business until returning for a second stint with the Lenbrook Group
in 1989.
Today Evans lives on a small ranch near Crossfield,
Alberta, where he and his wife of 34 years, Janice, contribute to their
community and enjoy their rural lifestyle, Percheron horses and the proximity
of their four adult children.