MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH
SWINE TECHNICAL SERVICES TEAM
Jack Creel, D.V.M.
Dr. Jack Creel earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, as well as a Bachelor
of Science in Microbiology, from Iowa State University.
Prior to joining Merck Animal Health, Dr. Creel served as a production veterinarian
for the largest Iowa-based pork production company where he managed the growfinish health of the pigs. He also served as a partner at Valley Veterinary Center, a
mixed-animal practice in Iowa. Dr. Creel’s current focus is on providing technical and
production veterinary medicine support in the upper Midwest.
Dr. Creel is a member of several veterinary associations, including the American
Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and
the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association.
Mark Engle, D.V.M., M.S.
Dr. Engle earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University and
his Master of Science from the University of Minnesota. He is a senior technical services
manager for Merck Animal Health and provides technical support for veterinary practices
and swine production companies. He has been involved in the swine industry for 34 years,
working in private practice and swine farm management services. Dr. Engle also has held
multiple roles in swine genetics companies.
Dr. Engle holds leadership roles in the American Veterinary Medical Association, the
International Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine
Veterinarians. He also is active in the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, National
Pork Producers Council and United States Animal Health Association. Dr. Engle has made
significant contributions to many issues important to modern pork production, such as
food security and swine disease monitoring, control and eradication.
Tim Kniffen, D.V.M., M.S.
Dr. Tim Kniffen earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Science
in Veterinary Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine in Urbana-Champaign.
With a mixed background of private practice, research, and management of veterinary
services and production for integrated swine production operations, Dr. Kniffen provides
his customers with valued skills and experience. Prior to joining Merck Animal Health,
Dr. Kniffen was responsible for veterinary services at an integrated production operation
with 165,000 sows.
Dr. Kniffen has co-authored numerous papers published in peer-reviewed journals and
presentations, and he is actively involved in the food production industry. He is a member
of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association,
World Aquaculture Veterinary Society and American Veterinary Medical Association.
Karen Lehe, D.V.M., DACVPM
Dr. Karen Lehe earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Virginia-Maryland
Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and holds a Certificate of Residency in Large
Animal Clinical Nutrition from Michigan State University. She is also a Diplomate of the
American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Lehe, a senior account manager for the swine business unit at Merck Animal Health,
has an extensive background in swine animal health. Previously, she worked as a swine
technical services veterinarian, served as a principal investigator and veterinarian of record
for a private research facility, established and managed a swine veterinary practice and
provided herd health veterinary services to pork producers in a four-state area. She holds
USDA accreditation in five states and is a certified advisor for Pork Quality Assurance
Plus and Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus. She is involved in the American Association
of Swine Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National
Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
James Lehman, D.V.M., M.S.
Dr. James Lehman earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine. He also earned his
Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Veterinary Clinical Medicine at the same
institution. Dr. Lehman has co-authored numerous papers published in peer-reviewed
journals, and he is a member of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the
American Veterinary Medical Association.
From 2004 to 2010, Dr. Lehman owned his own veterinary practice, specializing in research
trial work and consulting services for swine production operations in Illinois and Missouri.
At that time, he owned a predominantly small-animal veterinary clinic and served as director
of the Veterinary Technology Program at Parkland College. Dr. Lehman joined Merck Animal
Health in 2011 as a technical services veterinarian for the U.S. swine business.
Joe Roder, D.V.M., Ph.D., DABVT
Dr. Joe Roder earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a doctorate in
pharmacology/toxicology from Oklahoma State University. In addition, he is a Diplomate
of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology.
Dr. Roder, director of technical services for the swine business unit at Merck Animal
Health, has worked with the company’s ruminants and poultry business units in
marketing, training and technical services, and has managed a vaccine manufacturing
facility and a diagnostic laboratory. He spent 10 years in academia where he taught a
broad range of veterinary and veterinary pharmacy courses.
Author and co-author of 24 peer-reviewed journal articles, Dr. Roder also has authored a
veterinary toxicology textbook, written 25 chapters in peer-reviewed medical texts and
made numerous scientific poster presentations. He is actively involved in the industry,
including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of
Bovine Practitioners and the Academy of Veterinary Consultants.
Richard Schlueter, D.V.M.
Dr. Richard Schlueter earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State
University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition, he maintains veterinary accreditation with USDA/APHIS.
After an adjunct instructorship in veterinary pharmacology at Iowa State University,
he worked in a mixed-animal veterinary practice for 10 years in west-central Iowa.
Dr. Schlueter served 14 years as a plant site veterinarian in conjunction with nearly 25
years of swine technical services with Intervet (now Merck Animal Health). In 2007, he
was promoted to senior technical services veterinarian for the U.S. swine business.
Dr. Schlueter’s special interests include swine enteric viruses, such as rotavirus, as well as
mycoplasma pneumonia and circovirus diagnostics and serology. He is a member of the
American Veterinary Medical Association, the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association
and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.
Brad Thacker, D.V.M., Ph.D., MBA
Dr. Thacker earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, as well as his doctorate,
from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He also holds a Master
of Business Administration from Iowa State University.
Dr. Thacker is the associate director of life cycle management with the swine business
unit at Merck Animal Health and serves as the liaison for biological and pharmaceutical
research and development, as well as global marketing. His primary focus is on swine
respiratory diseases and reproduction management.
His extensive background includes several years in private veterinary practice, specializing
in cattle and swine, and nearly 20 years in academia, where he taught swine medicine and
conducted research on a wide array of swine diseases. He also provided advisory services
to swine producers and allied industries in the United States and internationally.
Dr. Thacker has been well recognized within the industry. In 1999, he received the Pfizer
Award for Research Excellence at Iowa State University. In 2002, he earned the Iowa State
College of Agriculture Team Award, Alternative Swine Production Systems Team. Most
recently, Dr. Thacker received the Technical Services and Allied Industry Veterinarian of the
Year Award from the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.
© 2014 Intervet, Inc., a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health. All rights reserved.