About

Dr. Denna M. Benn received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Ontario Veterinary College, and her Diploma in Small Animal Medicine and her Masters of Science degree at the University of Guelph. Dr. Benn's career has focused on the use of animals in research and teaching, serving as the clinical veterinarian and director of animal care services at the University of Guelph for over 31 years.

Dr. Benn has been involved in a number of professional and community-based organizations, including: the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science; the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine; the Association for Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care (currently an ad hoc consultant); the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science; and the Guelph Humane Society.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Chair, Board of Directors (2025-present)
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors (2023-2025)
Chair, Governance and Nominations Committee (2023–2025)
Member, Governance and Nominations Committee (2019-2023)
Member, Categories of Invasiveness Subcommittee (2018-2024)
Board Liaison, Public Affairs and Communications Committee (2013-2023)
Chair, Planning and Finance Committee (2012-2013)
Member, Planning and Finance Committee (2011-2012)

Dr. Jeffrey Richards is a professor and head of the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). His research program aims to understand how organisms respond to environmental change, particularly the evolution of low oxygen tolerance in diverse organisms and the biochemical and physiological mechanisms that enable some organisms to maintain function under low oxygen conditions. Dr. Richards has published over 120 peer-reviewed research articles, books, and book chapters.

Dr. Richards served as chair of the UBC animal care committee between 2017 and 2022 where he worked collaboratively to provide effective ethical oversight of animal-based research, improved transparency around animal research, developed animal care committee policies, modernized pedagogical-merit review, and engaged with community stakeholders. Dr. Richards was also the founding director of InSEAS, which is a state-of-the-art aquatic animal research facility at UBC. Dr. Richards has served in leadership roles in the broader scientific community through his involvement in national and international societies and as a member of the editorial board for numerous journals, including the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors (2025-present)
Chair, Governance and Nominations Committee (2025-present)
Board Liaison, Assessment and Certification Committee (2023–present)
Board Liaison, Standards Committee (2020-2023)

Mr. Stanislaus Ajong holds an LL.B from the University of Yaoundé (Cameroon) and an LL.M from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland, United Kingdom). He is a Chevening scholar, seasoned rights advocate, and legal professional with over 25 years of leadership experience across Africa, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Called to the Cameroon Bar in 1999 and admitted into the Law Society of Manitoba for Articling at BNB Law Corporation, Winnipeg, in March 2026, he brings deep cross-jurisdictional expertise in governance, administrative law, and institutional accountability.

Mr. Ajong currently serves as vice-president of the African Bar Association, providing strategic leadership on governance reform, institutional strengthening, conflict and crisis management, and continent wide legal initiatives. His work consistently promotes ethical standards, evidence based decision making, and the development of resilient professional systems; principles that closely mirror the CCAC’s commitment to responsible, transparent, and humane oversight within research environments.

Mr. Ajong’s leadership in rights protection, environmental governance, and the advancement of the rule of law has informed policy development and strengthened professional capacity building initiatives across multiple jurisdictions. He brings a strong record of integrity, independence, and collaborative leadership, and is committed to applying his experience and sound judgment to advance the CCAC’s mission and reinforce its governance framework.

Mr. Stéphane Beaudoin has been a member of the Ordre des agronomes du Québec since 1997 and has built his career in the agri-food sector with a strong focus on animal welfare, humane handling, transportation, slaughter practices, and food safety systems.

As president of Gestbeau Inc., he provides consulting, training, auditing, and technical support to producers, processors, industry organizations, and certification bodies. His work includes the development and delivery of animal welfare training programs, support for compliance and continuous improvement initiatives, and the practical implementation of standards related to humane care, transport, and slaughter.

Mr. Beaudoin is certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization and has participated in a wide range of audit, training, and advisory activities across livestock and poultry sectors. His expertise bridges science, regulation, industry practice, and public trust, with particular attention to evidence-based assessment and practical solutions.

He previously served as a director of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity from 2022 to 2025, where he contributed to discussions on public trust in the Canadian agri-food system and helped ensure that animal welfare remained an important part of the conversation.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Finance and Operations Committee (2025-present)

Dr. Michael Czubryt is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, a principal investigator at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, and the executive director of research at St. Boniface Hospital. His research program focuses on the underlying mechanisms of gene regulation in heart failure, with a focus on cardiac fibrosis, and the translation of these discoveries to novel therapeutic interventions in the clinic, and he has published over 80 research articles and chapters on the topic.

Dr. Czubryt has an extensive record of service in the ethical animal care and use community at the local, national, and international levels, including seven years on animal protocol review committees, and 14 years on the University of Manitoba Committee on Animal Care. He has served as a reviewer, scientific officer, and chair for numerous peer review committees, and has held leadership roles in professional organizations such as the American Physiological Society and the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences. Dr. Czubryt also maintains an active training program that encompasses high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, with more than 50 trainees mentored to date.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Finance and Operations Committee (2023-present)
Chair, Board of Directors (2021-2023)
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors (2019-2021)
Chair, Governance and Nominations Committee (2019-2021)
Member, Task Force on Transparency and Confidentiality (2019-2021)
Member, Task Force on Strategic Planning (2019-2020)
Member, Governance and Nominations Committee (2018-2019)

Dr. Richard Dyck is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. He is a behavioural neuroscientist with training in psychology and neurobiology, studying the animal brain as a model system for understanding normal and abnormal human behaviour.

His major research focus is directed towards understanding the development and plasticity of the brain’s cerebral cortex, and its ability to change on a moment-to-moment basis to adapt to its environment through experiences. He is currently conducting research programs that address different facets of these issues in wild type and mutant/transgenic mice.

Dr. Dyck has been involved (at several levels) in animal care and use committees at the University of Calgary for over 10 years of his 20+ year career in academia, including as a member, co-chair, and chair of animal protocol review committees. He has also served on local, provincial, and federal grant review panels related to animal use.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Governance and Nominations Committee (2021-present)

Mr. Dan Fryer has been a proud community representative on the animal care committees of two CCAC-certified facilities for over 10 years. Mr. Fryer also supports the Assessment and Certification Committee with site visits and has assisted in both large and small assessments across the country.

At present, he is a regional operations director for VCA Canada, a privately owned, veterinary health corporation, and oversees multiple veterinary hospitals across Eastern Ontario.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Finance and Operations Committee (2024–present)

Ms. Caila Henderson is the aquatic facility manager and the animal care coordinator at Saint Mary’s University (SMU). Ms. Henderson holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Science degree in fish ecology and aquaculture from Mount Allison University, where she was also a laboratory manager during her graduate degree tenure.

Ms. Henderson joined SMU’s Department of Science in 2016 as aquatic facility manager and technician for the Environmental Science Department. Shortly after beginning in this role, she led the recommissioning of the SMU Aquatic Facility. This project was integral in restoring the SMU Animal Care program’s Certificate of GAP-Good Animal Practice®. The facility was operational within four months and continued to improve systems and procedures to meet CCAC standards and receive GAP certification. To further her goals of improving the facility, Ms. Henderson oversaw the design, procurement, installation, and start-up of two custom recirculation aquaculture systems in the facility.

Ms. Henderson facilitates a strong relationship between researchers working in the aquatic facility and the animal care committee, wherein communication is transparent and collaborative in nature. She is enthusiastic about continuous education on CCAC policies and practices and trains all animal care committee members and student researchers, encouraging a science-based approach of optimizing the health and welfare of research animals. She also chairs monthly aquatic facility meetings with researchers and staff to discuss safe work practices, review standard operating procedures, forecast and prepare for upcoming projects, and problem solve issues.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Governance and Nominations Committee (2025-present)

Dr. Jennifer Ogeer is a dedicated advocate for the human-animal bond, animal welfare, and inclusive community building. A graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), she went on to complete a residency in emergency and critical care at Tufts University/Angell Memorial Animal Hospital and earned a Master of Science in Critical Care from OVC.

Her career spans more than three decades across academic teaching, research, clinical practice, and senior administration, including faculty roles at Texas A&M University and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. With a strong interest in organizational leadership, she also holds an Executive MBA and a Master of Arts in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.

Dr. Ogeer is deeply committed to service and governance. She has completed two terms as chair of Veterinarians Without Borders Canada and currently serves as chair of Veterinarians Without Borders USA and chair of the OVC Pet Trust Advisory Board. She is a champion for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in veterinary medicine, having served as vice-chair of the Diversity Veterinary Medicine Coalition and as a board director for the Black Veterinary Professionals Association of Canada.

Her professional interests include artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical practice, kidney and gastrointestinal disease, infectious diseases, and molecular diagnostics.

Dr. Vanessa Oliver is a laboratory animal veterinarian who completed a residency and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and currently serves as the associate university veterinarian for the Health Sciences campus at the University of Calgary. In this role, she provides leadership and strategic advice on animal care program operations and regulatory compliance. She is the director of the Institutional Animal User Training program, overseeing curriculum development, refinement, and training proficiency metrics at the university. In addition, Dr. Oliver holds an adjunct appointment in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, teaching laboratory animal medicine to undergraduate and graduate-level trainees, as well as serving on graduate supervisory committees.

Outside of her role as associate university veterinarian, Dr. Oliver has research interests in rodent anesthesia, analgesia, pain assessments, and euthanasia. She has developed, validated, and published postoperative pain assessments in a variety of rodent models with a focus on practical, cage-side assessments. Over the years, Dr. Oliver has also participated on standards subcommittees for the CCAC.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Board Liaison, Standards Committee (2024–present)

Ms. Catherine Rushton is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants and a Fellow Chartered Accountant, and has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Manitoba, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Toronto. She has over 35 years of progressive experience as a senior financial executive in the post-secondary and not‑for‑profit sector.

Ms. Rushton was the senior vice-president, Corporate Services, and chief financial officer at Loyalist College. She also spent 16 years as the vice-president, Finance and Administration, at Red River College (this period included eight months as interim president).

Past volunteer experience includes the United Way of Winnipeg, United Way of Hastings and Prince Edward County, and serving as a founding member of the board of directors of the Canadian Animal Blood Bank in Winnipeg.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Chair, Board of Directors (2023-2025)
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors (2021-2023)
Chair, Finance and Operations Committee (2018-2022)
Chair, Governance and Nominations Committee (2021-2023)
Member, Task Force on Transparency and Confidentiality (2019-2021)
Member, Task Force on Strategic Planning (2019-2020)

Dr. Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde is a full professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Laurentian University and was a Tier 2 Canada research chair in applied evolutionary ecology (2011-2021). He has three decades of experience conducting research at the interface of animal ecology, behaviour, and physiology, particularly related to behavioural ecology, urban ecology, and parasite/pathogen interactions with wildlife. Of note is his work in zoo conservation, especially with the Toronto Zoo, with which he has been collaborating for over a decade.

Dr. Schulte-Hostedde has served the animal care community in a variety of contexts. He was a member and subsequently chair of the animal care committee at Laurentian University. He has twice served as the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution representative for the CCAC. Dr. Schulte-Hostedde has previously served on the CCAC board, and has presented at the CCAC’s national workshop on the challenges for wildlife researchers in navigating an animal care system that is mostly geared towards laboratory animal models.

Additional CCAC Involvement
Member, Governance and Nominations Committee (2025-present)

Dr. Craig Wilkinson is a veterinarian with a diverse career spanning private practice, shelter medicine, academia, and institutional oversight. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Alberta and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

After starting in rural mixed practice, Dr. Wilkinson founded and ran a companion animal practice in Edmonton before serving as the shelter manager and veterinarian for the Edmonton Humane Society for five years, where he managed the care of over 10,000 companion animals annually.

In 2001, he joined the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences as the director of animal care, where he provided veterinary oversight to dairy, swine, poultry, and beef facilities for 14 years. He also taught courses in animal health, welfare, and behavior, and helped launch the Bachelor of Science in Animal Health program in 2010. He was appointed university veterinarian in 2015, a role from which he is now retired. In this capacity, he oversaw the university's comprehensive animal care and use program, managed North Campus Animal Services, and ensured CCAC compliance across biomedical, wildlife, agricultural, and fish research.

Dr. Wilkinson has served on committees and on the boards of local, provincial, and national animal health and welfare organizations, and continued to work regular shifts in private companion animal practice until 2020.

Beyond the university, Dr. Wilkinson provides veterinary consulting services to various CCAC-certified institutions and is an active CCAC volunteer, contributing as an assessment panel member and former chair, guideline committee participant, and standing committee member.

Mr. Pierre Verreault joined the CCAC as executive director in 2017. With a strong background in standards and policy development, he is committed to fulfilling the CCAC's strategic goals and objectives and ensuring the long-term stability and viability of the organization.

He has more than 25 years of experience in managing national, member-based organizations. Prior to joining the CCAC, Mr. Verreault worked for a non-profit association of food producers, developing policies and strategies to support the industry and its workforce, and spearheading the development of a professional standards and certification system. He was also responsible for reorganizing the national office and developing a new funding strategy. Mr. Verreault has worked as a management consultant for small and medium firms, and has served on the board of directors of multiple national and international organizations. He is currently a member of the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science governing board.

Mr. Verreault holds a Master in European Affairs, European Commercial Law and Business Administration degree from Lund University, Sweden, and a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations degree from the Université Laval.