Dr. Norman G. Willis
Managing Partner
Research & Life Sciences
Printable Copy in PDF Format
Dr. Willis is a distinguished scientist and a leading international authority in
the prevention, eradication and control of animal diseases. He is Honorary
President (lifetime) of the World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE or
Office International des Epizooties) in Paris (France) after serving as Vice
President and President for one full term. Dr. Willis is the only North
American to serve as president since the foundation of OIE in 1923. He recently
led a team to study the future of veterinary-medicine education for the
Association of American Veterinary Medicine Colleges, which includes schools in
the U.S., Canada and off-shore colleges in the U.K., the Netherlands and New
Zealand, among others.
Dr. Willis directed the design and construction of Canada’s first and only maximum
bio-containment laboratory. He held a joint appointment with Health Canada and
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as Executive Director of the Canadian
Science Centre for Human and Animal Health. He was also Director General -
Animal and Plant Health Directorate, Food Production and Inspection Branch in
the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where he was responsible for
eight animal pathology and plant protection laboratories and the national
animal health and plant protection programs. As Senior Technical Advisor to the
Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food for BSE in Asia, Dr. Willis
played an instrumental role in helping resolve agricultural trade issues
between Canada, Japan, China and other Pacific Rim countries. He was also
Program Consultant for the construction of United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) BSL-03 Animal Facility at Ames (Iowa); and Consultant
managing an international working group for the development of alternatives to
animal disposal.
Dr. Willis holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Ontario Veterinary College,
a Diploma in Bacteriology from the
School of Hygiene, University of Toronto, and a PhD in Virology from the School
of Hygiene, University of Toronto. He was a Member of the Executive Committee,
United States Animal Health Association; and the Chairperson of the
International Working Group on Animal Disposal Alternatives (IWADA). He also
served as Senior Statesman evaluating the International Forum on the International
Aspects of Accidental Release or Deliberate Use of Biological Agents Affecting
Food and Agriculture hosted by Texas A&M University Systems’s Integrative
Center for Homeland Security. In May 2007, Dr. Willis was awarded the Gold
Metal for Meritorious Service (Médaille D'Or) at the 75th general session of
the OIE held in Paris. He is the first
Canadian to receive such an award.
DETAILED PROFESSIONAL VITAE
EDUCATION
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: Ontario Veterinary College, 1963
- Diploma in Bacteriology: School of Hygiene - University of Toronto, 1968
- PhD – Virology: School of Hygiene - University of Toronto, 1973
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Honorary President (Lifetime): World Health Organization for Animal Health
(OIE), Paris (France), 2003
- Scientific Advisor: Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, 2002–Present
- Senior Technical Advisor: Canadian Minister of Agriculture
and Agrifood for BSE in Asia, Tokyo (Japan), 2004–Present
- Program Consultant: Construction of a BSL-03, United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Animal Facility at Ames,
Iowa as part of the ARS-APHIS, Master Plan (Contract with Merrick & Company), 2002-Present
- Consultant: Manager of an international working group for
the development of alternatives to animal disposal (Contract with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency), 2001-Present
- Executive Director: Canadian Science Centre for Human and
Animal Health, Winnipeg (Manitoba), a joint appointment with Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency, 2000-2001
- President: L’Office International des Epizooties (OIE), Paris (France),
1997-2000
- Special Advisor: President of the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency, 1997-2000
- Executive Director: National Centre for Foreign Animal
Disease, Winnipeg (Manitoba), 1996-99
- Director General: Animal and Plant Health Directorate,
Food Production and Inspection Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa (Ontario): Responsible
for eight animal pathology and plant protection laboratories and the national animal health and plant
protection programs, 1991-1996
- Director-General: Health of Animals Directorate, Food
Production and Inspection Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Responsible for
eight laboratories for animal pathology and the national animal health program, Ottawa (Ontario), 1987-1991
- Director: Animal Pathology Division:
Responsible for eight laboratories across Canada, Ottawa (Ontario), 1980-1987
- Director: Animal Pathology Laboratory, Guelph (Ontario), 1978-1980
- Virologist: Virology Section, Animal Diseases Research
Institute: diagnosis and research of foreign animal diseases, arboviruses and avian diseases; Course
Director for foreign animal disease recognition courses for veterinarians from Canada and from
a number of other countries, Grosse Ile (Quebec), 1971-78
- Veterinary Scientist: Animal Diseases Research Institute, 1965-67
- Post-Graduate Studies: School of Hygiene - University of Toronto, 1967-71
- Private Small Animal Practitioner: Agincourt (Ontario), 1964-65
INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATIONS
- Invited participant on a review panel for the future
of Veterinary Services in the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Services (APHIS) of the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), Wasghington (DC), 1997
- Invited participant on a panel to review
the research program of the Plum Island Animal Disease Centre (PIADC), and
the diagnostic program of the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic
Laboratory of PIADC for the USDA, 1998
- Requested by the Administrator of the USDA to review,
evaluate and comment on an ARS-APHIS Master Plan for Facility Consolidation and
Modernization at Ames, Iowa, valued at $379 million US in response to a Congressional
Directive for the Secretary of Agriculture, 2001
ACTIVITIES OF NOTE
- Managed Projects Design and construction
of new veterinary diagnostic and research laboratories at Lethbridge (Alberta), Guelph (Ontario),
St. Hyacinthe (Quebec) and Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), 1980-87
- Directed the design and construction of
Canada’s first and only maximum biocontainment laboratory
in Winnipeg (Manitoba),1980-1997
- Member of the Executive Committee, United States Animal
Health Association, 1990-2000
- Manager of the Year Award, Agriculture and
Agri-food Canada,1996
- Invited Speaker, Presentations in Argentina, New Zealand,
USA, Brazil, and Canada on the role of the OIE, 1997-2000
- Invited Speaker, Presented the keynote address
at the Annual Meeting of the United States Animal Health Association, 1998
- Developed a process and wrote a strategic plan
for the future direction of the OIE in the 2001-2005 period, 1998-2000
- Conceived, recommended and implemented a unique
management approach for the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, Winnipeg (Manitoba), 1999
- Chairperson: International Workshop on Animal
Disposal Alternatives (IWADA), Winnipeg (Manitoba), 2000
- Chairperson: International Working Group
on Animal Disposal Alternatives (IWADA), Ottawa (Ontario), 2002
- Invited to serve as Senior Statesman evaluating the International
Forum on the International Aspects of Accidental Release or Deliberate Use of Biological Agents Affecting Food and
Agriculture hosted by Texas A&M University Systems’s Integrative Center for Homeland Security, 2003
- Invited to make a feature presentation on carcass disposal
at the 23rd Conference of the OIE Regional Commission for Asia,
the Far East and Oceania held at Noumea (New Caledonia), 2003
- Acted as Senior Technical Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture
and Agrifood conducting consultations with government officials,
industry representatives and the public in Asian countries on Canadian policies for BSE, 2004
- Participated in the development of
General Guidelines for the Disposal of Carcasses for the OIE, Paris (France), 2004
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Served on the Board of Directors for the
Association of Community Living, Carleton Place (Ontario)
- Served as paddling coach with the Carleton
Place Canoe Club - Carleton Place (Ontario)
- Served as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the
Biathlon Association of Manitoba, Winnipeg (Manitoba)
|
Home
