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| Symposium
Seminar Biographies |
| P. Walter Bravo, DVM, Veterinarian
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P. Walter Bravo is a consulting veterinarian with advanced studies on the physiology of reproduction of llamas and alpacas. He has extensive research and clinical experience both in Peru and the USA. He has authored many papers in scientific literature and layman journals. He has written chapters of reproductive topics in many books and lately has written his own book titled The Reproductive Process of South American Camelids. In addition to research and teaching, he has also worked as a clinician for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at UC Davis, and lately, for Alpacas of America - one of the largest alpaca operations in the USA.
Dr. Bravo is affiliated with Camelid Veterinary Services and bring his experience, enthusiasm and willingness to help alpacas, llamas and their owners. He is happy use his knowledge and experience to actively consult with Dr. Cheryl DeWitt to help provide an excellent veterinary service for the well being of llamas and alpacas.
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| | Jim Daniels, CPA, Certified Public Accountant
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Jim earned his BS from Binghamton University in 1976 and is a partner in Davidson Fox and Company, Certified Public Accountants. His audit, accounting and tax practice includes manufacturing, wholesalers, retailers, health care providers, professional service corporations, engineering and agriculture. Jim specializes in tax planning and consulting services of closely held businesses. He also performs practice monitoring (peer review) services for other accounting firms throughout New York State. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Jim is licensed in both NY State and Pennsylvania. He serves on boards and committees of Chenango County Habitat for Humanity, Binghamton Rotary Club, JHI, The Chenango River Theatre, Stillwater RTF, and the UHS Foundation. Jim is a graduate of the 1996 Broome Leadership Institute and a past chair of the Binghamton University Foundation Community Campaign.
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| | Wade Gease, AOBA Certified Judge & Alpaca Owner
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Wade Gease is an AOBA certified alpaca judge, judge trainer, presenter and consultant. Wade has judged & presented throughout the United States and Canada. Wade is also a certified Camelid Fibre Sorter from Olds College Natural Fibre Centre, Canada. Presently, he serves on the board for the Great Lakes Alpaca Association and Vice President of AFCNA, Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America. He has been co-owner of LondonDairy Alpacas and Alpaca Threads gift store since 1997. Wade has been honored to be involved with so many different activities in the alpaca world: speaking for educational events, consulting for auctions, evaluating for private alpaca breeders and organizing private trips to Peru.
Wade has worked to produce several blends of Alpaca & Bamboo fabrics. This has led to developments into the fashion industry and has become a broker of bamboo and other mediums for blending with alpaca. Wade has recently created a new felting machine for home/farm use to empower ranches to make on the farm products.
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| | Cameron Holt, AOBA Senior Judge
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Cameron has had over 45 years in the wool and specialty fibre industry and he has focused on the production and marketing of wool and other speciality fibres. He was a Senior Wool Technical Officer with a leading Australian Wool Broking Company for twenty years. This has required him to become skilled in the breeding and flock management of sheep and goats, and in later years Alpacas. His responsibilities included, classifying and valuing wool in the company stores and on the wool production farms for the international wool market, advising wool growers on fibre preparation flock improvement, animal classing and purchasing of stud stock and also farm finance. Cameron has been responsible for fieldwork where fibre sampling of animals has occurred, enabling classing by fibre measurement to take place.
He has been a Competition Judge for the Wool, Cashmere, Mohair and Alpaca industries. He is currently judging and training Judges for the Australian Alpaca Association and in his role as Senior Fleece Judge and trainer for AOBA, has been involved in the training of AOBA judges as well as judging. Cameron has also travelled to Britain, Canada and New Zealand where he delivered educational programs in alpaca fibre production for Breeders and has been instrumental in the development and training for Judges. He also has judged in these countries.
Cameron designed and implemented a research program on Alpaca fleece characteristics. As a result of this research project he developed a sampling procedure for alpaca fleece. This project set out to establish the validity of sampling techniques for speciality fleeces.
Cameron was Head of the Wool and Fibre studies department of R.M.I.T. University School of Textiles where he was responsible for the delivery of the training for the Wool and allied fibres Industries. In his semi retirement of grandchildren, golf, fishing and community support, he still manages to find time to continue with his commitment to the Alpaca industry.
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| | Tom Knisely, Fiber Artist & Judge
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Tom Knisely, general manager and resident instructor at The Mannings, handweaving school and supply center in Pennsylvania. He joined The Manning's staff in 1977. He began his career in fiber arts as a spinner but soon progressed into almost all facets of fiber arts: weaving, spinning and dyeing. Tom's interests were sparked by a love for antique tools. With the purchase of an antique spinning wheel at the age of 14, he was self-taught, learning the craft through reading and simple trial and error. After a few years with a small mountain of yarn to use, Tom turned to weaving and has not looked back. With more than 35 years of experience, his interests lay mostly in historic American textiles, as well as global indigenous people's traditions in weaving. Tom enjoys collecting various examples of textiles and often utilizes them as teaching tools with his students, when relevant to focused class discussions. Tom is also a frequent contributor to publications such as "Handwoven Magazine".
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| | Tom Lyga, Marketing Consultant
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Tom Lyga is a marketing strategist focusing on helping small businesses and non-profit organizations with their marketing initiatives. With over 25 years of marketing experience, Tom guides organizations in making the most effective use of online tools to expand their customer reach. Tom holds a Bachelors degree from Clarkson University, and is pursuing an MBA from Syracuse University.
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| | Ed McCaslin, DVM and Ruthanne McCaslin, DVM, Veterinarians & Alpaca Owners
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Drs. Ed and Ruthanne McCaslin (affectionately known in the alpaca world as Dr. Ed and Dr. Ruthanne) have been veterinarians for over 40 years and alpaca owners, breeders and veterinarians for over 15 years. They received their BS and DVM degrees from Michigan State University where they were told that they would probably never see an alpaca unless they did zoo work. They established the Lakeshore Animal Hospital in Mentor, Ohio in 1972 and the Promised Land Farm in Chardon, Ohio in 1995. Dr. Ed has always had a special interest in dermatology and parasitology. Dr. Ruthanne’s interests run more to behavior and internal medicine. They bring to the table a zeal for learning, a passion for teaching, an understanding of the problems facing alpaca breeders today and some fresh perspectives from their small animal experience. They have taught seminars and workshops all over the country and have written a number of medical articles for Alpacas Magazine. They also do private consulting both on site and by phone. Dr. Ed is best known for his work with Chorioptic mite problems in alpacas. He has accepted alpaca dermatology referrals from a five state area. Dr. Ruthanne has been a member of the Development Committee of the Alpaca Research Foundation since its inception and is also on the advisory board of the International Miniature Llama Association.
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| | Frank Rossi, PhD, Associate Professor & Alpaca Owner
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Dr. Frank Rossi is the New York Extension Turfgrass Specialist and Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. He co-owns Bel Canto Farm with his wife and EAA Board Member Barb Rossi. Together they breed high quality huacayas with precise nutritional programs that recognize the value of high quality pastures. In his academic life, Frank is an international expert in golf and sports turf management, is a Visiting Professor at the Swedish Agricultural University at Alnarp, an advisor to both the Swedish Golf Federation and the European PGA Tour. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of the International Sustainability Council and Audubon International.
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