Kyle Shipman Appointed as New State Veterinarian by Indiana State Board of Animal Health

Kyle Shipman, DVM, who has been serving as Interim State Veterinarian since October 2024, has been appointed by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health on Tuesday to become the new State Veterinarian. The board voted unanimously to appoint Shipman to the position.

Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN) says he will allow the appointment to wait until it can be formally approved by Governor-elect Mike Braun when he is sworn in to become Indiana’s next governor on Monday, Jan. 13.

Shipman currently serves as director of BOAH’s Animal Programs Division. He is a graduate of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture (Animal Sciences). Shortly after joining BOAH, Dr. Shipman played a significant role in the agency’s response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza event in Dubois County in 2016. He has also helped lead the extended response to bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Southeastern Indiana.

Shipman continues to expand his knowledge about responding to diseases of high consequence. In early 2020, he traveled to Uganda to participate in an international, hands-on training course to learn first-hand how to diagnose and respond to cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). He is a USDA-certified and trained Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician. In 2020 he completed Indiana AgriInstitute’s two-year Agricultural Leadership Program as part of Class 18.

Once Shipman is formally approved by Governor-elect Braun, he will succeed Dr. Bret Marsh, who served as State Veterinarian in Indiana for 30 years. Marsh left the position to become Dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Hospital on Nov. 1, 2024.