Laurie Hueneke Martens, Eve Hanks, and Chelsie Estey honored for their leadership, innovation, and impact as mentors in the Animal Health industry
ORLANDO, Fla. (January 29, 2025) – The Feather in Her Cap Association, Inc., alongside over 325 industry leaders, celebrated the remarkable achievements of women in the Animal Health industry at the eighth annual Feather in Her Cap Awards ceremony. This year’s prestigious winners include Laurie Hueneke Martens, associate vice president of Public Policy & Government Relations at Merck Animal Health, for the 2025 Feather in Her Cap Award; Eve Hanks, CEO of MI:RNA Ltd, honored with the newly-added 2025 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award; and Chelsie Estey, vice president of US Pet Care at Parnell, recognized with the 2025 High Flyer Award.
“This year’s winners and nominees represent the best of what the Animal Health industry has to offer: groundbreaking innovators across several disciplines, steadfast industry leadership, and a dedication to mentoring the next generation of female leaders,” said Christine Jenkins, president, Feather in Her Cap Association.
“Laurie, Eve, and Chelsie exemplify what it means to lead with purpose and passion. We are honored to celebrate their achievements.”
2025 Feather in Her Cap Award Winner: Laurie Hueneke Martens, BS, MS
Associate Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations at Merck Animal Health
Laurie Hueneke Martens has nearly two decades of experience advancing public policy, international trade, and sustainability within Animal Health and Agriculture. Since joining Merck Animal Health a decade ago, Hueneke Martens has built and led the company’s Public Policy and Government Relations function, chairing the Trade Committee at Animal Health Institute (AHI), the Leadership Team at HealthforAnimals and was recently appointed to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Animals and Animal Products by U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative. She has led her team to remove access barriers to products for customers, enhanced regulatory predictability and transparency, addressed global supply chain barriers and worked with the industry to achieve ‘essential’ designation for Animal Health products during the pandemic. She is passionate about mentoring young women, expanding their horizons, and inspiring future leaders.
As part of her recognition, Hueneke Martens selected two charities to share a $5,000 donation: the Bellevue Iowa FFA chapter and the Jackson County Iowa Humane Society.
Nominees for the 2025 Feather in Her Cap Award included:
- Tara Bidgood, DVM, PhD, DACVCP, CCFP – VP, Head, Petcare Veterinary Professional Services and Medical Affairs at Zoetis
- Kristin Bloink, PA-C, MPH, DVM, DACVPM – Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs and
Pharmacovigilance, Elanco and Chairperson, Elanco Foundation at Elanco
- Siobhan Marie Averall-Davies, BVetMed – Senior Director, Pharmacovigilance at Elanco
- Joanne Maki, BS, DVM, MS, PhD – Vice President, US Global Innovation and US Regulatory Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim
- Jill Stohs, BS, DVM – Senior Director, Veterinary Professional Services and Medical Affairs at Dechra
- Kathy Vannatta, BS, MBA – Senior Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at Phibro
- Maria Elena Vazquez Sandoval – Director of Quality at Ceva
- Nicole Westfall, MBA – Senior Vice President, Marketing at Zomedica
2025 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Winner: Eve Hanks, BVM&S CertAVP (EM) PhD MRCVS, CEO, MI:RNA Ltd
As CEO of MI:RNA Ltd, Eve Hanks leads the first company in veterinary medicine focused on microRNA technology using research Eve conducted for her PhD at Scotland’s Rural College, SRUC. Under her leadership, MI:RNA has become a multi-award-winning company bringing innovation to the veterinary diagnostics market by focusing on early disease diagnosis, prognosis and response to treatment using microRNAs (miRNAs) and artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to leading the company from the ground up, including responsibility for strategy, investment and fundraising, Hanks has been recognized with the Impact Award 2024 by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for mentoring other founders in Animal Health to support the growth of innovation and to encourage diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.
Nominees for the 2025 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award included:
- Celine Halioua, BSc – CEO and Founder of Loyal
- Kerryann Kocher, BS – CEO of Vytelle
- Christina Kelly Lopes, BA, MA – CEO of FidoCure
- Cara Wells, BS, PhD – CEO of EmGenisys
2025 High Flyer Award Winner: Chelsie Estey, MSc, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) Vice President US Pet Care, Parnell
Chelsie Estey transitioned from private practice to the Animal Health industry, where she achieved rapid success at Parnell, launching three prescription products in her first year and building the US Pet Care business. With a commitment to mentorship, Estey credits her mentors for shaping her journey and is passionate about supporting the next generation of Animal Health professionals.
Nominees for the 2025 High Flyer Award included:
- Jennifer Gagner, PhD – Director, Discovery & Tech Futures at IDEXX
- Laura Griffith, BS – Manager, Innovation Center at Phibro
- Sarah Kvidera, BS, PhD – Dairy Sustainability Technical Lead at Elanco
- Alyssa Mags, BS, CVT, FVTE – Co-Founder & Chief Visionary Officer for Empowering Veterinary Teams and Co-Founder & Director of Veterinary Team Strategy for Nutur
- Chitra Varma, BS – Head of Data Platforms at Zoetis
In Memoriam
In addition to the award winners, the Feather in Her Cap Association posthumously honored Kathy Gloyd, BS, DVM, for her career contributing to the advancement of the Animal Health industry. Gloyd passed away in October 2024. She worked in private practice and at Hills before founding Gloyd Group with her husband, Joe. The company later became Elevate DVM, Inc., and served various industrial, academic, and professional organizations related to veterinary medicine. Gloyd co-wrote the first criteria for RACE regulations for approval of CE programs accepted by state boards of Veterinary Medicine, was instrumental in founding and served as the first director of the Companion Animal Parasitic Council (CAPC), was the Executive Director of the American Heartworm Society, (AHS). She leaves a long legacy of positive impact on the Animal Health and Veterinary industries.
Follow the Feather in Her Cap Association on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/feather-in-her-cap-awards and at www.featherinhercap.org. The nomination process will reopen in the final quarter of 2025 to celebrate more outstanding women in Animal Health in 2026.
About the Feather in Her Cap Association, Inc.
The Feather in Her Cap Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in the animal health industry.
Media Contact:
Julie Lawless
Lawless Strategic Communications
Julie.Lawless@lawlesscomms.com
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