Wednesday Speakers

Kathy Jorgensen DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Kathy Jorgensen graduated from North Dakota State University in 1991 with a B.S. in microbiology and from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.  In 2011, she completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota.  In 2024, she completed a Master of Legal Studies with a concentration in environmental law and policy at the University of Arizona. Dr. Jorgensen achieved Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2011.  She is the coordinator of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps.  She has been active in agricultural disaster preparedness and response and the state’s Radiologic Emergency Preparedness Program.  She is a certified FEMA trainer for four radiologic/nuclear hazards courses and is ProBoard certified at the Hazardous Materials, Operations Level.  She is a current member of the National Animal Decon Working Group.  She has served as a Planning Section Chief and a Disease Reporting Officer in the Minnesota Board of Animal Health incident management team.  She and her husband run a beef farm in central Minnesota, and she enjoys spending time with their Border Collie, Alice, 5 cats and numerous chickens.

Minden L. Buswell, DVM
Minden L.  Buswell is a Zoonotic Disease Preventionist at the Washington State Department of Health with expertise in the surveillance, prevention, and control of diseases that spread between animals and humans. With a background in public health, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, and animal emergency response she works at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health to implement One Health strategies that reduce the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks. Prior to this position, Buswell worked for the Washington State Department of Agriculture as an emergency program veterinarian for 10 years. In this position she led initiatives in foreign animal disease response, natural disaster emergency response, secure food supply programs,  collaborated with government and private agencies, and conducted field-based risk assessments in both rural and urban settings. Her work focuses on strengthening public health preparedness through community engagement, biosecurity protocols, intersectoral collaboration, and education. Committed to translating science into action, Minden L. Buswell is passionate about building sustainable systems to protect vulnerable populations from emerging infectious diseases and the growing threat of zoonoses.

Leslie Kollman, BS, CVT
Leslie, a Certified Veterinary Technician since 2004, has 17 years of experience in veterinary infection prevention. She works at the Minnesota Department of Health’s Zoonotic Disease Unit, consulting with clinics, wildlife rehabs, zoos, sanctuaries, and shelters on infection control. Leslie earned a BS in biomedical sciences from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and an associate degree from Argosy University. In 2023, she became board certified in infection prevention (CIC).