Gabriel Gomez, DVM, PhD, DACVP, assistant agency director for pathology, is the 2021 recipient of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) Director’s Excellence Award in the professional category.
Gomez has been part of TVMDL’s anatomic pathology section since 2013. During his tenure, he has proved to be a humble, fair leader. Prior to leading the section, Gomez started with the agency as a pathologist. He quickly became an invaluable member of the pathology team and became the agency’s subject matter expert in a variety of topics. In 2015, Gomez was promoted his section’s assistant section head. After five years of serving in that role, he was promoted to section head and then to the agency’s assistant director for pathology in 2021.
“Despite his full plate, Dr. Gomez continues to support all of his supervisees and mentees,” Anatomic Pathology Assistant Section Head Erin Edwards, DVM, MS, DACVP and nominator, said. “He is always encouraging and stives to ensure his employees feel appreciated and have high spirits.”
As assistant agency director for pathology, Gomez oversees the agency’s histopathology, pathology, and necropsy efforts. Though he is tasked with several administrative duties, Gomez takes a hands-on approach to leadership within his sections. This was especially evident last summer when the College Station laboratory experienced a significant surge in testing for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
In light of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) mandate, TVMDL received an influx of submissions for CWD testing. Gomez worked closely with his section and other agency leaders to stand up an operation that would allow TVMDL to serve clients quickly and efficiently. Within the testing process, Gomez was one of four pathologists responsible for evaluating glass slides, the final step in the diagnostic process. Gomez read the vast majority of slides, averaging 450 per day, and would often work afterhours to ensure important workflows continued. Aside from his pathologist role, Gomez regularly assumed other roles in the testing process to ensure his section performed testing as fast as possible.
In addition to his performance last summer, Gomez has proved to be an exceptional example of hard work and dedication to TVMDL’s mission of service.
“I don’t know how Dr. Gomez does it all,” Edwards said. “He easily does the work of two full-time employees, all while staying calm, clear-headed and positive. He is an exemplary role model for myself, for his other mentees, and for all of TVMDL.”
Please join TVMDL in congratulating this year’s Director’s Excellence Award recipients.