Guy Sheppard, DVM, veterinary diagnostician at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL), has been recognized with two awards for his service to veterinary medicine.
TVMDL Director Dr. Amy Swinford presenting Dr. Guy Sheppard the Director’s Excellence Award
Sheppard is the recipient of the 2022 TVMDL Director’s Excellence Award in the professional category. The Director’s Excellence Award aims to recognize employees who exemplify excellence through testing services, quality assurance, technological advances, and overall dedication to TVMDL and its mission.
In addition to being recognized at the agency level, Sheppard was also recognized by Texas A&M AgriLife through a Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence. Sheppard earned this honor in the diagnostic services category. The Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence were established in 1980 to recognize the commitments and contributions of faculty and staff across the Texas A&M AgriLife organization.
Sheppard joined TVMDL in 2016 as a veterinary diagnostician. In his role, Sheppard serves as a liaison between the laboratory staff and TVMDL’s clients, many of whom are veterinarians. He assists clients in selecting appropriate diagnostic tests and helps to interpret their test results to ensure they have a clear understanding of them. His role requires an in-depth understanding of the complexities and challenges many of TVMDL’s clients face in attending to the animals in their care. Sheppard is commended for pulling upon his experience as a practicing veterinarian to provide clients with practical, valuable assistance. Though he is an integral part of the agency, his dedication to veterinary medicine began long before joining TVMDL.
Sheppard is a 1978 graduate of Texas A&M University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences veterinary program. Immediately following graduation, Sheppard began his service as an installation veterinarian at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. While there, he provided medical care and surgical care for military and privately owned large and small animals. He also oversaw food inspection and public health activities for military installations in a five-state region.
In 1980, Sheppard moved to San Angelo, Texas to begin his time as a practicing veterinarian. As the owner of West Texas Veterinary Clinic, Sheppard served his community through large and small animal medical care for nearly 30 years. In 2008, Sheppard moved to College Station to give back to the veterinary community by serving as the Director of Development for the Texas A&M Foundation. In that role, Sheppard facilitated giving efforts for current and potential donors for his alma-matter for seven years before joining TVMDL.
“Guy has stated his plans to retire in February,” TVMDL Director Dr. Amy Swinford said. “With his long and remarkable career, retirement is more than deserved, but his absence will leave a very noticeable void at TVMDL. I can’t express how thankful I am to have worked with Guy and how much he brings to the table at TVMDL.”
For more information about TVMDL, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call one of the agency’s four laboratory locations. Learn more about Texas A&M AgriLife by visiting agrilife.org.