After dedicating 20 years to the agency, Amy Swinford, DVM, MS, DACVM, director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, will retire at the end of December.
During her tenure as director, Swinford has led the agency through multiple high-volume testing events, ensured TVMDL maintained a strong presence across national organizations, and elevated TVMDL’s services through her advocacy with state and federal partners.
A continuation of service
Swinford earned multiple degrees from the University of Illinois: two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree in veterinary pathobiology and a doctorate in veterinary medicine. She became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists in 1997, and in 2012 was elected to the organization’s board of governors.
Swinford worked at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Veterinary Diagnostic Center, held positions with two veterinary biopharmaceutical companies, and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a public health officer prior to joining TVMDL in 2005. She was hired as the bacteriology section head in College Station and promoted to branch chief in 2012, a position in which she oversaw the bacteriology, molecular diagnostics, serology and virology sections. In 2015, she was promoted to associate director and in 2021, she continued her service to TVMDL as the agency’s director following an appointment by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents.
Leaving a lasting impact
Swinford’s time as a director has been shaped through multiple animal disease discoveries and high-volume testing events. Shortly after her appointment as director in 2021, she provided critical guidance as TVMDL navigated a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) emergency order aimed at mitigating the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer breeding facilities. The emergency order required breeders to test all deer for CWD prior to sale or release. This resulted in an unprecedented surge in demand for the antemortem immunohistochemistry, IHC, test run at TVMDL, the only laboratory authorized to perform this testing in Texas. In 2022, Swinford led the agency through the beginning of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI, outbreak in poultry. Working with state and federal agencies, Swinford ensured TVMDL provided essential testing services to mitigate HPAI’s spread in Texas. These efforts proved to be essential in 2024 when TVMDL was one of the first laboratories in the country to discover the current HPAI has spilled over into dairy cows. The unprecedented detection led to an onslaught of testing to determine HPAI’s reach across the state.
In November, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents granted Swinford emeritus status in recognition of her service to TVMDL. She joins 39 TVMDL retirees who have earned this distinction.
