A single burst pipe can interrupt high-stakes testing or ruin expensive equipment. That’s why one longtime employee has become the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, College Station facility’s first responder to anything that hisses, leaks, clangs, or drips.
TVMDL runs more than 2,000 tests daily to protect the health, economy, and food supply of Texas and beyond. Inside that mission is a man who keeps the operations flowing smoothly.
Arriving early in the morning and sometimes not leaving until long after all the lab coats are hung for the day, Rod Lemburg navigates the building the same way someone walks through their own home, attuned to every surrounding hum, hiss, sight, and smell.
For more than two decades, Lemburg has been the behind-the-scenes force keeping the lab’s complex, state-of-the-art infrastructure in top shape.
As he prepares to retire at the end of the year, his many years of employment can be observed as an inspiration to serve and care well, no matter the circumstances.
A mission worth supporting
Lemburg never imagined working in a veterinary diagnostic lab. But once he understood TVMDL’s mission — to protect animal health and public safety with industry-leading diagnostic services — he felt proud to support it.
“It makes you feel good to know what we do here matters to the state and to the nation,” Lemburg said. “Even though I’m not doing any of the testing, everybody here makes me feel like I’m part of the team.”
While most TVMDL employees are running tests, Lemburg’s job has been to ensure the environment supports their work seamlessly. With just a few tools and a big smile, he upholds TVMDL’s mission daily through his ability to problem-solve and fix just about anything in the lab.
A farm kid developing problem-solving skills
Lemburg’s story begins far from College Station, in the small town of Cairo, Nebraska.
He was raised on a 360-acre farm about 100 miles west of Lincoln, surrounded by corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and pastureland.
Spending his earliest years in that environment prompted his lifelong connection to nature, livestock, and wildlife. And as a child growing up in those wide-open spaces, hands-on problem-solving simply became part of his daily life.
“I was probably on a tractor when I was five or six,” he recalls, laughing at the memory of having to stand up just to reach the pedals.
It wasn’t uncommon for families managing farmland in the 1960s to repair things themselves or develop a self-sufficient mindset.
“I’d say all of my handy skills came from my father,” Lemburg said. “If there was any farm machinery that busted in the field, my father and uncle took the parts back to the shop, making necessary repairs with a welder.”
It was a childhood that required resourcefulness and a strong work ethic — qualities that would eventually define his career at TVMDL.
A winding road leading to Texas
Before landing in the world of veterinary diagnostics, Lemburg had a wide-ranging career. He walked fields as a crop consultant’s assistant, checking for pests. He studied to become a manager at RadioShack, and he spent nearly 20 years doing a mix of office and warehouse work for trucking companies.
His move to Texas in 2005 wasn’t part of a grand plan. It came after his wife, Amy Swinford, joined TVMDL as the bacteriology section head, and a warehouse job opened up at the lab.
“I was driving down, somewhere around Oklahoma City, when Amy told me someone hadn’t shown up to work [in the warehouse] for three days,” he said. “She told me, ‘You should apply.’”
He did. Within weeks, he was offered a job and his impact on the agency ensued. In his initial position with TVMDL, he split his time between warehouse management, facility upkeep, sample receiving, and work on the necropsy floor.
He enjoyed being on the frontlines of the cases coming through the door and helping move samples to the testing labs.
After several years, he was given a choice between working full-time in necropsy or becoming a facilities coordinator. He chose the facilities role, believing it better suited his strengths and background.
His daily rounds
Nearly every morning for 20 years, Lemburg has arrived before 7 a.m. to walk the building, prioritizing the mechanical rooms first.
“Water is what I dread the most,” Lemburg said. “If I see water, it pretty well derails my whole morning.”
Even a small leak can signal a bigger equipment problem, putting sensitive and costly diagnostic instruments at risk, and potentially delaying critical test results.
During his rounds of inspection, Lemburg can pick up on details others would miss. He scans areas for leaks, listens for unfamiliar equipment noises, and even trusts his sense of smell to identify burning wires or overheated machinery.
“I’ve been doing this so long that even with my hearing fading slightly, I know what’s normal and what’s not,” he said.
After two decades of service, Lemburg has cultivated an innate sense of intuition and a skillset that can’t be taught. Such qualities are essential for smooth operation of the lab.
Contributing to the new TVMDL
For 12 years, Lemburg worked inside the original College Station lab, a facility dating back to 1967. When plans for the new 95,000-square-foot building took shape, he was involved from the very beginning.
He sat down with the project manager, Jordan Brod, who is now the TVMDL Operations Director, reviewing blueprints, offering insights on how the space needed to function for staff.
“Rod understood the maintenance side of things,” Brod said. “His input was invaluable when it came to how the new design would translate to everyday operations. Rod’s detailed understanding of the facility allows him to anticipate needs, solve problems quickly, and keep everything running smoothly.”
There is no doubt that Lemburg knows the TVMDL building like the back of his hand.
“I saw it from start to finish,” he said. “From the ground-breaking to watching the beams go up to the final walk-through at completion, it was an amazing experience, and I felt fortunate to be a part of it.”
In many ways, pieces of his character, craft, and care are woven into the structure. Even as the building houses specialists in animal disease, Lemburg hones expertise in the building itself.
Lemburg’s legacy
Lemburg has never sought recognition, yet his impact is fixed into every wall of the College Station lab. However, his reluctance for attention hasn’t kept him completely out of the limelight. He received the TVMDL Director’s Special Service Award in 2006, the TVMDL Director’s Excellence Award in 2015, and the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence in 2022. The mission of TVMDL has been stronger because of him. Simply put, Lemburg’s service ensures TVMDL’s service.
After his retirement, the lab will feel different without his early morning footsteps and warm willingness to help. But his hard work, both structural and symbolic, will hold up the lab for years to come.
