Ryan Scholz Named New Oregon veterinarian

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has a new state Veterinarian. Dr. Ryan Scholz took over the role on Monday. He initially joined ODA in 2012 as a western Oregon district veterinarian. To-date, Scholz’s contributions to the Animal Health Program have made many of the technological advances in the program possible and, according to ODA officials, have helped improve the program’s ability to serve customer needs.

As state veterinarian, Dr. Scholz will serve as the chief livestock disease control official for the state. He will also provide leadership in addressing Oregon’s animal health concerns and will administer ODA’s statutorily mandated disease control responsibilities.

During his work with ODA, Dr. Scholz also added Emergency Preparedness Coordinator to his job duties. In 2018, the Oregon State University grand led a team of animal rescue experts to Paradise, CA after the Camp Fire burned more than 153,000 acres and displaced more than 10,000 pets and livestock. Most recently, Dr. Scholz helped coordinate animal evacuations and veterinary care for more than 5,000 pets and livestock displaced by the Oregon wildfires that burned more than a million acres statewide.

 “Ryan is a smart, talented leader who has the ability to elevate his team in both the day-to-day work at ODA and in emergency situations where strong coordination skills and confidence are crucial,” said ODA Director Alexis Taylor. “I look forward to working with him as he continues to turn his ideas into real-world success.”

Dr. Scholz earned two undergraduate degrees, a Masters of Public Health and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from OSU.

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