Presenter Bios for Midwest BunFest Education Sessions
Terri Cook
Terri Cook is Board President of the Columbus House Rabbit Society. She is a Licensed Educator and fosterer for the House Rabbit Society (HRS) and has been an active volunteer with the Columbus HRS since 1997. She assists with chapter management, directs programs and coordinates activities, as well as runs the chapter’s social media campaigns.
Mary Cvetan
Mary Cvetan is a freelance marketing writer and photographer and is co-founder of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club. She has written about rabbit care and advocacy for local, regional and national media, including Rabbits USA magazine and the former Pet Connection blog, owned by Dr. Marty Becker—“America’s Veterinarian.” In partnership with Rabbit Wranglers, a private rescue, and three Pittsburgh shelters—Animal Friends, Animal Rescue League and W. Pa. Humane Society—she has produced hundreds of seminars, special events and marketing campaigns for rabbits and those who love them. And she does it all for Zsa Zsa, the best girl ever.
Joy Gioia
Joy Gioia is President and Chapter Manager of the House Rabbit Society of Missouri located in St. Louis and a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the international House Rabbit Society. She has been deeply involved in educating not only rabbit caretakers, but also veterinarians interested in rabbit medicine. Under her leadership, St. Louis HRS planned and produced two MVMA-accredited rabbit veterinary conferences, offering CE units to all attending veterinarians. After managing St. Louis HRS out of her own home for sixteen years, Joy was instrumental in the acquisition and renovation of a 5000 square foot building in St Louis County to serve as Missouri’s first free-standing, rabbit-specific shelter, as well as the St. Louis HRS new headquarters. Though most of her working career was focused on training in the corporate world, she has also worked as a veterinary assistant and regularly attends various annual veterinary conferences to continue her knowledge. In addition to rescuing and working with domestic rabbits, Joy is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and she helped create the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in Fenton, Missouri. Through her work with the Bi-State Wildlife Hotline of MO and IL, she has received calls for advice from as far away as New Zealand. She has served on the HRS conference committee in 2014 and 2017.
Micah Kohles, DVM, MPA
Dr. Micah Kohles earned his DVM from Kansas State University in 2001 and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2010. Dr. Kohles joined Oxbow Animal Health as VP of Technical Services and Research in 2006. Additionally, he is owns and actively practices at Woodland Animal Hospital and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Kohles is an active member of many professional organizations, including: AVMA, AAV, NVMA, AAZV, ARAV and the AEMV (Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians) where he is a past-president. He also currently serves on the World Pet Association Board of Directors, as vice-chair of the Nebraska Board of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery and in the past, he has served on the boards of the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association and the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Most importantly, he enjoys spending time with his wife Ashley, daughter Taiya, and two boys, Tegan and Kai.
Laurie Millward, DVM
Dr. Laurie Millward is a 2006 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a combined clinical pathology residency-MS graduate program in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at OSU in 2010. She was employed by Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) as Chief Veterinarian and is now on the Veterinary School faculty at The Ohio State University as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Shelter Medicine and Surgery. Her areas of special interest are in feline and exotic animal medicine and surgery as well as clinical pathology. She is the proud bunny parent of Hershey, a dwarf mix, who enjoys chewing cardboard, nibbling on books on the bookshelf, and chasing the cats.
Barbara Oglesbee, DVM, DABVP (Avian)
Dr. Barbara Oglesbee has been an expert in exotic pet medicine for over 25 years. She is currently in private practice at MedVet Hillard, treating exclusively exotic pets and pet birds. Over 70% of her patients have been pet rabbits. In addition to private practice, she is an Associate Professor of Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. At OSU, she served as head of the Companion Avian and Exotic Animal clinical services and has taught courses in avian, rabbit and ferret medicine for the past 29 years. She is board-certified in Avian Medicine and Surgery (Diplomate ABVP- Avian Practice). Dr. Oglesbee wrote the clinical textbook, The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Ferret and Rabbit, a reference book used by practicing veterinarians world-wide. She has also authored many book chapters in veterinary textbooks and clinical papers on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of birds, rabbits, ferrets and other small mammals. She has been an invited lecturer at veterinary conferences locally, nationally, and internationally.
Tracy Wiczer
Tracy Wiczer volunteers for OHRR in many ways. She is a designated litter box cleaner, bunny chauffeur, expert stray rabbit wrangler, and bunny bonding coordinator. Tracy’s world revolves around rabbits and she has 11 of her own (4 pairs and 1 trio) and 2-3 fosters at any given time. She has learned a lot taking care of rabbits for over 10 years and loves to share her passion for all things bunny with others.
Karen Winstead & Ryan Terebesi
Karen Winstead is a House Rabbit Society Educator. She and Ryan Terebesi are senior volunteers for Rabbit Care at Columbus Humane. They have done numerous bondings for the "bunny dating service" at Columbus Humane, which has been running successfully for more than five years. Ryan and Karen both have bonded pairs of rabbits.
Wolf
Wolf has been involved with animal rescue and care for 25 years. In addition, she has been a lifelong writer and educator, and has also owned two animal businesses of her own (a special needs pet sitting company, and an animal nutrition store). Wolf has specialized in the role of diet in pet health and has been involved in pet food oversight, fighting for product safety. Wolf is currently Small Pet Select’s Brand Manager.
Kristin Woodbury
Kristin Woodbury has always had a soft spot for pets. After adopting her first disabled bunny, Bunny, in 2012, she used the opportunity to become an advocate for rabbits that are potentially overlooked because of their disability. She has been volunteering with Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue for 7 years, is a Licensed Educator with the House Rabbit Society, and has also volunteered with her bunnies as a member of both Pet Partners and Bunnies in Baskets.