Membership, Meeting, and Communication Coordinator

Sarah Capik, DVM, PhD, DACVPM 

Dr. Capik is the Assistant Professor of Ruminant Animal Health in Canyon, TX and has a joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. A Florida native, Dr. Capik attended veterinary school at the University of Florida where she focused on food animal medicine and, in particular, feedlot cattle. Following veterinary school, she completed her PhD at Kansas State University where she spent several years researching the characterization, transmission dynamics, diagnosis, and control of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). Her current research focuses on understanding the relationships between the various risk factors and pathogens that are involved in BRD, improving beef and dairy producers’ ability to accurately diagnose and manage BRD, and identifying appropriate interventions to mitigate BRD risk. When not working, she enjoys hiking, reading, riding her mustang, and training and showing her Australian Shepherd in herding and agility.
Speaker and Schedule Coordinators

Benjamin "BJ" Newcomer, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVPM (Epidemiology), DABT 

As the son of a high school agriculture teacher, Dr. Newcomer was raised around cattle for much of his childhood, spending time on the dairy farms of his uncles and grandfather.  This love of farming and cattle was fostered throughout his formative years growing up in rural central Florida and led to his desire at a young age to pursue veterinary medicine as a career. Dr. Newcomer received his DVM from the University of Florida in 2002, then practiced dairy production medicine for several years at a large dairy practice in central California with >200,000 milking cows in the practice’s care. During this time, he also served with Christian Veterinary Mission in the Central African Republic for two years assisting pastoralists and small farmers with their cattle. Dr. Newcomer joined the faculty of the Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 as a Clinical Instructor in the Food Animal section of the Department of Clinical Sciences while pursuing a PhD in bovine infectious disease and seeking specialized training in herd health, internal medicine, and toxicology. He joined the VERO program at West Texas University in the fall of 2020 and currently serves as the Dairy Cattle Veterinarian with a special interest in training students in the practical aspects of dairy science and dairy production management. 

Phillippa "Pippa" Gibbons, BVetMed(Hons), MS, DACVIM(LA), MRCVS DipVetEd

Philippa (Pippa) Gibbons is an Associate Professor of Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. She grew up on a mixed crop, beef and sheep farm in England. After completing veterinary school and a food animal internship in the UK she moved to Texas and completed a food animal internal medicine residency and Masters program at Texas A&M. Prior to her role at Texas Tech SVM she was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Food animal at Texas A&M and Associate Professor at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a Diploma of Veterinary Education through the Royal Veterinary College.
CE Coordinator

Dan Posey, DVM

Dr. Posey is a clinical professor of veterinary science and the academic coordinator for the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Center at West Texas A&M University. He received his BS in microbiology from Texas Tech University in 1979. He received a BS in veterinary science and his DVM degree from Texas A&M University in 1981 and 1982, respectively. Dr. Posey was in private general veterinary practice in rural Madison County for 20 years. He was certified in beef cattle production management through the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center in Clay Center, Nebraska in 1997. Dr. Posey joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University in March 2002. Dr. Posey is boarded by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in beef cattle practice since 2003. He served as the Chief of Food Animal Medicine in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences from 2003 to 2008. In January 2009, he joined the Professional Programs Office at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences as the Director of Special Program and then served as the Director of Student Affairs from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Posey joined the West Texas A&M University faculty in 2016. 
Dr. Posey is originally from Lubbock, Texas. He lives in Canyon with his wife, Timmye. They are truly enjoying being back on the plains of Texas and enjoying every sunset. They are blessed with two daughters and their husbands; Abra and Heath Polinard, Rachel and Dale Austin. He is an avid Aggie and Buff sports, Texas Ranger and Dallas Cowboy fan.
Finance and Donation Coordinators

Brent Auvermann, PhD

Brent Auvermann is Professor and Center Director for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research center at Amarillo. He was named Center Director in February 2017 after 21 years as an Extension Specialist in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Brent is an avid outdoorsman who loves backpacking, fly fishing, and hunting, with 15 of Colorado’s “Fourteener” summits under his belt. He also enjoys reading history and theology, tennis, and golf. Brent and his wife of 30 years, Jennifer, have three sons, Samuel, Silas, and Isaac. Both Brent and Jennifer are licensed as real estate agents by the State of Texas.

Jessie Monday, DVM, MS, DACVPM

Dr. Monday received her DVM from Texas A&M University in 2012. She completed an internship in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery at Kansas State University in 2013. She then continued on to complete a residency in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery with an emphasis on large animal internal medicine at Kansas State University in 2016 and completed a MS degree from KSU in veterinary biomedical science in 2017. She started working at Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in 2016 as the bovine veterinary diagnostician. She lives in Amarillo with her husband, her various dog, horse, and cattle pets.
Meal Coordinators

Jason Smith, MS, PhD

Jason is a native of northern Virginia, where he developed a passion for beef cattle at an early age.  He received his B.S. with a focus in beef cattle management and M.S. with a focus in ruminant nutrition and feed manufacturing from West Virginia University, before spending 2 years a Ruminant Nutritionist and Biologist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Medicated Feeds Team.  Jason then pursued his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, where his research was focused toward better understanding the long-term implications of early nutritional management strategies on feed efficiency and marbling development of beef cattle.  Jason then spent 4 years as an Assistant Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Specialist for the University of Tennessee before moving to Amarillo, TX.

Although he feels that his formal training in beef cattle nutrition and production management were pivotal, he also feels that his first-hand experiences learned the hard way through developing and maintaining a small commercial cowherd with his family continue to play a pivotal role in his education.  As an Extension Beef Cattle Specialist for the Department of Animal Science and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, located in Amarillo, his efforts are focused toward developing and supporting educational programs that benefit beef cattle producers and other industry stakeholders.  Jason also works to conduct applied and demonstrational research in beef cattle nutrition in order to link fundamental discovery to application in the field, and answer production-relevant questions that would otherwise remain unanswered.

Sarah Capik, DVM, PhD, DACVPM 

Dr. Capik is the Assistant Professor of Ruminant Animal Health in Canyon, TX and has a joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. A Florida native, Dr. Capik attended veterinary school at the University of Florida where she focused on food animal medicine and, in particular, feedlot cattle. Following veterinary school, she completed her PhD at Kansas State University where she spent several years researching the characterization, transmission dynamics, diagnosis, and control of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). Her current research focuses on understanding the relationships between the various risk factors and pathogens that are involved in BRD, improving beef and dairy producers’ ability to accurately diagnose and manage BRD, and identifying appropriate interventions to mitigate BRD risk. When not working, she enjoys hiking, reading, riding her mustang, and training and showing her Australian Shepherd in herding and agility.

Advisory Council

In addition to the Leadership roles, we also have multiple members who serve on our advisory council and meet with the leadership twice a year to ensure that PLP is on track and that we are serving our members.

Current Advisory Council Members are:
Panhandle Livestock Professionals | panhandlelivestock.com | tx.panhandle.livestock@gmail.com