DENNIS SUMMERS Speaker

Dr. Summers was born and raised in Muskingum County, Ohio, graduating from Tri-Valley High School. He attended The Ohio State University (OSU) for his undergraduate studies, majoring in Animal Sciences, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in 2001. While in school, Dr. Summers worked as a Research Assistant for a biomedical research group with OSU’s College of Medicine. From there, he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine studies at OSU, earning his DVM degree in 2006.

For the next 8 ½ years Dr. Summers was a private practitioner in Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Dr. Summers joined the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) in 2014 as a field veterinarian for the Division of Meat Inspection. In mid-2015, Dr. Summers transferred to ODA’s Division of Animal Health, as s field veterinarian for the Dangerous Wild Animal Program. In 2018, Dr. Summers was appointed to Assistant State Veterinarian for Ohio, Division of Animal Health. Dr. Summers simultaneously assisted the Division of Meat Inspection in an interim capacity as Acting-Chief of the division. Dr. Summers was officially appointed State Veterinarian in December of 2021.