CALFCARE - Key Persons
Brad grew up on a small farm near Atwood, Indiana and currently resides in North Manchester. He covers a broad range of tasks and loves having the ability to fill in where he is needed. He began by assisting with the processing of cattle and pushing the broom and is now responsible for the overseeing and handling the operation of CalfCare. He enjoys being able to help clients become profitable, grow, and to produce healthy cattle.
Brad received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana Technical Institute. With a lifetime working in agriculture, and hands on skills working with animals, he likes when he can share his knowledge to help clients. He aims to maintain CalfCare as a leader in cattle health and research.
When he is not working, he likes to spend time with his wife, Michelle and daughter Reinira. He helps tend a small goat herd and is an avid beekeeper. He is also an antique tractor enthusiast (especially John Deere) and goes to many events every year. He tries to find any reason to be outside as much as possible and stay busy.
He believes CalfCare stands out because of the great care for their clients. The team strives to help their clients produce safe and healthy food supplies around the world. They are new and innovative, creating ways to help clients raise healthy and thriving calves.
Brooke Beck is the shipping manager for CalfCare. Her focus is managing incoming and outgoing shipments. Brooke graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's in health administration. She currently resides in Pierceton, Indiana and is a valued team member at CalfCare because she can multi-task, has strong organizational skills and is flexible. Brooke enjoys working with other staff members to get the many jobs required in shipping completed, including organization of the warehouse, tracking inventory and carefully packing client orders. Brooke brings previous experience as a Project Manager for Chore Time Brock for Latin America, where she handled order entries, international shipping of small packages, containers, and semi loads. She also has experience with issuing bills, receiving credits, and coordinating with UPS. When Brooke is not at work, you will find her working at her family's show pig operation, where they have approximately 30 sows. She spends her weekends traveling to jackpot and conference type shows. She is also starting a small herd of Shorthorns to develop club calves for her children.
Job Titles:
- Delivery and Shipping Associate
Daniel Rawles is a delivery driver for Calf Care and helps in the shipping department when needed. He went to Central Noble High School in Albion, IN and graduated in 2004. He continued his education at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, WI and graduated in 2006 with a Technical Diploma in Dairy Herd Management. His biggest strengths are that he's always learning something new almost every day, he's detail oriented, and works until the job is done. He likes helping calf raisers raise healthy calves. Dan has been in the Dairy Industry most of his life. He was born and raised on a dairy farm, working as an Assistant Herdsman, a Milk Tester, and a Calf Raiser. He received his American Degree for the FFA and was a 10 year 4H member. He also served a 2-year Term on the Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ag Professionals Board. Dan currently resides in South Whitley, IN and in his time away from Calf Care, he enjoys hunting, camping, and farming.
Dan believes that what makes Calf Care different is the Staff. They have a dedication to helping their customers by going the extra mile to help them raise the healthiest calves possible.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Research
- Research Director
Deanna is the Assistant Director of Research. Deanna's focus is to plan and execute research at CalfCare facilities and client farms. Deanna also is the manager for the research farm, Decisions, that houses older calves. Deanna completed her undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University in Animal Science and graduated with her master's degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. During her time in Lubbock, Deanna dove into the world of research where she studied under Dr. Mike Ballou. Deanna grew up in St. Henry, Ohio on a farm where she raised bottle calves with her family and participated in 4H and FFA. She continued to follow her passion for cattle in college by participating in the Buckeye Dairy Club and The Ohio State Dairy Judging Team. When she is not at work, you will find her traveling or showing Guernsey dairy cattle at livestock expos and fairs. Deanna is a valued team member at CalfCare due to her cattle and research experience, strong communication skills and organization. Her goal is to help CalfCare conduct more commercial research studies that answer questions our clients are asking. Deanna loves working on the forefront of research and helping develop new products to further the livestock industry while getting to work with cattle every day!
Deanna thinks CalfCare is different because they combine veterinary expertise, consultation and products with the ability to answer questions pertaining to the cattle industry through cutting edge research. This makes CalfCare a one stop shop for all of your calf questions!
Elizabeth Brown is a primary caretaker for calves at Conclusions. Elizabeth's attention to detail, organization and reliability contribute positively to calf health. She takes pride in keeping the farm clean and organized. She is a graduate of Manchester High School and she attended Heartland Career Center for Early Childhood Education.
Elizabeth held offices every year during her involvement with FFA and participated in leadership competitions, which helps her excel in her job by managing her time and working with a team. Elizabeth grew up on a farm with 200 head of sheep and understands attention to detail when working with livestock.
In her free time, Elizabeth tends to her small herd of Nubian goats, miniature donkeys, and chickens. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, crafting, and working on projects.
Elizabeth believes CalfCare is different because CalfCare stays current through involvement in research and development while also providing veterinary services to clients.
Both founder and veterinarian, Dr. Gawthrop's primary goal is coaching clients in good husbandry and management to prevent disease and poor performance. Dr. Gawthrop grew up on a dairy and poultry farm in Etna Green, Indiana. Dr. Gawthrop graduated from Purdue University in 1975 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and has never stopped learning. Dr. Gawthrop is licensed in five states. He continues to seek out smarter ways to raise calves by offering contract research services. Dr. Gawthrop has lectured in Belgium, Costa Rica, Canada, New Zealand and across the United States...
Jeff Getts is the Chief Executive Officer at CalfCare. He is a graduate of Purdue University with both a Bachelor's in Animal Science and a Master's in Business Administration. Jeff brings over 15 years working in animal health and sales to the team at CalfCare. He has experience working with dairies and calf ranches across the United States and has built a strong network of industry contacts. Jeff enjoys working with clients to streamline their operations and find solutions to their problems.
In his free time, Jeff enjoys golf, fishing, spending time with family, and cheering on Purdue. Jeff's goal is to make CalfCare the preeminent veterinary group for calves in the United States.
Jeff believes what makes CalfCare different is the unique team of experienced professionals that are dedicated to calf health and performance.
Dr. Jon Richardson completed his undergraduate studies in Animal Science and completed his DVM at Purdue University. He grew up on a farm in Wabash, IN where his family raised confinement cattle, swine, goats, chickens and harvested corn and soybeans. With his hands-on experience, Dr. Jon takes pride in building relationships with clients and offering quality services to help them grow their businesses. He is eager to diversify CalfCare's food animal services including reproductive medicine, cow/calf, and small ruminant. He hopes to build his knowledge pertaining to neonatal calf management and help improve the industry through cutting edge research. Dr. Jon was a national recipient for both the Amstutz Scholarship through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and Nandi Scholarship through...
Dr. Kevin Funk has partnered with CalfCare since 2015. Dr. Funk lives in Warsaw, Indiana and brings a great background in dairy and mixed medicine to the practice. Dr. Funk practiced mixed and dairy medicine throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington for 26 years prior to joining CalfCare. He received his bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and attended graduate school at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Funk graduated from the University of Illinois in 1989 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and has been on the "moo"ve ever since! Growing up in Lincoln, Illinois, he was inspired to dedicate his career to veterinary medicine from a young age. He enjoys watching clients achieve success in their business. Dr. Funk also has a passion for solving difficult cases, whether on a herd or individual level. While at CalfCare, he has developed an interest in thoracic ultrasound. In his free time, Dr. Funk participates in community theater as a board member, sings in choir, and enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, daughters, and rat terrier, Weasley. Dr. Funk is a member of AVC and AABP. Dr. Funk holds a Dairy Health Management Certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Funk believes CalfCare is a great choice for our clients because CalfCare works only with cattle, especially juvenile cattle. CalfCare dedicates resources to research which helps keep them on the cutting edge.
Job Titles:
- Registered Veterinary Technician
- Veterinary Nurse
Macy Dirksen enjoys providing high quality care to all calves. Macy is a Registered Veterinary Technician and a graduate of the Miami Jacobs Career College in Troy, Ohio. Macy is hard working, dedicated to her patients, and enjoys learning new things. She has several years of experience working with a wide variety of species from working at mixed animal practices in Ohio. She grew up in Versailles, OH where she raised and showed sheep and turkeys as 4-H and FFA projects. Macy spent 10 years as a caretaker for a calf raiser. She understands the struggles that producers can face when raising calves! Macy aims to learn as much as she can to provide the best service to clients. She enjoys serving her community through volunteer activities and is currently a member of the Ohio Association of Veterinary Technicians, AABP (American Association of Bovine Practitioners) and is certified through the Calf Care and Quality Assurance Program. Outside of work, Macy enjoys quilting and crafting. She also enjoys helping on the farm whenever possible.
Macy believes CalfCare is different because not only do we care for calves, but we care for the people that care about the calves. CalfCare also strives to solve problems through prevention.
Job Titles:
- Customer Service Manager
- Customer Service Representative
Nicole Weirick is a Customer Service Representative for CalfCare and is passionate about providing the best care possible to CalfCare clients. Nicole works closely with our field representatives, delivery representatives and shipping team to provide orders to clients in a timely manner. Not only does Nicole play a huge role in communicating with our CalfCare team, but she also answers phone calls, takes orders and makes deliveries. She has a strong work ethic, enjoys connecting with people and has a background in raising shorthorn cattle. Nicole is a valued team member due to her positive attitude, desire to learn, and good communication skills. Nicole grew up in and resides in North Manchester, IN. Nicole was involved with 4H and FFA during high school before attending Ivy Tech Community College. When Nicole is not at work, she enjoys helping on her family's farm, going to livestock shows with her cattle and pigs, and helping her son work with his 4H animals.
Troy's attention to detail and problem-solving skills are vital to his job as Laboratory and Research Director. He enjoys caring for calves and clients, which drives him to find the best solutions. He takes pride in working with a quality team and together they have earned an exemplary reputation as an industry leader in calf research.
Troy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Indiana University. He currently resides in Wabash, Indiana. Troy brings previous experience in managerial positions in retail and manufacturing to the team. Troy desires to spend many years more making a difference at CalfCare-caring for calves and about the people who raise them. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with family and friends. He is a skilled drummer with over 35 years of experience and still finds joy in his music.
Troy's favorite thing about CalfCare is the sense of family, not just among employees, but among clients and companies that trust CalfCare with their research projects.