Member Advisory Group
The primary function of the NZVA's Member Advisory Group (MAG) is to represent member interests to the NZVA Board. It is the core group responsible for strategic and annual planning with the Board. It coordinates and collaborates with special interests and regional interests and advises the Board on technical and professional related matters.
Current members
Born and raised on a sheep and beef farm in Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay), Will graduated as an adult student in 2010. He has worked in production animal practice and as a veterinary supervisor at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Since 2018, Will has worked at Beef and Lamb New Zealand where he is Senior Manager for Technical Policy.
Will is also an Initial Investigating Veterinarian and enjoys helping with final-year examinations at Massey University. Until June 2025, he is the President of Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarians Branch of the NZVA.
Brendon graduated from Massey University in 1984, working in the UK and US before returning to Aotearoa New Zealand. He has been in equine practice in Invercargill for the past 25 years and is Immediate Past President of the Equine Veterinarians Branch of the NZVA.
Mint is a Texan Californian who completed her degrees in Integrative Biology and Public Health in the United States. Her love of The Lord of the Rings brought her to Aotearoa, where she completed her Veterinary Science degree at Massey University in 2021.
Mint moved to Rotorua where she started out in mixed practice and now works as a small animal practitioner at Cambridge Veterinary Services. She joined the NZVA Wildlife Branch Committee in 2023.
Outside of the clinic, Mint enjoys a game of tennis or pickleball, and is quite active in this community as she will often be found playing in tournaments on the weekends.
Steve worked in mixed animal practice and business management with the Veterinary Enterprises group based in Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga for 24 years. During this time, he developed the Leptosure programme and was involved in PureMilk mastitis consultancy for six years. He then joined Agrihealth as a technical manager with a focus on veterinary education.
Steve tutors the Dairy Cattle Veterinarians (DCV) Ultrasound Roadshow, has been involved with the Advanced Mastitis Course, and is a current member on the National Milk Quality Advisory Council. He sits on the Veterinary Professional Insurance Society (VPIS) Technical Advisory Group and acts as an assessor for dairy related insurance claims. He is also on the Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) Professional Standards Committee. Steve is the current president of the Dairy Cattle Veterinarians Branch of the NZVA.
A Massey University graduate since 1999, Mark initially worked in mixed practice before deciding to focus on dairy cattle. He has Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS) membership in dairy cattle medicine, and worked in clinical practice in the UK and Waikato, which included farm management consultancy through Intelact.
In 2012, Mark stepped back from clinical work, taking on the Chief Executive role for Franklin Vets after completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) through Waikato University.
Mark joined the Veterinary Business Branch of the NZVA in 2016, with the goal of improving veterinary businesses performance as a pathway for better remuneration and work satisfaction in the industry, and ensuring veterinary science is a great career choice for future generations. Mark became the VBB MAG representative in 2021.
Mark lives in rural north Waikato with his wife and three daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys most things outdoors, including skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and a wide variety of water sports.
Scott is a veterinarian with nearly 40 years of experience in clinical practice, academia, research and extension. He has postgraduate training in production medicine and a PhD in cattle reproduction. Scott is a registered specialist in cattle reproduction, and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Veterinary Science – Tāwharau Ora at Massey University. He has published extensively on epidemiology, treatment and control of mastitis.
Scott is a member of the New Zealand National Milk Quality Advisory Committee (NMAC) and has been involved in development and extension of New Zealand mastitis control (SmartSAMM) and national dairy cattle fertility (InCalf) programmes.
Liza has served as President of the Complementary Veterinary Medicine Branch (CVMB) of the NZVA since 2010. Growing up in South Africa with its rich diversity of wildlife, Liza’s childhood was full of incredible animal encounters. From a young age she knew she would become a veterinarian. After qualifying in 2000, she moved to Aotearoa.
In 2003, Liza established award-winning Holistic Vets in Tauranga, a fully integrated veterinary practice combining conventional veterinary medicine and surgery with complementary therapies. The same year, she established ARRC Wildlife Trust, a charitable trust providing veterinary care to wildlife, which has received several community awards.
Being passionate about environmental sustainability, Liza helped establish and run SustainaVet which encourages collaboration and provides resources to help veterinary professionals apply the concepts of sustainability and regenerative practice, in line with the NZVA’s One Health model.
Over the years, Liza has been recognised for her work in the community, her entrepreneurship, and her business acumen with several awards. In 2020, she received the NZVA’s Veterinary Impact Award.
