Elanco names Jamie Preston chief people officer; AHI and UMES also fill key roles

Elanco Animal Health has appointed Jamie Preston, MHA, as executive vice president and chief people officer effective November 3, 2026, succeeding Dave Kinard, who retires at year-end after building the company's HR function since its separation from Eli Lilly. The move anchors a week of leadership changes across the animal health sector: the Animal Health Institute (AHI) named a government affairs vice president, and Maryland's first standalone veterinary school hired an anatomy professor ahead of its inaugural DVM class in summer 2027.

Who is Elanco's new chief people officer?

Preston joins from Eli Lilly and Company, where she spent 23 years, nearly two decades of them in human resources leadership. Most recently she served as vice president of HR, global compensation, and workforce innovation, overseeing pay and recognition for Lilly's global workforce of more than 50,000 employees. Her international track record includes a stint as associate vice president of HR across five countries in the Asia-Pacific region and HR director for Lilly Japan.

Her credentials run deep. She completed the Chief Human Resources Officer Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a master's and a bachelor's degree in health service administration from the University of Evansville.

For Elanco, the practical stakes are straightforward. The company replaced a founding HR executive — Kinard built its people infrastructure from the 2018-era spin-off onward — with a compensation and workforce-innovation specialist who has run HR at the scale of a 50,000-employee multinational.

"Elanco's purpose — food and companionship enriching lives — deeply resonates with me," Preston said in a company news release issued October 22, 2026. "I am excited to partner with our global teams to champion our people, advance workforce innovation, and cultivate a culture where our talent thrives as we deliver for veterinarians, pet owners, farmers, and the animals in their care."

What does AHI's new hire signal on policy?

AHI, the trade association representing animal health companies, has named Andrew Bailey, JD, as vice president of government affairs and public policy effective November 16, 2026. Bailey arrives with direct experience across Congress, federal agencies, and industry on animal health, food safety, and agricultural policy — the exact terrain AHI works when it lobbies for veterinary medicine access.

His résumé is concrete: most recently a consultant advising trade associations on government relations and regulatory affairs; before that, senior director of policy and regulatory affairs at Conagra Brands; and earlier positions at the National Pork Producers Council, the National Turkey Federation, and the law firm Siff & Associates. He earned his JD from George Washington University Law School and bachelor's degrees in international business and Spanish from Mississippi State University.

In the role, Bailey will support AHI's push for policies that help veterinarians, farmers, ranchers, and pet owners access animal medicines — a food-animal and companion-animal priority at once.

"I'm thrilled to be joining AHI at such a critical time for our sector," Bailey said in the organization's November 9, 2026 announcement. "I look forward to working with our members and policymakers to advance practical, science-based policies that support healthier animals and continued innovation."

What is happening at Maryland's new veterinary school?

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Veterinary Medicine (UMES SVM) has named Paul Nader, DVM, as associate professor of anatomy. Nader brings 35 years of veterinary experience and will build and deliver anatomy instruction across the entire DVM curriculum — gross anatomy, histology, embryology, and comparative vertebrate anatomy. He previously taught at Lincoln Memorial University's College of Veterinary Medicine and the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and served as a visiting professor at St. George's University's School of Veterinary Medicine. He earned his DVM from NC State in 1991.

The timing matters for the profession. UMES SVM recently received its letter of reasonable assurance from the AVMA Council on Education, a major accreditation milestone on the path to welcoming its first DVM class in summer 2027. The school will become the first standalone veterinary school in Maryland and the first at a public historically Black college or university.

"Anatomy is where every great veterinarian begins," Nader said in a school announcement dated November 2, 2026. "Joining UMES is the opportunity of a lifetime. We're building a veterinary school, making history and opening doors for students who will change the face of this profession."

With Preston starting November 3, Bailey on November 16, and Nader already at work in Princess Anne, all three appointments land before the new year — positioning Elanco's workforce strategy, AHI's policy agenda, and UMES's first curriculum well ahead of the 2027 DVM class arrival.