It’s called “An Evening Under the Stars with the Indiana State Poultry Association” because the yearly event is a celebration of the poultry industry that’s held in downtown Indianapolis at the iconic Indiana Roof Ballroom. Purdue Veterinary Medicine was a Silver sponsor for this year’s January 20 event, which attracted a record turnout and provided an important opportunity for Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) representatives to showcase ADDL services and the laboratory’s important role in supporting the state’s poultry industry.
Event attendees represented poultry producers, allied industry, Indiana’s congressional delegation, the Indiana General Assembly, and the State of Indiana executive branch and agencies, as well as the USDA and Purdue University. As the participants mingled at the event, they were able to visit the ADDL booth, which offered promotional items and information on ADDL services for the poultry industry.
The Indiana ADDL consists of the Willie M. Reed Laboratory in West Lafayette on the Purdue campus, and the Dennis H. Heeke Laboratory, located in Dubois County at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center. Fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) the ADDL serves as the official diagnostic laboratory for the State of Indiana.
ADDL representatives from both the Reed and Heeke Laboratories were on hand for the Evening Under the Stars event. Dr. Kenitra Hendrix, associate dean and ADDL director; Dr. Craig Bowen, associate director; Dr. Mojtaba Daneshi, client services veterinarian; Dr. Nobuko Wakamatsu, anatomic pathologist/pathology section head; Mary Ruzicka, administrative assistant; Amy Smeltzer, accessioning supervisor; Angie Chan, molecular laboratory supervisor; and Dr. Ekramy Sayedahmed, assistant professor of poultry medicine, all are based at the Reed Lab. Dr. Grant Burcham, anatomic pathologist; Dr. Chris Gaudette, veterinary diagnostician; and Katlyn Wininger, laboratory technician, all represented the Heeke ADDL.
Throughout the evening, attendees were able to make new contacts, renew connections with longtime friends, and share with representatives of Indiana’s General Assembly how Indiana’s poultry industry strengthens individual communities and the state as a whole. The banquet menu was, of course, all about poultry recipes, beginning with duck wontons and duck quesadillas as appetizers. The main course featured several gourmet stations with such poultry-laced dishes as made-to-order omelets, noodles, salads, kabobs, and street tacos. A dessert station rounded out the menu.
“Each year, we look forward to this event as a valuable opportunity to engage in meaningful, in-person conversations with our partners in the poultry industry and to build new professional connections,” Dr. Hendrix said. The event also served as a way to thank the many dedicated elected officials and public servants whose ongoing support is essential to nurturing Indiana’s poultry producers and helping the industry thrive and grow.