Tricia Wood, Ph.D., Lallemand Animal Nutrition

Chairman, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2027 (2nd)

Tricia Wood was raised on a farrow-to-finish hog operation and was active in 4-H in her youth. Her bachelor, masters, and Ph.D. degrees were all awarded from the Iowa State University focusing on animal physiology. Her graduate school research all centered around calf immune system development and nutritional supplements that can affect development and efficiency of the immune system (pre/probiotics). She has over 15 years of experience in the dairy feed additive and feed industries where she has formulated milk replacer and provided sales and technical support for dairy calf and feed additive products. She is a member of the Ruminant Technical Services team with Lallemand Animal Nutrition, North America. In her current role, she provides technical support, product expertise and industry knowledge alongside the Lallemand territory business managers for the western United States. She has consulted on numerous calf ranches in the Western half of the country, as well as in the Midwest. Tricia resides in resides in Caldwell, Idaho, with her husband and two sons on a small farm where they raise horses and chickens.

Samantha Pearle, M.S., PAS, Energy Feeds International

Vice-Chairman, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2027 (2nd)

Samantha has been in the feed and nutrition industry for 12 years and currently serves the California dairy industry providing bypass fat solutions from Energy Feeds International.

Carlyn Peterson, Ph.D., P.A.S., Selko USA

Ex-Officio, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2028 (2nd)

Carlyn Peterson is a Dairy Technical Manager for Selko USA (formerly Micronutrients) primarily covering the Western region of the US. Carlyn specializes in sustainable dairy systems and their interaction with dairy nutrition. Prior to joining Selko in 2022, Carlyn provided technical support for the Smartline category with Adisseo for two years. Between 2013 to 2020 she worked with Dr. Frank Mitloehner at the University of California, Davis, to complete a Master’s degree and PhD in Animal Biology with a focus on Sustainability and Ruminant Nutrition. Carlyn is passionate about improving sustainability in the dairy sector. The title of her dissertation is “Effects of Feed and Waste Additives on Dairy Cattle’s Impact on Greenhouse Gasses and Air Quality.” Her research focused on reducing the environmental impacts of dairy while maintaining production. Carlyn also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, emphasis in Livestock and Dairy, from UC Davis. She is originally from San Diego County where she got her start in agriculture through participating in the FFA.

Jesse Govea, Pine Creek Nutrition Service, Inc.

Committee Member, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2028 (1st)

Leslie Jacobsen, Phibro Animal Nutrition

Committee Member, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2028 (1st)

Leslie Jacobsen is an Account Manager with Phibro covering the Southern California region. In 2022 she completed her Master’s degree in Animal Biology with a focus on Ruminant Nutrition with Dr. Heidi Rossow at University of California, Davis. After obtaining her Master’s degree, she worked as a Nutrition Consultant for Nutri-Systems INC. from 2022 – 2023. She is also on the board of the American Registry for Professional Animal Scientists as Director at Large. Leslie also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fresno State, with an emphasis in Dairy Production.

Dr. Kelly Nichols, UC Davis – Department of Animal Science

Committee Member, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2028 (1st)

Kelly Nichols is a ruminant nutritionist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal
Science at the University of California, Davis. Her research program focuses on characterizing the digestive and metabolic flexibility of dairy cattle to elevate the understanding of dietary protein and energy interactions, mammary gland metabolism, and nutrient utilization to improve the transfer of dietary nutrients into milk. Kelly’s research career began at the University of Guelph in Canada where she completed her MSc focused on amino acid and energy metabolism in dairy cattle. She then moved to the Netherlands to carry out her PhD at Wageningen University on a project focused on reducing nitrogen losses in dairy cattle in collaboration with the Dutch feed industry. Prior to her move to UC Davis, Kelly led a strategic research area on nitrogen and carbon efficiency in the Ruminant Research Center of Trouw Nutrition R&D.

Andy Riordan, Nutri-Systems Inc.

Committee Member, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2028 (1st)

Dr. Noelia Silva-del Rio, UC Davis – School of Veterinary Medicine

Committee Member, California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC) –
Term 2026 (1st)

Noelia Silva del Rio is the UC Davis Cooperative Extension Dairy Specialist at the veterinary medicine school. She is located at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare. She earned her veterinary degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 1998. She practiced for two years in the northwest region of Spain by supporting dairy producers with the implementation of reproduction, nutrition, and herd health programs. In 2007, she obtained her Ph.D. in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin with focus on nutrition and reproduction. Soon after graduation, she joined UCCE as a Tulare Dairy Advisor, a position she held for over three years before joining the UC Davis SVM as a Specialist in 2012.