Charmaine Brett, VWB’s Executive Director, reflects on four years of transformative leadership as she prepares to step down in September. Her letter highlights milestones in animal care, community resilience, and One Health initiatives, while reaffirming VWB’s commitment to its bold 2025–2030 Strategic Plan and the search for new leadership to build on this momentum.
As many of you now know, I’ll be stepping down this September as Executive Director of Veterinarians Without Borders North America to begin a new chapter as President & CEO of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.
Leading VWB has been more than a role — it’s been a calling, and a tremendous honour. Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a remarkable community: a committed Board, passionate volunteers, tireless staff, steadfast donors, and deeply rooted local partners who bring our mission to life every single day.
PHOTO: Charmaine visiting VWB partners in Ukraine (Oct. 2024)
PHOTO: Charmaine Brett, VWB Executive Director (2021-2025)
PHOTO: Charmaine and staff at team retreat in Ottawa (Nov., 2022)
Together, we’ve scaled bold new heights. We’ve responded to emergencies with urgency and compassion. In Ukraine, our team helped over 150,000 animals with food, medicine, and care while supporting nearly 10,000 rabies vaccinations in frontline areas. In Northern Canada, we’ve delivered veterinary services in 11 remote communities and built trust through community-led care. Globally, we’ve reached more than 306,000 communities, treated over 479,000 animals, and supported more than 266,000 smallholder farmers.
Across 12 countries on five continents, VWB has now deployed more than 400 skilled volunteers—embedding technical expertise into locally driven solutions. Together, we’ve deepened our commitment to One Health and built a model that puts animals, people, and ecosystems at the heart of sustainable development.
What I’m most excited about is what comes next. Our newly launched 2025–2030 Strategic Plan is bold and focused. It reflects the depth of our mission and the scale of what’s possible when we listen deeply, partner authentically, and lead with purpose. With a strong foundation and registered charitable status in both Canada and the U.S., VWB is poised to scale its impact even further in the years ahead.
This transition isn’t just about change—it’s about momentum. And it’s not about one individual—it’s about collective leadership and vision. The Board has initiated a thoughtful and well-paced transition process, and I have full confidence in the strong, values-driven leadership and staff that will carry this work forward.
We’re now recruiting the next Executive Director of VWB North America—someone ready to carry this mission forward with courage, clarity, and care.
🔗 Learn more about the opportunity
To all of you—our partners, donors, field teams, volunteers, and friends—thank you. Thank you for trusting in our mission. Thank you for holding us accountable to the communities we serve. And thank you for being part of something that’s changing the way we think about animal health, community resilience, and global equity.
I’ll always be cheering on this work, and I can’t wait to see where it leads next.
With deep gratitude,
Charmaine Brett
Join us in building a more compassionate, resilient world through One Health. With strong leadership and your support, we can continue to improve lives by strengthening the vital connections between animals, people, and the environment. Donate, volunteer, or subscribe to support disease prevention, protect livelihoods, and advance the One Health solutions that communities around the world depend on.
