Charmaine Brett is the Executive Director of Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Charmaine Brett joined VWB/VSF in June, 2021 as Executive Director. Charmaine brings more than twenty years of expertise and experience in international humanitarian relief and development to her new role as Executive Director, after having lived for more than 10 years in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and the Middle East. During this time, she has worked with leading humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Medical Emergency Relief International, and Habitat for Humanity, developing sustainable programming and responding to numerous natural and man-made emergencies.
Prior to accepting the role of Executive Director, Charmaine spent approximately seven years as Program Officer for the Disaster Relief and Recovery domain at the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. Immediately prior to joining the Philanthropies, Charmaine worked as Head of Programs with Action Against Hunger, where she was responsible for the strategic program leadership and overall management in Pakistan, Cambodia, and Nigeria. She also holds an honour's degree in international development studies from Trent University in Canada, and she has worked as an educator in South Korea and Taiwan.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you inspiring stories from the field, showcasing the impactful work of our dedicated VETS program volunteers. Meet Dr. Riley Bauman (DVM), an Animal Health Advisor who spent two months in Kenya (April–June 2025), working alongside smallholder dairy farmers and Meru Dairy staff to promote animal health, gender equity, and sustainable livelihoods.
This article explores the persistent threat of anthrax and the critical need for community-led surveillance in preventing zoonotic outbreaks. It highlights how VWB’s One Health approach—through the COHERS program, CAHW training, and gender-responsive outreach—strengthens local capacity to detect and manage neglected diseases, protecting both human and animal health in vulnerable communities.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog was written by Guy Audet, a Business Development Advisor who supported our VETS program partner, WIPVaC-Apex, in Ghana from March to May 2025.
