Ivan Zenar is the Deputy Director, International Development and Humanitarian Program at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Ivan joined Veterinarians Without Borders in May of 2024 as the Deputy Director of International Development and Humanitarian Program.
Ivan has over 20 years of experience in humanitarian and development programming, managing projects and operations in Cambodia, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Libya, and in Canada. His experiences have taken him to conflict areas, post conflict, and supporting communities with long term development across (just about) all sectors. Ivan began his career in Cambodia as an intern and never looked back.
Ivan settled in Ottawa with his wife Diana, where they made their home and family.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Ian Parfitt, a GIS Mapping Advisor who spent three months in Cambodia (January–April 2025) supporting organic agriculture and digital transformation with our local partner, AVSF Cambodia.
Megan Sylka, Senior Program Officer at VWB, shares how her recent visit to Kenya revealed the powerful ripple effects of the VETS program—highlighting how Community One Health Champion Shelmith Mwai is transforming her dairy farm, her family dynamics, and her community through knowledge, leadership, and collaboration.
This article examines how a One Health approach can transform food safety systems by addressing the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment—highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration, innovations like Canada’s CFSIN, and global strategies to mitigate risks such as antimicrobial resistance, climate change, and zoonotic disease.
