Kim Van Syoc is a Board member with Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord U.S.
Kim Van Syoc is the executive director of the Banfield Foundation and VCA Charites, the charitable arms of Banfield Pet Hospital and VCA Animal Hospital, two of the largest veterinary practices in the world. Under Kim’s leadership, the Banfield Foundation and VCA Charites have collectively awarded more than $16 million in grants and improved the health, safety and wellbeing of more than 7 million pets in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. Kim also helped launch, and currently serves as president of, the Better Together Fund, a separate public charity which empowers Banfield, BluePearl and VCA Animal Hospital Associates to support one another with critical financial assistance in the event of natural and manmade disasters or domestic violence.
Kim joined Banfield Pet Hospital in 2009 after spending more than 12 years working in public relations. Prior to her role at the Banfield Foundation, Kim served as Banfield’s director of external communications, overseeing public relations, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility. Kim’s achievements include the creation and management of the annual State of Pet Health Report, the largest report of its kind as well as Banfield’s Corporate Social Responsibility platform and the creation of the Banfield Foundation.
Kim serves on the Board of Trustees for the Oregon Zoo Foundation and the Advisory Council for Greater Good Charities – further demonstrating her love of animals, big and small. Kim lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon along with her husband, daughter and 3-year-old Standard Schnauzer, Pippa.
#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.
