Two College of Veterinary Medicine alumni recently took home honors from the 2025 Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) Annual Conference. 

Drs. Jim Bennett, ’81 DVM, and Lukas Wallerich, ’15 DVM, were among the award recipients recognized during the conference’s Business Meeting session on Feb. 1. Bennett was named Veterinarian of the Year while Wallerich received the Emerging Leader award.  

Veterinarian of the Year is awarded to an MVMA member who has given much to the veterinary profession as well as to their community—they are well-rounded and are outstanding in the profession. 

For more than 40 years, Bennett has been an owner and veterinarian at Northern Livestock Clinic in Plainview, Minn. He’s served on various committees through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and MVMA. He is currently the past president of the MVMA. Bennett was the winner of the Excellence in Preventative Medicine award from the AABP and has presented talks at AABP and the American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as speaking at many agribusiness events throughout his career.

“Jim has been a driving force in bovine production medicine services in southeast Minnesota,” MVMA President Dr. Ann Brownlee said during the award presentation. “For the past 42 years, he has been at the leading edge of modern bovine practice serving many clients in southeast Minnesota.”

The Emerging Leader award is given to an MVMA member who has graduated from veterinary school within the past 10 years and has demonstrated achievement and leadership through veterinary community involvement, and actively engaged with others in the profession. 

Wallerich is a veterinarian at Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital and is an active member of the MVMA. His involvement began in veterinary school where he served as a student representative. Since graduating, he has served as a director on the MVMA and Minnesota Veterinary Medical Foundation boards as well as several committees. He also has served on the CVM’s Alumni and Friends Board.

“He engages in active mentorship and teaching of both veterinary students and new graduates, and he most enjoys the opportunity to collaborate with clients while providing care for their extraordinary pets,” Brownlee said. 

The 2025 MVMA Conference was held in conjunction with the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians in downtown Minneapolis from Jan. 29–Feb. 2.