Guppy Blair

Dr. Guppy Blair currently serves as Branch Chief for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) Program located in Bozeman, MT.  Her path to this position included a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University.  Upon graduation, she worked at a mixed animal practice and then as a fish pathologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Both of these positions were shorter term before she started her federal career at the Service’s Idaho Fish Health Center where she worked for over 20 years in fish health before moving to AADAP in 2018.

John Coll

John received a BS in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University.  Work experience includes four years as a fish culturist with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, (1981-1984), dealing primarily with research and production of juvenile American shad for restoration in the Susquehanna River. Joined the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1984, at the Lamar Fish Health Center, as a Biological Laboratory Technician, working primarily in the virology/cell culture lab. After a brief time at the Lamar Fish Technology Center conducting research with Atlantic salmon and lake trout, attended the Fish Health Management and Disease Diagnosis Long Course, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in Kearneysville, WV, from March to October, 1989, and returned to the Lamar Fish Health Center. Has been the Regional Fish Health Biologist/ Laboratory Director at the Center since 1996.

Ken Phillips

A native of Waukesha, WI, Ken has served as the Project Leader at the La Crosse Fish Health Center for almost four years.  Following graduation from Waukesha North High School, Ken attended the University of   Wisconsin—La Crosse, where he earned both a B.S. and M.S. in biology.  Ken began his career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service more than 30 years ago as a Physical Science Technician at the National Fisheries Research Center in La Crosse (now the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center).  While working there, the facility transitioned to the National Biological Service (now the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey).  Ken was able to make his way back home to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995, when he took a position as a Biological Science Technician at the La Crosse Fish Health Center.  During his 27-year career at the La Crosse FHC, Ken has also served as a Fish Biologist and Microbiologist.

Lacey Hopper

Lacey is the Project Leader for the Bozeman Fish Health Center in Montana and has been in that position for 6 years and with the Service for almost 18 years. She started her fisheries career with Idaho Fish and Game at the Clearwater Fish Hatchery right after college and began her Service fish health career at the Idaho Fish Health Center.  Lacey then worked as a fish virologist at the Lower Columbia River Fish Health Center before eventually landing in Bozeman. The best thing about her job is getting the opportunity to collaborate with numerous partners and colleagues in support of aquatic animal recovery, conservation, and recreation.

Trista Becker

A graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Trista Becker started with the USFWS 6 years ago as a Veterinary Medical Officer in Leavenworth, WA. Two years ago, she moved to Dexter, NM to a new role as lead for the Southwestern Fish Health Unit based at the Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center. The unit in the Southwest Region covers Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, with a wide variety of both cold and warmwater aquatic animals.