A native of Edmonton, Valerie Carney completed her BSc and MSc in poultry reproductive physiology at the University of Alberta and went on to complete a Ph.D. in poultry genetics at the University of Arkansas. She started her career in the poultry industry with Aviagen North America where she worked as a field and research geneticist. Val returned to Alberta as a production and technology transfer specialist with the Alberta government. Her position included research, teaching and technology transfer. She has served the Poultry Science Association in various capacities and most recently as President in 2017-18. Val is currently the Poultry Innovation Partnership lead, working with partners from the poultry industry, the U of A and the Alberta government to accomplish the PIP strategic plan. “I was a city girl who spent every possible moment I could on my grandparents farm, mused Val. “I wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid. In my poultry classes at the U of A I was introduced to research and I was hooked.”