All the buzz is about artificial intelligence (AI) in 2023. We are all in for the latest responsible AI, but Lea-Ann Germinder, Founder, Editor, and Publisher of Goodnewsforpets.com was an early adopter of the Internet as a communications channel. In fact, her work began in 1995 with veterinarians to produce a pet dental website for Pets Need Dental Care, Too!

She and her team then launched Goodnewsforpets.com at the Western Veterinary Conference in 2000 in conjunction with running the traditional newsroom and have published thousands of posts since. What began as an idea to host a website as a resource for freelance journalists to find good news about veterinary medicine and to promote the great work of cat writers and dog writers became an industry phenomenon. As she often says, “pets.com didn’t last, but Goodnewsforpets.com is still here.”

Germinder’s content development background and extensive work with journalists suit the site well. She and her teams have created over 125 campaigns in animal health, educating the pet-owning public and general veterinary practitioners. She has worked extensively with boarded veterinarians and groups, starting with creating the iconic “Pets Need Dental Care, Too!” campaign on behalf of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Dental Society that built the oral care category for pets.

Her work has included extensive work with pharmaceutical companies on vaccines and pharmaceutical product launches, pet food companies and pet insurance companies, and a host of veterinary organizations.  She and her team created the KNOW Heartworms campaign on behalf of Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), the American Heartworm Society, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners to educate pet owners and general practitioners on feline heartworm disease or HARDS. She and her team also created the CATalyst Summit, which evolved into the CATalyst Council on behalf of Zoetis.

She has authored articles and delivered seminars, speeches, and media appearances on veterinary and pet-related issues to various pet and vet audiences at domestic and international venues, including the Veterinary Medicines Summit in Nice, France. She has spoken about digital engagement and storytelling to audiences as diverse as authors, writers, and bloggers at the Cat Writers’ Association to international master’s degree students for a luxury brands communications course at Baruch College) students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to veterinary practices at the NY Vet Show.

Germinder’s commitment to volunteerism focuses on her core passions: communications for many niche markets, women’s issues, DEI, and pets. In communications, Germinder has served at a national level on the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and as a trustee of the Public Relations Society of America Foundation. She has served in numerous PRSA positions, including president of the PRSA New York chapter and president of the PRSA Kansas City chapter, Tri-State and Midwest District chairs, and numerous committee and judging panels. Her most recent endeavor was co-founding the Inez Y. Kaiser GKC-PRSA Memorial Scholarship Fund with the Greater Kansas City PRSA chapter president Alex Miller and the chapter. To date, nine scholars have been awarded scholarships.

Germinder received her Master of Science in Strategic Communications in 2023 and is now pursuing her doctorate. She is an Accredited Fellow of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), one of the most prestigious honors of the public relations profession. Germinder is a judge of many PRSA Silver Anvil, PRSA Chapter Competitions, and global programs, including as a 2023 judge of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) competition programs.

Germinder’s own work has been recognized by the PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence, the VMX Vetty Awards, the American Animal Hospital Association Gold Key Award, the IABC Bronze Quill, and dozens of local communications awards.

As a woman business owner, Germinder champions women’s issues through mentorship, membership, and giving back. She has mentored interns, women from PRSA and PRSSA, her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Dayton, and NY Women in Communications. She has earned the PRSA-NY Mentorship Award, the CWA Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award, the Women Who Mean Business Award from the Kansas City Business Journal/Kauffman Foundation, and an Enterprising Women of the Year Honoree Award. In 2022, she was named PR Pro of the Year by GKC-PRSA and recognized for her sponsorship of student attendees at the PRSA-NY Big Apple by City College of New York.

As editor and publisher of Goodnewsforpets.com, she is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Dog Writers Association of America, the Cat Writers’ Association of America, and numerous veterinary organizations, including the first associate member of Veterinary Management Association Executives (VMAE).

To reach Germinder, email her at Lgerminder@germinder.com.

Updated: 10/23/23