A beloved friend to so many, including this author, a mentor, a veterinary giant, has left this earth and can never be replaced. Dr. Mary Beth Leininger, 83, passed away on November 6 in Lawrence, Kansas. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dr. Steven R. Leininger.
Best known as the first woman president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Dr. Mary Beth, as she is so affectionately known, also had a distinguished career throughout veterinary medicine, with more than five decades of service as a private practitioner, volunteer leader, industry executive, and spokesperson for the profession. I have had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mary Beth countless times for many AVMA initiatives, including Pet Dental Health Month, and paid tribute to her in the Germinder & Associates Power of Pink interview series. Following is a synopsis of that interview with a link to the full article below:
Dr. Mary Beth received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Purdue University in 1967. From 1971 to 1999, she was a companion animal practitioner and co-owner of the AAHA-accredited Plymouth Veterinary Hospital with her husband, Dr. Steve Leininger. From 1999 to 2009 she was the Director, Professional Affairs for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. From 2009 to 2011 she was project manager for the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium, (NAVMEC) an initiative of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Washington DC. She later joined the Hartville Group and retired in 2017 as Vice President, Veterinary Relations for the Hartville Group.
Dr. Leininger credited her parents with always believing in her and whatever she could accomplish at a time when a woman veterinarian was rare. When asked how she became a veterinarian, she said in the interview, “Like a lot of veterinarians that I’ve spoken with, I made the decision when I was in elementary school (second grade, actually) and I kept that focus for the rest of my life. Many of us veterinarians actually let a child make that big career decision for us”.
Dr. Leininger began her volunteerism in veterinary medicine with leadership roles in AAHA and in the Michigan and SouthEastern Michigan Veterinary Medical Associations. She served on the AVMA Council on Public Relations from 1985 to 1994 and was Chair from 1987 to 1988. She served on the AVMA Board of Governors from 1995-97 and was on the AVMA Executive Board from 1995 to 1998. She served on the AVMA Council of Education from 2012 to 2018.
Dr. Leininger won numerous professional and community awards including the following: Honorary Doctor of Science, Purdue University; Distinguished Alumna Award, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University; Honorary Veterinary Alumnus Award, Michigan State University; Distinguished Practitioner in Veterinary Medicine, National Academies of Practice; Woman Professional of the Year, Michigan Associations of the Professions; Midwest Region Service Award, American Animal Hospital Association; W Kenneth McKersie Service Award, Michigan VMA; Outstanding Contributions to the SouthEastern Michigan VMA; Russell Anthony Award, AVMA Political Action Committee; Delta Society Award for Human-Animal Bond Leadership; Pioneer Professional Award, VetPartners.
Dr. Leininger was a skilled media spokesperson and speaker and conducted hundreds of media interviews over her long tenure of service to the veterinary profession. She has also been featured in numerous publications, including “The Pros’ Choice: Who Sets the Standards in More than 20 Fields. The Veterinarian’s Veterinarian”, Detroit Monthly Magazine and on this Goodnewsforpets.com site.
Despite all her individual accomplishments, Dr. Leininger was always deferential to the support of her husband, Steve Leininger, and the teams that led to success. In that same interview, she said:
“Without a doubt, it is my wonderful spouse Steve who is ultimately responsible for anything and all I have done…and if I have had any successes [in the veterinary profession], they are the result of the wonderful people I have worked with who believed in what I was trying to achieve. My Hill’s team, NAVMEC stakeholders, the folks at Hartville Pet Health Insurance, the many supporters in the Michigan VMA and other veterinary colleagues who were behind me as I campaigned for the AVMA presidency: each one played a HUGE role in my life”.
Visitation will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS, 66044. Donations can be made in her honor to the Mary Beth and Steven R. Leininger Scholarship Fund of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana.
Rest in peace, Dr. Mary Beth. You are and will always be so very sorely missed by all.
Lea-Ann Germinder
Full Power of Pink Interview with Dr. Mary Beth below:
Learnings From Dr. Leininger: Of Course You’re Going To Do That!
