It was shared values, a common vision, and a complementary skillset that brought Dr. Haussler and equine bodyworker Deanna Drendel together in March 2023. Deanna collaborates in most aspects of Dr. Haussler’s Veterinary Compendium project, including determining priorities, coordinating the work of our Webinar Content Advisors, developing / implementing our Community Gatherings program, publishing our newsletter, creating testimonials with our webinar attendees, contributing to website development, encouraging conversation on our Facebook page, and managing Member enquiries.
Deanna is Accredited in Public Relations – APR, a universally recognized title – and holds an Honours B.A. with Distinction in Philosophy. Born and raised in California, she studied in California, France, and Quebec, and has lived in Quebec for over 50 years.
She brings to Veterinary Compendium 40 years of strategic communications experience, with contributions to the success of corporations, public relations firms, and public and non-profit organizations. As an independent consultant for half of those years, she served multiple clients in the healthcare and research sectors. Creative and values-driven, she also thrived as Public Relations Without Borders’s first executive director and first international mission head for a project in Niger.
During her career, Deanna developed and/or taught courses, e.g. Ethics and Public Relations – in English and in French – at two Quebec universities, and developed / implemented training programs for corporate clients. She was a hardworking committee chair on three boards of directors and has done much volunteer work. In 2006, she was inducted into the College of Fellows of the Canadian Public Relations Society for her “exceptional contributions to the profession and the community” and for being a “role model with consistent and unassailable ethics, values and behaviour”. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Yves-St-Amand Award, the highest distinction granted by her provincial professional association. She continues to act as a mentor in her national professional association’s mentorship program.
In her 60s, Deanna finally turned her attention to her other passion – horses – and started serious horsemanship studies and riding lessons. Then in her early 70s, she made a life-changing transition to equine manual therapy by certifying (2019) in the Masterson Method® of Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork. During that period, she also trained in acupressure using red light (Photonic Health), did a 3-level equine ergonomist course (Saddlefit 4 Life), attended hoof trimming/dissection workshops, and shadowed a neuromuscular lay dentist. A lifelong student and anatomy nerd, she attends live and online dissections and owns a nearly complete equine skeleton named Dignity. She is currently working towards certification in Equine CranioSacral therapy (Equinology/CIECBW).
Dedicated to education, Deanna sees herself as a “builder” and “connector” – connecting people and ideas. She is enormously grateful for all she is learning, and for all the knowledgeable, fascinating people with whom she has the privilege of collaborating through her work with the inspiring Dr. Haussler and his important Veterinary Compendium project.