The Ready, Vet, Go Team

Dr. Serena Brenner

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Brenner has been acting medical director at an animal shelter, AZA zoo, and wildlife center. All three required that she re-structure and rebuild the veterinary team and the clinic. She loves clinical medicine and having to be creative in a clinical situation. Much of Dr. Brenner’s work was contract or relief work at Bay Area zoos/aquariums prior to COVID so when COVID hit she had to pivot and happened to be asked by one of her former clinical professors at UCDavis to come to help facilitate a new course being taught at UCDavis for Veterinary students called Healer’s Art. The course is, “an innovative discovery model course in values clarification and professionalism.” Dr. Brenner will be taking on her 5th year/cohort of vet students this Winter. Dr. Brenner, through her training for this course, and in facilitating the course, has been able to elevate the care that she provides to her patients and clients through more generous listening.

Facilitating this course made Dr. Brenner realize how much she enjoyed teaching and mentoring and at the encouragement of several veterinary students and one of her RVTs started teaching at an RVT training program. This was an extremely rewarding experience and one that now allows me to bring so much to my current position as staff veterinarian at a feline-only clinic starting in Davis where much of the staff needs to be trained.

Dr. Brenner lives in Davis, California with her husband, 2 teenage kids, 1 dog, and 3 cats that run the house. In her free time, she can be found on the mountain skiing with her family, in the Pilates studio, watching her kids play club volleyball, on the potter’s wheel, fabricating jewelry, creating liquid acrylic beach scenes, or knitting.

Dr. Serena Brenner

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Brenner has been acting medical director at an animal shelter, AZA zoo, and wildlife center. All three required that she re-structure and rebuild the veterinary team and the clinic. She loves clinical medicine and having to be creative in a clinical situation. Much of Dr. Brenner’s work was contract or relief work at Bay Area zoos/aquariums prior to COVID so when COVID hit she had to pivot and happened to be asked by one of her former clinical professors at UCDavis to come to help facilitate a new course being taught at UCDavis for Veterinary students called Healer’s Art. The course is, “an innovative discovery model course in values clarification and professionalism.” Dr. Brenner will be taking on her 5th year/cohort of vet students this Winter. Dr. Brenner, through her training for this course, and in facilitating the course, has been able to elevate the care that she provides to her patients and clients through more generous listening.

Facilitating this course made Dr. Brenner realize how much she enjoyed teaching and mentoring and at the encouragement of several veterinary students and one of her RVTs started teaching at an RVT training program. This was an extremely rewarding experience and one that now allows me to bring so much to my current position as staff veterinarian at a feline-only clinic starting in Davis where much of the staff needs to be trained.

Dr. Brenner lives in Davis, California with her husband, 2 teenage kids, 1 dog, and 3 cats that run the house. In her free time, she can be found on the mountain skiing with her family, in the Pilates studio, watching her kids play club volleyball, on the potter’s wheel, fabricating jewelry, creating liquid acrylic beach scenes, or knitting.

Dr. Lindsey Mortlock

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Lindsey Mortlock obtained her veterinary degree from Tufts University in 2010, followed by a yearlong rotating internship in her home state of Connecticut. Since then, she has been an emergency veterinarian in Connecticut, Colorado, and most recently Maine. She has worked in primarily specialty hospitals which has allowed her to keep up with the most recent developments in the world of veterinary medicine. She has also enjoyed working with interns at several of these practices, which has inspired her to pursue mentoring new graduates. 

During her time off she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling to new countries and spending time with her cats. 

Dr. Chelsea Pulter

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Michael Kearley

Mentor
(he/him)

Dr. Tanya Hardy

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Tonya Hardy attended Louisiana State University, where she received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1996, Geau Tigers!! After completing an equine surgery internship in Opelousas, LA, she moved to Park City, Utah, where she began her career in a mixed animal practice. Dr. Hardy soon realized her goals in surgery were best served in the small animal field and began her transition to strictly small animal practice. She gained much of her education and experience through Banfield Pet Hospital, where Dr. Hardy was a Chief of staff, a partner, an associate doctor, and a Medical Director. She expanded her mentor, managerial, and leadership skills along with medical skills. She began teaching classes at Broadview Veterinary Tech College, expanding on her love of teaching. This also inspired her to go back to school and achieve her Master of Business Administration in leadership in 2016. Dr. Hardy is proficient in soft tissue surgery and orthopedics and now has expanded her oral and dental surgical skills by finishing the rigorous 8-month Veterinary Dental Practitioners Program from the International Veterinary Dentistry Institute (IVDI), placing her among the distinguished in general practice of veterinary dentistry.

Dr. Hardy also serves on the Utah Veterinary Medical Association and the Utah Veterinary License Board. She loves to be involved with advising on the quality of medicine that pets get and making sure that standards are being met. She also volunteers with the American Veterinary Medical Association on the RACE and CVTEA committees.

In her free time, she loves to hike, bike, and camp with her husband, golden retriever, and savannah cats in the Utah mountains.

Dr. Jen Finley

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Jennifer Finley graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Upon graduation she worked at Medvet Columbus first as a hospitalist in the Internal Medicine department, then moved on to full time emergency veterinarian. She remained at Medvet Emergency department for 9 years. She left emergency medicine to pursue general practice at a new clinic in Grove City, Oh where she was the medical director for 5 years. Dr. Finley then transitioned to relief veterinarian to allow a more flexible schedule to accommodate her children’s many sporting activities. Prior to veterinary school Dr. Finley worked as a surgery and ICU technician at Medvet Columbus and what became Medvet Mandeville for nearly 10 years.

Dr. Finley lives in Ohio and is married with two now teenage children who are both very active in several sports and school programs. She frequently travels out of state supporting her kids’ activities. They also have one cat, and recently lost their beloved family dog.

Allie Stark

Leadership Development Advisor
(she/her)

Allie Stark is a life coach, facilitator, and inspired entrepreneur. She has supported individuals, leaders, and organizations to shift into greater alignment for the last 20 years.

Founder of Allie Stark Wellness and co-founder of Innerwell, Allie co-created a board-certified health coaching program for One Medical and taught a graduate-level class in wellness entrepreneurship at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She guides wellness entrepreneurs and small business owners in launching and running successful businesses, trains coaches in her unique methodology and facilitates workshops for some of the world’s biggest brands.

Some of Allie’s clients include Alma, Google, GoPro, IXL Learning, Nest, Omada Health, One Medical, PlannedParenthood, SF Department of Public Health, Square, Twitter, Wix, and Zendesk.

Petra Koenig

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Katherine Daigle

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Ahzalea Cotto Laó

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Ahzalea Cotto Laó is a first-year veterinary student pursuing a career in community and shelter medicine with a special interest in veterinary forensics. She is a first-generation student with experience in companion animals, horses, and marine animals. When she’s not studying, she’s likely capturing moments behind a camera, lost in a book, or watching a horror classic. Ahzalea has completed an externship with the ASPCA’s veterinary forensics center, deepening her commitment to justice for animals. She believes in the power of mentorship and encourages students to seek guidance and build supportive networks.

Alexis-Marie Hudson

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Alondra Becerril

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Esmeralda López Hernández

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Ruby Martinez

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

She grew up in the small town of Hanford in the heart of the Central Valley of California, surrounded by agriculture; she found her passion in farm animals and is interested in mixed animal medicine.🐄🐕🐈🐑

Before Veterinary school, she helped with many research projects involving dairy cattle, where she gained a deep appreciation for the role of research in enhancing animal welfare and benefiting them beyond routine care. Ruby wants to advocate for underserved and underrepresented communities, ensuring they can also get essential care for their animals.

Caroline O’Brien

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

School: 2nd year student on accelerated program at the Royal Veterinary College (class of 2026)

Special interests: surgery (soft tissue & orthopedics), small animal emergency medicine, mental health in the veterinary field

Sharleen Vargas Godoy

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Kathy Ramirez Lopez

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Kathy (she/her) is a proud first-generation Latinx veterinary student from sunny Southern California. Born and raised in Anaheim, she is a third-year veterinary student at Western University of Health Sciences, Kathy is deeply passionate about zoo medicine and wildlife conservation and has even had the opportunity to do conservation work with African penguins! Her path has been shaped by her love for mentorship and giving back to the community. From speaking to pre-vet clubs to inspiring the next generation of veterinarians, Kathy is committed to showing students that success in this field doesn’t require perfection—just passion and perseverance. With aspirations of becoming a board-certified zoo veterinarian, she strives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in veterinary medicine, especially in zoo medicine, while encouraging others to dream big and reach for their goals.

Vet School: Western University of Health Sciences Class of 2026
Instagram: @kats.vet.adventures

Jacqueline Sanchez

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Maya Sullivan

Veterinary Student Liaison
(she/her)

Maya Sullivan hails from Maryland, where she has known since she was 12 that she wanted to become a veterinarian and help make the world a better place. While in middle and high school, she participated in numerous programs focused on veterinary medicine and agriculture. In fact, she participated in three programs sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (AgDiscovery) that helped solidify her interest in becoming a veterinarian. Maya recently graduated with honors from Tuskegee University with a BS degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences. After graduating, Maya pursued her dream of working with animals at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Thanks to a college internship program, she worked as an Animal Presenter at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, presenting information about the various animals in the Africa and Asia trails and describing the importance of conservation. As a result of this internship and other activities, Maya desires to become a zoo veterinarian. To continue pursuing her dreams, Maya will be a part of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine – Class of 2027, starting this Fall (2023). She will be helping to make the world a better place, one animal at a time.

Sarah Rumple

Content Strategy Advisor
(she/her)

When not writing about animals or running her business, Sarah can be found in Denver, Colorado, spending time with her husband, three children, two dogs, and one cat. She is passionate about animal welfare and advocacy and is currently pursuing a master of public policy degree from the University of Colorado Denver. Sarah loves to travel and tries to visit at least one new country every year.

Martin Traub-Werner

Business Advisor

Martin dressed up as a businessman for Halloween when he was seven.  Since then, he’s spent more than 40 years refining his skills and honing his craft. He completed an undergraduate degree at York University in his hometown of Toronto, Canada and a subsequent Master of Industrial and Labo(u)r Relations (MILR) degree at Cornell University. His time at Cornell was spent learning and thinking about the complexity of people management in organizations. Martin spent a number of years working in Human Resources in large Fortune 500 companies. Ultimately, his entrepreneurial spirit won out. A builder and problem solver, Martin is happiest putting the pieces together to create value. He’s done this a number of times including with VetSuccess. In 2013 Martin started VetSuccess and created the veterinary industry’s first business intelligence and data analytics company. In 2018 VetSuccess was sold to Vetsource and Martin transitioned to an executive leadership role in the company. In 2022 Martin left Vetsource to pay attention to VetBooks which he founded with some industry friends in 2017. VetBooks is a leader in veterinary bookkeeping bringing financial control and discipline to independent veterinary practices.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Martin volunteers his time with RISE Asset Development serving on the organization’s loan review committee and mentoring entrepreneurs. Martin and his wife Tamara live in Nanaimo, British Columbia and have two teenagers and a lovable Texas street dog named Austin.

Douglas Freeman, DVM

Mentee Skills Advisor

Caitlin DeWilde

DVM, Founder and CEO of The Social DVM
(she/her)

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde is a practicing veterinarian and founder of The Social DVM, a  consulting firm devoted to helping veterinary professionals learn how to manage and grow their digital marketing efforts. Working with large industry groups and individual practices alike, Caitlin and her team are passionate about translating the geek speak to veterinary speak, and helping vets reach more clients and pets.   

Caitlin is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and a recipient of their  Outstanding Young Alumni Award, and also an alum of the AVMA’s Future Leaders Program. She served as medical director for a large AAHA/Fear Free/Cat-Friendly certified hospital in St. Louis before stepping back to focus on her marketing passion. Today, she divides her time between practice, consulting, and writing. She is the author of the “Social Media and Marketing for Veterinary Professionals” textbook and a columnist for Today’s Veterinary Business. Because she can’t be serious all the time, she’s also the co-founder of the Vets Against Insanity game line and has spent way too much time watching cat videos. Caitlin shares her home with her husband, two boys and their herd of “lemon but loved” pets. She enjoys traveling, sunshine, live music with a cold craft beer and Golden Girls reruns.

Danny Vazquez

RVT, Time Management and Team Efficiency
(he/him)

One of Danny’s favorite parts of veterinary medicine has always been anesthesia. He enjoys how dynamic any anesthetic event can be. He expanded his skillset in this area by obtaining a certification in Anesthesia and Analgesia. Another passion he has is ensuring any team he is a part of does not feel alone or suffer any burnout. That is why he has worked in general practice as well as emergency and critical care. He feels having that well-rounded foundation allows him to jump in and help a colleague in any scenario.

When not at work, Danny loves spending time kayaking or just spending time outside with his Fiancé and 4 dogs.

Melyssa Allen

MA, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, Veterinary Well-Being Buddy
(she/her)

Josh Vaisman

MAPPCP, CCFP | Flourish Veterinary Consulting
(he/him)

When he’s not cultivating ways to elevate the veterinary community, Mr. Vaisman spends his time with his wife, Greta, and their many creatures in Firestone, Colorado. To fill his bucket, he’s a soccer-playing, reef-keeping, cookie-eating, beekeeper.

Andrea Crabtree

BS, CVP M, PHR, SPHR, PHRca, CCFP, FFCP | FurPaws Consulting
(she/her)

Andrea is a SoCal native. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a BS in Animal Health

Science in 2004. She became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager in 2011, received her California Professional in Human Resources in 2017, and accomplished her Certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources in 2019. She became a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional in 2019 and she is Fear Free Certified. In January 2016, Andrea received the SoCal VMA Paraprofessional of the Year Award. She is currently the owner of FurPaws Consulting in CA where she works with business owners and managers to develop their leadership teams as well as to expand and develop their businesses.

Andrea also stays busy with public speaking at a variety of veterinary events and national conferences, doing what she loves – teaching, coaching, and training. She has also published in Veterinary Team Brief, IDEXX’s Practice Life, Veterinary Practice News, and SD VMA. Her passion for veterinary medicine also keeps her busy with SoCal VMA events and the SoCal Veterinary Manager’s Network she co-founded and is a board member. She is a member of SoCal VMA, VHMA, and VetPartners and serves on the Board of Directors. She is also an active board member at Platt College (Anaheim) and on the Golden State Humane Society Board.

Andrea lives in Orange with her husband, Andrew, son John, three cats, two dogs, and her horse. She loves professional football and the Green Bay Packers have been her favorite team since she was four years old. She is active and loves to hike, read, and horseback ride.

Stiles Foster

Chief Learning Officer at Blendvet
(he/they)

Stiles Foster (he/they) is currently the Chief Learning Officer at Blendvet ™. Throughout his extensive career in veterinary medicine, he has transitioned from being a veterinary technician to working as the diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging (DEIB) coordinator at a major corporate veterinary emergency group, and DEIB consultant within the veterinary profession. During their pivot into the world of DEIB, Stiles claimed the inaugural role as the first DEIB educator within their corporation, developing & overseeing the educational team, content, programming, & strategy prior to joining blendvet ™.

Additionally, his efforts helped to create lasting internal and external partnerships with third-party affiliates, stakeholders, and investors, proving key to company culture and DEIB success.

Stiles has lectured virtually and in-person on numerous topics within DEIB at the University of California Davis, Pennsylvania State, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has also participated in various DEIB discussion panels and is a co-educator & co-creator for a DEIB subsection of the Communications course at Cornell University.

Amidst the many nonprofit organizations such as PrideVMC and BlackDVM Network in which they’ve partnered with, their passion thrives through advocating for those who are marginalized by delivering a message which highlights personal experience coupled with the importance of DEIB integration.

Since joining blendvet ™, Stiles continues to utilize and curate his skills to drive the companys’ mission forward and with exciting anticipation, awaits his most recent contributions to Pride VMC’s Gender Diversity Guide vol.2, to be published Fall 2023.

Rachel Hilbert

CVT, Time Management and Team Efficiency
(she/her)

Rachel currently lives in Reading, PA, with her handsome CVT husband. They enjoy their days with their new baby, Everly, their two Pit bulls, Sophie and Simona, their two Chihuahuas, Petrie and Ducky, and their Chinchilla, Alfred Shredder. On weekends, Rachel enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking, live music, traveling, listening to murder podcasts, and mastering her new hobby of archery.

Dr. Ryan Koopmans

DVM, MS, Financial Planning
(he/him)

Dr. Ryan Koopmans is a Financial Planner at Vincere Wealth. He is a Veterinarian and has practiced for over 10 years in small animal clinical medicine. A few years ago, after some advice from a colleague, he decided to switch his focus to financial planning. He has always been passionate about financial planning and now can work with his peers. He received his master’s in personal financial planning and is now working with Vincere Wealth since 2021. He passed the CFP® exam and has been a Certified Financial Planner since November 2022.

Dr. Jeff Klemens

Mentor
(he/him)

Dr. Jeff has been fortunate to work for practices with very progressive standards of care. This has allowed him to achieve a high level of medical and surgical skill. The years he’s spent doing emergency work has allowed him to hone his soft tissue surgical skills, exposed him to a wide array of trauma (what he refers to as his “dog vs” list), and allowed him to manage critical patients in hospital. He has experience in both general practice and emergency medicine, which has prepared him for anything that walks (or is carried) through the door.

Outside of work, Dr. Jeff is an avid board-gamer, lover of craft beer, and die-hard Miami Dolphins and Purdue Boilermakers fan. If it’s sci-fi or fantasy fiction, he’s probably into it. He loves to travel, and has already set foot on 3 continents and 13 countries. He spent a semester in Lincoln, New Zealand during undergraduate study. His externship during his senior year of veterinary school took place at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen, Denmark. He also loves to cook, and a good meal with friends. Since February 1, 2018, he has been a full-time relief veterinarian and owner/operator of Reliable Relief Services, LLC. In June of 2020, he began providing mentorship support for a small corporation and continued to create content and help in building their mentorship curriculum.

Dwight Alleyne

Mentor
(he/him)

Dwight Alleyne was born and raised in Long Island, New York where his love of animals began. His career for animals began working for well-known no-kill animal shelter on Long Island. He worked his way up the career ladder working as a kennel technician, veterinary assistant, and then becoming a licensed veterinary technician at the shelter. His passion for veterinary medicine led to him applying to and being accepted at Cornell University Veterinary where he graduated from in 2006. After completing a small animal rotating internship at Purdue University, he eventually made his way to Georgia where he has been practicing ever since. Dr. Alleyne has practiced at several small animal clinics throughout Georgia including roles in medical leadership for the last 5 years. He has a keen interest in soft tissue surgery and has extensive experience in performing ultrasounds including echocardiograms. He currently lives in Marietta, Georgia with his wife Elonda, 12 year old daughter Tatiana, and his Maine coon cat named Queen.

Dr. Michelle Cook 

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Michelle Cook enjoys practicing the full art of veterinary medicine by using evidence-based medicine and compassion to provide the best care for pets and their families. She earned her BA at Colby College in 2001 and DVM from The Ohio State University in 2011.

After graduating from OSU, Dr. Michelle completed a small animal rotating internship at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston where she saw a wide variety of cases in a fast-paced environment, managed critical patients, and worked directly with specialists in multiple areas. Cutting her teeth at Angell resulted in her ability to perform excellent medical/case management, time management, client communication, professional communication, and provided the confidence to practice best medicine in a “real world” setting.

Life after internship brought marriage and a move to the west coast where Dr. Michelle practiced general medicine at a busy private practice for 3 years before going on to become Medical Director for a corporate hospital in Oregon. Becoming a leader brought Dr. Michelle a new perspective to practicing medicine and added depth to the soft skills she needs to succeed and thrive in the veterinary profession. During this time, Dr. Michelle and her partner welcomed two little girls to their family.

Dr. Michelle’s partner, also a veterinarian, was admitted to a residency program in diagnostic imaging at Colorado State University, which brought the whole family to the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Michelle accepted a position as Medical Director at general practice there and worked to build a culture of positivity, teamwork, and respect. While this work was rewarding, Dr. Michelle once again felt the pull of academia and enrolled in a Master of Public Health program at the Colorado School of Public Health where she earned her MPH in Population Mental Health and Well-being as well as a certificate in Total Worker Health in 2022.

Dr. Michelle and her family currently live in Maine where they enjoy all that the great outdoors and slow pace of life have to offer. She currently works at the Falmouth Veterinary Hospital as a general practitioner where she is deeply grateful for the positive work culture and supportive colleagues. Dr. Michelle also supports research and advocacy work performed by the Johns Hopkins Psychological Organizational and Environmental Total Worker Health Center (POE Center).

Dr. Michelle chose to be a mentor because of her love for the work we do as veterinarians. She recognizes that providing care for animals and supporting their humans can be stressful. Although the challenges can feel overwhelming, she believes the tools we have to mitigate them are excellent mentorship, community support, and skill development that Ready Vet Go provides. Dr. Michelle is honored to be on this journey with you all and looks forward to learning together and building community.

Completed Pawsibilities’ Introduction To Inclusive Mentoring Training

Dr. Melanie Goble

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Melanie Goble grew up in southeastern Wisconsin where she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian from the age of four. After obtaining a degree in psychology from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, and graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Melanie has been a veterinarian since 2005. For the first 9.5 years of her career, Dr. Melanie practiced small animal medicine in Maine and Wisconsin. In 2014, she began providing relief services allowing veterinarians to take time off to renew themselves in mind, body, and soul.

In 2017, Dr. Melanie and a group of colleagues founded the non-profit, Not One More Vet, Inc., to address the issues of suicide and mental wellness in the veterinary profession. In her free time, Dr. Melanie mentors veterinarians and provides veterinary care around the world with Christian Veterinary Missions. She loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband.

Dr. Melanie is currently licensed in Wisconsin, Alaska, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana and Newfoundland Labrador, Canada, has provided veterinary care in Maine, Texas, Mongolia, and the US Virgin Islands, and has given lectures to small groups, universities, and major conferences and organizations virtually and in person throughout the United States, Canada, Estonia, England, and Mongolia. We all do better when we work together!

Dr. Julie Liu

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Patti Munizza

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Patti Munizza originally from New Jersey, but she and her family have been moving further down the east coast. She lived in Virginia for 16 years and for the past five years, she’s been living in Florida. Her family consists of her husband of almost 19 years, two kids, two cats, and one dog. Dr. Munizza graduated from (The) Ohio State University back in 1998 and has devoted post graduate work to small animal practice. She has experience in full-service practice, telehealth, and a high volume/low-cost vaccine/minor medical issues clinic. In her spare time, she enjoys being active (riding my bike, walking the dog, hiking), cooking and baking, and spending time with family and watching her children compete in various sports. 

Dr. Eddie M. Robinson

Mentor
(he/him)

Dr. Eddie M. Robinson, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Clemson University and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in 1983. During his career, Eddie has served as an associate in a mixed animal practice, an emergency medicine practitioner, an associate in small animal practices, a small animal practice owner (30 years), and a medical director in a corporate practice. Eddie’s primary veterinary interests are dermatology, surgery, and developing a clinic culture where all team members feel comfortable and appreciated. His passion for helping others entering veterinary medicine has led to his teaching a class for veterinary assistants at a local technical college. Eddie and Cynthia, his wife of 36 years, have two children. Eddie’s passions outside of veterinary medicine include anything Clemson, reading, tennis, and boxing.

Completed Pawsibilities’ Introduction To Inclusive Mentoring Training

Dr. Gay Smith-Pike

Mentor
(she/her)

She has dedicated over 20+ years of her career to taking best care of pets & people, practicing primarily within small animal medicine.

She is a certified AVMA Wellbeing Educator & Presenter, a certified Frank Communication Training Facilitator, a certified Adult Mental Health First Aid Provider & a certified QPR Institute Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper.

Additionally, Dr. Smith-Pike has held numerous clinical roles in both private small animal practice & multi-unit Veterinary Medical & Operational Leadership positions throughout her career. She currently holds the role of Regional Veterinary Director for the entire Eastern U.S. Region within Destination Pet LLC.

She is most passionate about supporting total well-being within our beloved profession so that people & pets are empowered to truly thrive, and not just survive, within veterinary medicine.

Dr. Ann Welton

Mentor
(she/her)

After graduation, she did an internship at California Animal Hospital in West Los Angeles, getting intensive training in cardiology, internal medicine and ultrasonography. In 2001 she returned to the Santa Barbara area where she has been a full time practicing veterinarian seeing dogs, cats and small exotic companion animals hit over 20 years She was medical director at a multi site practice for 12 years, and is excited to continue the journey as a mentor.

Dr. Welton lives in Santa Barbara with her husband Steve, daughter Claire, and dogs Radar and Banana. In her spare time, she is an avid reader, participating in a monthly book club for almost 20 years. As a cinophile, she looks forward the the Santa Barbara International film festival yearly, and regularly participates in our local Cinema Society. She also enjoys hiking, biking, traveling and cheering on the UCSB Gauchos at sporting events.

Dr. Patricia White

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Patricia White has over 40 years of experience as a veterinarian, 30 years as a practice owner, and entrepreneur, and has spent most of her career in private practice in the field of veterinary dermatology. Dr. White is a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology having completed her residency training and Master’s degree at The Ohio State University.

In 1992, Dr. White founded Atlanta Veterinary Skin & Allergy Clinic, PC in her hometown of Atlanta, GA. Since then, she has been dedicated to serving the veterinary referral, professional, and pet owning communities of the Southeast. Dr. White has authored numerous articles and book chapters for both professional and lay publications, and regularly speaks at veterinary meetings nationally and internationally.  In the fall of 2022, she retired from practice so that she could turn her attention to coaching full time.

Dr. Pat’s passion for spirituality, self-discovery, and helping others to find their purpose and passions in life led her to coaching. She is a certified transformational life coach, Passion Test facilitator, Positive Intelligence guide, and non-violent communication practitioner.  Her coaching focuses on empowering heart-centered professional women who have fallen out of love with what they love to do find their authentic voice, power and purpose again. Overall, Dr. Pat is dedicated to helping others rediscover their passions in life, and is committed to empowering heart-centered  purpose driven professionals to create a life they love that loves them back.

Dr. Pat also has 15 years of interfaith spiritual study, including Sufism and Eastern Philosophy, and has been a leader in her spiritual community for over 15 years as a teacher, coach, and guide for others on their own unique path toward self-discovery.  This lived experience informs her approach to coaching from the heart.  In addition to her coaching and spiritual work, Dr. White is a meditation guide and teacher. She believes that anyone can meditate and teaches students how to “go with the flow” and cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. 

She loves travel, sailing, scuba diving, gardening, hand – building clay work, and jewelry making, and enjoys expressing her creativity through these outlets.

Dr. Gary Marshall

Mentor
(he/him)

Outside of practice, Gary stays involved in non-clinical aspects of the profession by sitting on way too many state and national veterinary boards, the AVMA House of Delegates, and connecting with colleagues through mentoring platforms. His newest endeavor finds him running for the AVMA Vice-President position. If elected in June of 2024, he will begin serving a 2-year term as the liaison between the AVMA and its accredited vet schools around the world.

Outside of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Marshall enjoys getting to all the corners of the Pacific Northwest to work on honing his landscape photography skills. That is if he can get time away from hands on renovations of the cabin he and his wife somehow found themselves purchasing during the pandemic!

Krista Bailey

Curriculum Development
(she/her)

Krista also has experience as a public speaker, corporate trainer and entrepreneur. She has developed and implemented workshops training teachers to implement science curricula and created operational training and SOP manuals for a variety of businesses and organizations. She has worked with faculty, staff, tutors and trainers at all levels.

When she is not “nerding” out over parasitology or improving learning outcomes, she enjoys DIY home projects and volunteering for a local dog rescue organization. She relaxes by spending time with her partner and their 4 dogs and 3 cats.

Tori McLamore

Administrative Coordinator
(she/her)

Dr. Lauren Geiger

Mentor
(she/her)

Dr. Lauren Geiger was born and raised in New York, New York. For her undergraduate studies, she attended The State University of New York at Binghamton, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Dr. Geiger then earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University in 2005. As part of her clinical training, she attended Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine. In 2008, she moved from New York to Boulder, Colorado, where she resides with her husband and two cats named Walter and Emmett. In 2015, Dr. Geiger became certified in acupuncture for small animals. Dr. Geiger has worked as an associate veterinarian for veterinary hospitals and as a medical director for a large corporation. In 2020 she became a relief veterinarian starting her own business assisting hospitals all over Colorado, Utah, and New York.

Completed Pawsibilities’ Introduction To Inclusive Mentoring Training

Dr. Jovanna Radillo

Mentor, Student Liaison Coordinator
(she/her)

Dr. Jovanna Radillo, DVM, MPPA, a first-generation bilingual Mexican-American that found her way through the professional world with a pridefulness in having a humble beginning in lower  socioeconomic status. As a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine c/o 2012, she has  climbed her way up the corporate ladder from veterinary assistant, to an Associate Doctor, to Lead Doctor, to Chief of Staff, to Area Chief of Staff and Field Director over her career. She finds joy leading groups, fostering growth, and also mentoring not only onboarding doctors, but veterinary students, undergrad students, and students in elementary school. She currently volunteers as a Community Mentor for the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Communication Labs training students in years 1-3 of the veterinary school and with various student groups at UC Davis undergrad and Veterinary School focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also has a passion to invest into her community and promote what could be. On her off time, she does various sports including boxing and kickboxing, weightlifting, dancing, cooking, crafting, and hiking. She is an advocate for the understanding of the high level of depression and anxiety in the veterinary community and need for well-being practices. 

Dr. Gretchen Pearson

Mentor
(she/her)