VETgirl U 2023
Thurs 8.10 – Sun 8.13

VETgirl was the brainchild of Dr. Justine Lee. Years ago, while frantically studying for her board examination(s), she decided to take some time out to relieve some stress (aka “panic) by running. While pounding the pavement, she thought, “Why can’t I listen to this stuff on my Walkman while I exercise?” (She is old, and this was pre-iPod days). Since sleeping on top of her textbooks didn’t appear to osmotically work, she decided that this “listen and learn” modality would truly be the best way to “take it all” in while frantically multi-tasking. And that’s when she teamed up with techno-savvy Dr. Pachtinger to create VETgirl…

When not reading journal articles, lecturing internationally, exercising, and working at the clinic,  she’s hiking or fulfilling her inner-foodie. Previously, she was the Associate Director of Veterinary Services at an animal poison control center in Minneapolis (2009-2013) and on faculty at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine(2003-2008).

Dr. Lee graduated from Cornell University, and then completed an internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, which is affiliated with the MSPCA. In addition, she has also completed an emergency fellowship and residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, Dr. Lee is one of approximately 450 board-certified veterinary specialists worldwide in emergency and critical care and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (DACVECC). She also is board-certified in toxicology and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT).

Dr. Lee has been published in numerous veterinary journals, including JAVMA, JVECC, JVIM, and JAAHA. She has also published several veterinary book chapters and has been aired on radio and television to promote preventative medicine, animal health, and the overall well-being of pets. She is the author of two humorous pet reference books (Random House 2008) entitled It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It. Dr. Lee also co-edited and co-authored Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Toxicology (Wiley-Blackwell 2011). She is also one of the editors for the Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animal: Emergency Medicine textbook (Elsevier 2013).

Dr. Lee lectures throughout the world on emergency, critical care, and toxicology, and was honored to receive the Speaker of the Year Award at the North American Veterinary Conference (2016, 2015, 2011) and Association des Médecines Vétérinaires du Québec (2012). Dr. Lee was the co-host veterinary analyst on Nat Geo Wild’s Animal ER LIVE and was the former contributor/blogger to Prevention magazine, PetMD: The Daily Vet, Pet Health Network, and Voyce. She has been featured on NBC Weekend Today, Rachael Ray, WCCO, MPR, and various other TV and radio engagements. Dr. Lee is a part-time criticalist at Animal Emergency & Referral Center, a specialty referral hospital in the Twin Cities, MN.

To tell you the truth (if you’re still reading), Dr. Lee was a C student while she was at Cornell (well, technically a 3.0/B- after a year of A’s in clinics). How can this be, you say? KISS. Keep it simple. Save lives by learning what’s truly important… hence, the idea of VETgirl.

Let the fun learning begin!

Dr. Garret Pachtinger, DACVECC is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of VETgirl and is committed to veterinary education through technology. Dr. Pachtinger is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Following veterinary school, he completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery, a one-year internship in emergency and critical care, and a three-year residency in emergency and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2010. After completion of his residency, Dr. Pachtinger joined the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Levittown, Pa.

He is the internship director for the emergency and critical care service, veterinary trauma center medical director, and former House Officer Program Director for BluePearl Veterinary Partners. He has been published in JVECC, Vet Clinics of North America, Clinicians Brief, Today’s Veterinary Practice and has authored book chapters in several textbooks including The Five Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Toxicology and Feline Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.  He is on the editorial advisory board for the peer-reviewed journal, Today’s Veterinary Practice.  He lectures nationally and internationally on topics including emergency, critical care, and toxicology.

Mary received her B.S. in Biology/Microbiology from South Dakota State University, her A.S. in Laboratory Animal Science from Redlands Community College, and her A.S. in Veterinary Technology from St. Petersburg College.  She is a Charter member of the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians and received her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Dentistry in June 2006. Mary worked in research for over 26 years, specializing in products aimed at improving the oral health of companion animals, and continues to work with companies to evaluate the efficacy of their products.

In addition to her research background, she was the practice manager and dental specialist at a general practice for 7 years, teaches veterinary technology, and is currently the president of Beyond the Crown Veterinary Education, a veterinary dental consulting service. Mary is actively involved in NAVTA, tAVDT, and KVTA.  She also served on committees for the AVMA and AAVSB.

She has authored or co-authored over 70 publications including publications in the Journal of Dental Research, and multiple veterinary and veterinary technician journals as well as a speaker and wet lab instructor at numerous state and national conferences. When not involved in veterinary medicine, Mary lives on a small farm near Lawrence, Kansas with her husband, Doug, a terrier mix, Gypsy, two opinionated cats, Ricochet and Baxter, multiple barn cats, and two antique pieces of yard art (aka, horses).  Doug and Mary have two sons and three grandchildren.

Dr. Curt Coffman, FAVD, DAVDC received his B.S. in agriculture from Kansas State University in 1990 and his DVM from the University of Missouri in 1993.  He is a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry (AVD). Dr. Coffman served on the Board of Directors of the American Veterinary Dental College from 2010-2017 and served as President of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry Board of Directors from 2009-2011. He currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry.

Dr. Andi Flory is a board-certified specialist in Medical Oncology. Dr. Flory graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed additional training at Florida Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Treatment Center in Tampa, Florida, and Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  Dr. Flory previously worked as an oncologist in San Diego, New York City, and Sydney, Australia – until a little dog named Poppy changed the path of her career and led her to a passion for cancer genomics.  After treating Poppy for advanced pancreatic cancer in  2019, Dr. Flory co-founded PetDx, with the aim of bringing noninvasive cancer detection to veterinary medicine, so that cancer may be detected earlier.  Since the launch of PetDx, Dr. Flory and her team have developed the OncoK9 liquid biopsy test and published multiple peer-reviewed articles on noninvasive cancer detection in dogs.

Tiffany grew up in a small mill town in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. She attended Becker College in central Massachusetts and while there she had the opportunity to work at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine where she recognized her desire to specialize in emergency and critical care medicine.

She graduated with honors from Becker College and accepted her first position as a Certified Veterinary Technician at New England Animal Medical Center in Nashua, NH. It was here that she explored her interests in both cardiology and critical care medicine. In 2008 she joined Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists where she pursued her veterinary technician specialty accreditation in emergency and critical care medicine, becoming board certified in 2011. Tiffany has served numerous roles including blood bank director, team supervisor, and veterinary technician trainer, among others. Tiffany possesses a great drive for teaching and training. This has led her to speak locally and nationally. She is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College in the Veterinary Technician Program.

In her free time, she enjoys living on Cape Cod which provides a great balance of summer days on the boat, paddle boarding, biking, and enjoying the beach with her husband and two sons. The proximity of the mountains opens the window for winters enjoying snowboarding trips and fun in the snow.

Dr. Goldstein graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. In 1987 he became a Charter Fellow in the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and in 1992 he became Board Certified in Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery. He was a Professor and section head of the Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery service for thirteen years at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.

Dr. Goldstein currently is the Executive Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions for Lakefield Veterinary Group, working with fellow colleagues, to join the Lakefield family.

He was presented the Presidential Medal for Stewardship by the American Veterinary Dental College in 2015, voted one of the top 15 Veterinary Dental Professors in the country in 2014, was presented the Dr. Peter Emily American Veterinary Dental Service award in 2011, and was named outstanding faculty of the year in 2006 by the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association.

Susanne Heartsill is a 1999 graduate of Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is the founder of Downtown Animal Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Heartsill currently serves as the Director of US Companion Animal Veterinary Services at Ceva Animal Health.

Dr. Heartsill joined Ceva as a Veterinary Services Manager and Level 3, Fear Free Certified Veterinarian in 2018. In 2020, Dr. Heartsill became the U.S. Cardiology Technical Marketing Manager for Ceva. In this role, she spearheaded the creation and implementation of cardiology education for the U.S. commercial team in preparation for the launch of CARDALIS™. Using experience gained over two decades of clinical practice, she developed cardiology educational resources for the practicing veterinarian and played an integral part in the launch of CARDALIS™. Due to her work in cardiology for Ceva, Dr. Heartsill won the Ceva Circle of Excellence Award in 2020. She has authored and co-authored multiple publications. In 2021, she completed credentialling and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (DABVP) in Canine and Feline Practice. In early 2022, Dr. Heartsill was promoted to Director of US Companion Animal Veterinary Services at Ceva Animal Health.

While running her busy small animal practice, Dr. Heartsill served as a key opinion leader for several veterinary advisory councils including Virbac, Q-biotics, and Novartis Animal Health, and has been a Regional Field Advocate for IDEXX Laboratories.  She has lectured nationally on topics ranging from inventory control and pharmacy management to cardiology, parasitology, laser surgery, behavior, dermatology, pancreatitis, and zoonotic diseases.

Dr. Heartsill was recognized by the Memphis Business Journal as one of Memphis’ Top 40 under 40 and holds a city-sponsored beautification award by the Memphis Blue Suede Brigade for her part in real estate and business revitalization in the Memphis Pinch District.

Now residing with her family on their hobby farm outside of Auburn, Alabama, Dr. Heartsill enjoys horseback riding, farm life, and the great outdoors.

Dr. Jared Jaffey is a board-certified small animal internist and Assistant Professor at the Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is from South Florida and attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate studies. He enjoyed Gainesville so much (Go Gators!) that he stayed in town to attend veterinary school, where he graduated in 2012. He then moved across the country to East Bay, California, where he completed a private practice rotating internship. He moved back to South Florida, completed two internal medicine specialty internships, and obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Jaffey then completed a three-year residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Missouri in 2018. He has been a part of the Midwestern University team since 2018.

In a professional setting, Dr. Jaffey loves teaching veterinary students, performing research, and seeing patients. His research interests include the following areas hepatobiliary, endocrinology, respiratory tract, infectious diseases, immunologic effects of vitamin D, and several hereditary disorders such as cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. He has > 50 journal article publications and authored book chapters in several reference textbooks including Ettinger’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Small Animal Gastroenterology, and Clinical Veterinary Advisor. He also lectures nationally and internationally on various topics related to small animal internal medicine.

Dr. Jaffey’s incredible partner in crime is Dr. Casandra Jacobs, who is also a small animal internist. They share four dogs (Alfie, Zoey, Luna, and Roscoe) and two cats (Odie and Sylvie). Dr. Jaffey used to have a menagerie of houseplants but that has changed since his cats outlawed them. Dr. Jaffey enjoys staying active at the gym, watching and playing sports, and dominating fantasy football.

Amy graduated from Bel-Rea Institute’s Veterinary Technician Program in 2000 after receiving her BS in biology from the University of Nebraska in 1996. Amy worked as a veterinary assistant and receptionist while going through school and after graduation, she worked in small animal emergency and general practices and in university research labs.

Amy realized very quickly in her veterinary technician career that education was the route she wanted to go and began by spending 13 years teaching veterinary technician students in two different on-site programs, writing a textbook, authoring and teaching continuing education courses online, and doing curriculum consulting. Amy then left the classroom for not-for-profit education, running the Learning Department at the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and then more recently becoming an Education Development Specialist for Patterson Veterinary Supply’s Patterson Veterinary University. Amy has had the opportunity to write courses, magazine articles, and blogs, and speak at national conferences.

Amy is passionate about the veterinary profession and its future. She loves working in education, training, and public outreach and strongly believes in her profession and wants to pass that passion along to future veterinary technicians, educators, and animal owners as well as stress the importance of the veterinary technician in veterinary medicine.

Amy lives in the mountains outside of Denver, where she enjoys all that Colorado outdoors has to offer with her husband, son, three dogs, and three cats. Amy is an avid hiker, paddleboarder, and photographer. On the weekends you can find her out on the trails capturing wildlife and landscapes with her camera or camping by an alpine lake.

Dr. Paulina Khananisho received her Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences from Arizona State University in 2013. She graduated with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Midwestern University (MWU) in 2020. During her time at MWU, she co-founded the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Dentistry Society to build a network where students could have additional learning opportunities within the field of dentistry and oral surgery. She is a current dentistry and oral surgery resident at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists and is passionate about enriching the quality of life of pets through dental care.

Jolle Kirpensteijn graduated from the Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Holland in 1988 and finished an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Georgia in the United States of America in 1989. After his internship, he completed his residency training in small animal surgery and a master’s degree at Kansas State University, USA. The residency was followed by a fellowship in surgical oncology at the Colorado State University Comparative Oncology Unit, USA. In 1993, Jolle returned to Europe to accept a position in surgical oncology and soft tissue surgery at Utrecht University. In February of 2005, he was appointed Professor in Surgery at the University of Copenhagen and in August 2008 Professor in Soft Tissue Surgery at Utrecht University. Jolle is a Diplomate of the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons. Jolle received the title Founding Fellow in Surgical Oncology (2012) and Minimally Invasive Surgery (Small Animal Soft Tissue) (2017) of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). In September 2013, Jolle accepted the Chief Professional Relation Officer position at Hills Pet Nutrition in the USA. Here, he played an integral role as the interface between the company and the profession at large. In 2018, he was promoted to the Chief Professional Veterinary Officer position in the US and in 2022 to Global Chief Veterinary Officer. Jolle has published over 125 peer-reviewed articles, given more than 250 lectures worldwide, and has received the prestigious BSAVA Simon Award in 2007, Hills Voorjaarsdagen Excellence in Healthcare Award in 2009, WSAVA President’s Award and honorary membership to the Netherlands Association of Companion Animal Medicine (NACAM) in 2017. His main clinical and research interests are professional social media and digital innovations, surgical oncology, and endoscopic & reconstructive surgery. Check out his podcasts at purrpodcast.net and globalveterinarysurgery.net. In 2021, Jolle started the @ArtVetNow movement on Facebook to promote veterinary artists all over the world at www.vetartnow.com.

Dr. Kristin MacDonald earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1998 from Auburn University, and then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Michigan State University in 1999. She finished a residency in veterinary cardiology at the University of California, Davis in 2001 and became a board-certified veterinary cardiologist at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2002. She continued her education by earning a Ph.D. at UC Davis Comparative Pathology graduate group in September 2005 on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon cats, and the effects of ACE inhibitors. Dr. MacDonald taught on faculty at UC Davis for a year and then became the clinical cardiologist at the VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County in Rohnert Park, CA, where she continues to have a busy cardiology practice. She has been an active author of book chapters for highly respected textbooks, served as section editor for Handbook of Small Animal Practice, published a multitude of original research articles, and is co-author of The Textbook of Feline Cardiology, the only text of its kind available. Dr. MacDonald has participated in clinical trials involving the treatment of canine congestive heart failure and enjoys being the lecturer for the VCA Cardiology Series in the United States. Living in Sonoma County, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, skiing, and being a mom of two daughters and two cats.

Dr. Natalie Marks obtained her bachelor’s degree with high honors in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1998 and then proceeded to obtain a Masters in Veterinary Medicine and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree with high honors from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She became a certified veterinary journalist in 2018.

She has been a veterinarian at Blum Animal Hospital since 2006 and co-owner until 2018.

Upon her return to Chicago, Dr. Marks became very active in the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, serving on the executive board.

She was also a past board member of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association and an active volunteer to the American Veterinary Medical Association and American Animal Hospital Association. Dr. Marks received the prestigious Dr. Erwin Small First Decade Award, presented to a veterinarian that has contributed the most to organized veterinary medicine in his or her first decade of practice.

In 2012, Dr. Marks was awarded Petplan’s nationally-recognized Veterinarian of the Year. In 2015, she was awarded America’s Favorite Veterinarian by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. And, most recently in 2017, she was awarded Nobivac’s Veterinarian of the Year for her work on canine influenza.

Dr. Marks is very active and passionate about educating in all aspects of media, both locally and nationally. She has appeared on Good Day Chicago, WGN-Pet Central, NBC Morning News, ABC, CBS, NPR, WBBM, Northwestern University media channel, and many local websites.

Dr. Marks was featured nationally on the Today Show and CBS Nightly News during the canine influenza epidemic of 2015 and in multiple issues of JAVMA.

She is a guest contributor in multiple media campaigns for Merck, Zoetis (formerly Pfizer), Boerhinger-Ingelheim, Ceva, Trupanion, Aratana, and Royal Canin.

Additionally, Dr. Marks is a regular columnist in Today’s Veterinary Business, Healthy Pet magazine, and Pet Vet, and has been published in Veterinary Medicine magazine, DVM magazine, Dogster, and Vetted. She also is the host of numerous veterinary broadcasts for the Viticus Group (formerly WVC). Dr. Marks also serves as a member and only veterinarian of the Health magazine Advisory Board.

Dr. Marks finds the ideal combination of teaching/mentoring and improving the emotional health of pets in the Fear Free movement. She sat on the Fear Free Executive Council and is a national educator helping other private practitioners develop these techniques. She also led her practice to become the 7th nationally and the first practice in Illinois to become a Fear Free Certified Hospital. She is an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional.

When Dr. Marks is not working, she treasures her time with her family and her three wonderful children: Sophia, Evan, and Madeline. Dr. Marks loves traveling, scuba diving, cooking, and spending time outdoors, especially anywhere there is a beach!

Dr. Markay Nyquist is completing a 3-year residency training program in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists in Phoenix. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin followed by her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. Dr. Nyquist spent 7 years in clinical practice in Austin where she developed a passion for dentistry and surgery. In 2021, she joined the Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, where she has had the opportunity to advance her training as well as share knowledge with others in the veterinary field. As a Fear Free Certified Professional, she is committed to minimizing patient fear, anxiety, pain, and stress. Dr. Nyquist has three cats; Zoe, Nala, and Kitten, and a Blue Heeler named Layla. In her time off, she enjoys traveling, hiking, swimming, yoga, and relaxing with her husband Brian, family, and friends.

Stefanie has 18 years of experience in the veterinary field.  Stefanie moved from Illinois to the valley in 2006 where she began work at a general practice in Scottsdale, AZ, eventually becoming the practice manager.  She obtained her license as a Certified Veterinary Technician in 2010 and completed an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Small Business Management in 2017.  Seven years ago, She accepted a position at Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine where she teaches and assists students in veterinary dentistry and anesthesia.  She completed a mentorship and passed board exams with the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians in 2019 (class of 2020). She has been a co-instructor at Western Veterinary Conference wet labs, lectured and taught a wet lab at the Veterinary Dental Forum, and lectured virtually and in person on various dentistry topics.

She served as Website Committee Chair of the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians, the liaison for the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties. and the co-founder and President of the Arizona Veterinary Technician Association.

Dr. Radosta graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital, she worked as a primary care veterinarian for 2 1/2 years. She completed a 3-year residency in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and passed the board examination later that year. During her residency, she was awarded the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists Resident research award two years in a row.

In 2005, she went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to volunteer in the efforts to help animals stranded by Hurricane Katrina. She has owned Florida Veterinary Behavior Service since 2007.

Dr. Radosta is a sought-after national and international speaker. She has written chapters for textbooks including Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat; Blackwell’s Five Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline and Small Animal Pediatrics.

She has published scientific research articles in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science, The Veterinary Journal, and the Journal of Veterinary Behavior and written review articles for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Compendium, NAVC Clinician’s Brief, and AAHA Newstat. She is the section editor for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. She served on the Fear Free Advisory Board and the AAHA Behavior Management Task Force. She is the president-elect of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Interviews with Dr. Radosta have been published in: Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy, Palm Beach Post, NAVC Clinician’s Brief, O Magazine, Catster, Good Housekeeping, Sun Sentinel, Washington Post, Real Simple, WebMD, AAHA News Stat. She has appeared on Lifetime television, Laurie Live, News Channel 25 (West Palm Beach, WPBF), Mitch Wilder’s Amazing Pet Discoveries, Nat Geo Wild, Animal Planet, News Channel 10 (Miami, ABC), and Steve Dale’s Pet Talk.

Dr. Radosta has participated in tracking, obedience, herding, and therapy dog work with personal dogs–always Rottweilers. Currently, she shares her life with a wonderful husband, Scott, and her daughter, Isabella as well as Maverick, her Labrador Retriever, and Chewie her cantankerous black cat.

Dr. Lisa Radosta is one of only 90 veterinary behaviorists in the world. She is also a world-class lecturer, author, and teacher who has helped hundreds of pets with emotional and behavioral issues.

Donna has 37 years in the Veterinary profession. Her first five years were spent gaining hands-on experience in small animal hospitals in Pennsylvania. From there, her love for the veterinary profession and passion for teaching led her to academia and the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital – University of Pennsylvania upon graduating from Harcum College, Bryn Mawr, PA in 1991. At Penn, she satisfied her “drive” to perform top medical care to patients AND her “desire” to educate which led her to obtain a VTS (Anesthesia/Analgesia) in 2006. For the last 14 years, Donna has been immersed in specialty medicine at Seattle Veterinary Specialists/Bluepearl fulfilling her role as VTS (A/A) providing in-house and regional training. Donna is an enthusiastic member of the ELANCO professional speaker panel, involved in educating and advocating for safe anesthetic/analgesic care. Her longevity and passion for the profession make her a great champion for patients and veterinary technicians/nurses.

Jeff Thoren, DVM, PCC, BCC is the founder of Gifted Leaders, LLC, an established executive and team coaching company based in Phoenix, AZ, serving clients nationwide. He’s also the Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Communication at Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a founding member of both the Extraordinary Teams Partnership (www.extraordinaryteams.us) and the Enlightened Rebel Alliance (www.enlightenedrebels.vet).

Jeff is committed to building engaging and innovative workplace cultures. He understands the mindset required to effectively lead and influence others in a business environment that is increasingly uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. His goal is to accelerate the shift from traditional hierarchical leadership (where a few leaders at the top exert control) to collective leadership (where leadership emerges as a collective capacity from everyone).

Jeff is a husband, father, cat parent, and avid road cyclist who values uniqueness,  lightheartedness, and wholeness. He is one of only a handful of veterinarians in the world who also hold a credential from the International Coaching Federation (PCC). He has experience in private & corporate veterinary practice, industry, operating his own coaching/consulting business, and, most recently, academia!

For more information, please visit Jeff’s LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffthoren/

Sasha Willis is a Certified Veterinary Technician and has worked in the veterinary field since 1998. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in 1998 in Liberal Arts and Sciences and took a job as a veterinary office assistant after moving to the east coast. She immediately fell in love with veterinary medicine and went back to school at Northwestern Connecticut College and received her degree in veterinary science. Sasha moved back to Arizona in 2002 and obtained her CVT. She works as the Veterinary Technician Supervisor and congruently as an Internal Medicine Technician at the Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Companion Animal Clinic and she LOVES her job! She has the privilege of teaching veterinary technical and nursing skills to Arizona’s future veterinarians!

Recently, Sasha obtained her Master of Science in Management and Leadership. She is excited about coaching and mentoring veterinary technicians and building better, stronger, and more empowered teams!

Sasha has worked in emergency medicine, general practice, surgery, and cardiology but her true passion is internal medicine and she is currently working on earning her VTS (SAIM). She loves diagnostic imaging and is responsible for training new employees on running computed tomography and fluoroscopy. Furthermore, Sasha enjoys veterinary forensics and loves to utilize her diagnostic imaging skills to assist in veterinary pathology cases for the purposes of presenting investigative evidence in animal abuse cases.

Sasha serves the veterinary community by being on the Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board as a member of the CVT Exam Committee and has been a member of the Arizona State Animal Response Team with FEMA from 2013 to 2015. She is a member of the Veterinary Healthcare Team of Arizona. Furthermore, she is very excited to be currently serving as a Member at Large for the Arizona Veterinary Technician Association and chair of the VHCTAz Technician Committee! She enjoys assisting the committee in its endeavors to provide resources and leadership to the Arizona Veterinary community.