Sep/Oct 2017

Ms. Johnson-Harris has been involved with the NAVC as a speaker and moderator since 1990. She was the first veterinary technician to serve as an elected Board member of the NAVC serving the Board from 2003 to 2015. Ms Johnson-Harris was also the first veterinary technician to serve as the President of the NAVC (2013-2014). Along with being the Editor in Chief of Today’s Veterinary Nurse journal, Ms. Johnson-Harris is the NAVC Specialty Programs manager and works as the practice manager working along side her husband, Dr. Jerry Harris at Hinckley Animal Hospital.

Ann is a 1983 graduate of Michigan State University and got her specialty certification in Emergency/ Critical Care in 2000, in Small Animal Internal Medicine in 2008 and in Nutrition in 2013. In 2017 she attained her Fear Free Level on certification, and has since moved into level 2.

She has worked in general, emergency, specialty practice, education and management. Ann is active in her state, national and specialty organizations, and served on the organizing committees for Internal Medicine and Nutrition. She has mentored over 20 fellow VTSs and has worked on a variety of committees and positions. She is currently an instructor and Academic Advisor for Ashworth College’s Veterinary Technology Program, as well as an active speaker and writer.

Ann has over 50 published articles in various professional magazines as well as book chapters and a book, Nutrition and Disease Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses in its second edition in 2016 coauthored with Kara Burns. Ann received the 2009 Service Award for her state association (MAVT), the 2010 Achievement Award for the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT), and in 2012 received the Jack L. Mara Memorial Lecture Award presented at NAVC.

Her fur/feather/fin family consists of 4 cats, 2 domestic geese, 14 chickens and a pond full of goldfish.

Esther Klok has 24 years of experience as a veterinary technician. She works in a mixed practice that handles both small animals and horses. Most of the time she can be found working in the back, but she also enjoys the front desk and has convinced her boss she really needs to be there one day a week. She has also just started her own company, Improve on the Move. She loves giving lectures, teaching, organizing conventions, and writing and providing photos for magazines. And, because she obviously needs to do something with any leftover time, Esther and her boyfriend travel throughout Europe to compete for the Dutch team in single horse carriage driving.

Dr. Pope has been in veterinary medicine for more than 20 years, practicing in both the large and small animal sectors. In addition, she supported the position of a multi-unit manager for a large corporate practice and spent time in the pharmaceutical sector working with specialists and universities. Her career has provided her a unique understanding of the stresses involved with maintaining a career in this industry, and she now dedicates her time to providing wellbeing support for the profession. She provides this support through 1-on-1 coaching, through customized team events, and as a dynamic speaker. She is also the author of The Unspoken Life, which explores the concepts of Recognize, Embrace, Connect in more detail. In the end, Dr. Pope truly believes that we are all 1 Life Connected.

Erin has been employed with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) since 2006. She earned her associate’s degree in applied science in veterinary technology from Parkland Community College and her bachelor’s degree in applied science in veterinary hospital management from St. Petersburg College in 2016. Erin’s interests include toxicology, but her true passion is sharing knowledge and educating veterinary staff. She has been an instructor for a toxicology continuing education (CE) course for the Veterinary Support Personnel Network and has spoken at several APCC CE conferences. Erin has had peer-reviewed articles published in Veterinary Technician, the NAVTA Journal, and Veterinary Medicine and has authored a chapter on the renal system in Small Animal Toxicology Essentials.

Rachel Beck is a certified veterinary technician and credentialed project manager on the Veterinary Medical Programs team at Banfield Pet Hospital. She currently leads a team of project managers who specialize in implementation. Having been in the veterinary field for over 15 years, she has served roles both in hospitals and at Banfield’s central office. She is passionate about engaging the whole veterinary team in proactive health and wellness as well as about career pathing for paraprofessionals in the industry. She resides in Portland, Oregon, with her significant other and 2 cats.

Rebecca has been employed at the Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory at Washington State University since 2011. After graduation from the Michigan State University Veterinary Technology Program, she worked in several small- and mixed-animal veterinary practices in Michigan and Arizona. In 1996 she became the neurology technician at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, followed by a 6-year stretch as a cardiology technician for Ohio State University’s Veterinary Medical Center. In 2008 she returned to Washington State University to work in veterinary genetics and Holter interpretation. She lives in Idaho with her husband, 2 sons, and a variety of dogs and cats.

Kriste has been working in the veterinary field in and around Sacramento, California, since 1997. After receiving her RVT in 1999, she began working in emergency and holistic medicine, which sparked her interest in the human–animal bond and quality-of-life focus in veterinary medicine. In 2008 she received her veterinary technician specialist certification in oncology, and since then has lectured around the United States on various topics related to cancer and compassionate care. She has been working as the Medical Oncology Supervisor at the University of California, Davis, since 2010.

Debbie has been a full-time registered/licensed veterinary technician since 1996 and worked in private practice for more than 14 years. Since 2005, she has been the animal behavior technician for Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC. She assists Kenneth Martin, DVM, DACVB, during behavior consultations. Debbie is also a co-owner of TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC. She is a contributing author and coeditor of the textbook Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses. She is also a coauthor of the book Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog and the Karen Pryor Academy course “Puppy Start Right for Instructors.” She is honored to be representing veterinary technicians on the Fear Free executive council.

Trish Farry is an Australian certified nurse with specialist qualifications in emergency and critical care and anesthesia. She is an associate lecturer and clinical instructor in anesthesia within the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland in Australia and co-coordinates the final year of BAppSci (Veterinary Technology) program. Her areas of teaching include emergency medicine, anesthesia, analgesia, and clinical practices for undergraduate veterinary and veterinary technology students.

Wendy is a veterinarian with a PhD and specialist qualifications in veterinary anesthesia and critical care. She works at the School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Australia, as a clinical anesthetist, lecturer, and researcher in the areas of anesthesia, analgesia, and critical care.