Final Thoughts

Nicola works as the Head Medical Nurse at Plymouth Veterinary Group. She has written for many veterinary publications and textbooks and is the editor of Aspinall’s Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing. Nicola has won the British Veterinary Nursing Association/Blue Cross award for animal welfare, the Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) Veterinary Nurse of the Year award, and the SQP Nutritional Advisor of the Year award. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in advanced veterinary nursing with Glasgow University. 

Megan graduated in 2000 with a BS degree in Veterinary Technology. She has enjoyed working in emergency and critical care since 2000 and is currently the Small Animal Veterinary Nursing Manager at the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she oversees the technician supervisors as well as teaches and trains technicians and students on the hospital floor. She loves the opportunity to travel and lecture, sharing her knowledge with veterinary nurses and technicians around the world.

Anna is a registered veterinary technician with 23 years of experience in veterinary medicine and academia. Anna is the supervisor of the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital Small Animal Intermediate Care Ward and Small Animal Isolation. Anna also holds a BS in Animal Science and is currently pursuing an MPH in Disaster Management from the University of Georgia. Anna lives on her family farm in Athens, Georgia, with her husband Brian and her son Zeb, along with an ever-growing menagerie of farm and companion animals.

Rachel is a veterinary nurse and a member of the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians. She is the lead veterinary behavior technician at The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Rachel is a Certified Training Partner through the Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Professional Academy. She is a Fear Free Certified Level 3 Professional, is on the Fear Free Speakers Bureau, and is a member of the Fear Free Advisory Panel. Rachel is also the speaker committee chair and website chair for the Clinical Animal Behavior Conference and serves as secretary for the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians.

Sandy is a veterinary practice management consultant, instructor, speaker, and advisor with over 35 years of experience in the veterinary field. She is dedicated to improving hospital operations through coaching and sharing appropriate practice management techniques to the whole team. Sandy still works in a small animal practice and is an active member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, NAVTA, VetPartners, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Practice Managers Association, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Technician Association, and the CVMA. She is an instructor for Patterson Veterinary University and a former hospital inspector for the California Veterinary Medical Board.

Jade Velasquez is a practice manager at a general practice in Gig Harbor, Wash. She uses her writing and speaking to reach veterinary professionals with her unique view on veterinary medicine. In 2014, she created a Facebook group, Veterinary Support Staff Unleashed, to boost positivity and create dialogue in order to inspire open communication in the field. Jade is also a regular contributor to the NAVTA Journal. At DrAndyRoark.com, her writing has generated some of the most viewed and well-received articles on the website.

Michelle D. Krasicki-Aune, MBA, BS, CVT, is the founder, owner, and lead relief Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) for Vet Teams, LLC. She loves drawing on her more than 20 years of experience as a CVT to meet the challenges that relief work brings in her daily experiences and also loves all things related to boxer dogs! She also dedicates her time to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians as the organization’s treasurer, works behind the scenes to help further veterinary nurse education, and helps teach and train the veterinary community in Fear Free practices.

Mary received her B.S. in Biology/Microbiology from South Dakota State University, A.S. in Laboratory Animal Science, and A.S. in Veterinary Technology from St. Petersburg College. She is a Charter member of the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians and received her VTS in Dentistry in June 2006. She serves as treasurer of the AVDT, president-elect of the KVTA, and Chair of the District Representative Committee for NAVTA. Mary has been published in various professional publications, and is a speaker/lab instructor at international, national, and state conferences. Mary and her husband have 2 sons and 3 grandchildren and live on a small farm near Lawrence, KS.

Beckie is a Registered Veterinary Technician living in Southport, North Carolina. Beckie graduated from Central Carolina Community College in 2007 with her AAS in Veterinary Medical Technology and will graduate from the University of North Carolina Pembroke with her Bachelors in Non-Profit and Public Administration in 2019. Beckie has enjoyed a diverse career in small animal, large animal, and mixed practices; academia; and management and consulting. Beckie co-founded Veterinary Advancement, is a professional medical responder with the ASPCA Field Investigations Response (FIR) Team, is Volunteer Director of Operations 3K9 Working Dogs, and co-hosts the podcast Veterinary Viewfinder.

Ken has spent nearly 20 years in practice. He obtained his VTS certification in emergency and critical care, as well as small animal internal medicine, and earned his master’s degree in Veterinary Science. He served as ICU Manager and Blood Bank Manager at Adobe Animal Hospital until 2018, and is now Program Director for the RECOVER CPR Initiative and simulation lab manager of the Park Veterinary Innovation Laboratory at Cornell University. He co-chairs the Veterinary Nurse Initiative and serves as a board member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians, and the Veterinary Innovation Council.