Team

Carollee Brinkman

Chief Executive Officer

Carollee has over 20 years of healthcare industry experience holding numerous operational and senior executive management roles throughout her career. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Carollee served as a National Group President of Surgery Partners, an operator of over 120 ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals across 32 states with over $2 billion in annual revenue. Carollee had operational oversite of approximately 4,000 employees within Surgery Partners, managing over $1 billion in annual revenue for the company. Prior to Surgery Partners, she was a Senior Vice Present of operations with National Surgical Healthcare, a previously privately held company that specialized in operating surgical hospitals in partnership with doctors. She served in numerous roles at National Surgical Healthcare, but spent substantial time partnering with doctors and clinicians to build and operate surgical hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers across the country. Carollee has also held leadership positions as a hospital Chief Executive Officer and a physician practice consultant. Carollee was raised on a ranch in Southwestern North Dakota and received her degree in Healthcare and Business Administration from Concordia College.

Dr. Doug McInnis

VP of Veterinary Leadership

Dr. McInnis grew up with animals on their small family farm; it was there that he discovered a love for helping animals and decided to pursue a veterinary career. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon and Washington State Universities’. After graduating, Dr. McInnis became incredibly active in organized veterinary medicine locally, statewide, and nationally.

He is a past president of the Klamath and Lake Counties Veterinary Medical Association, past president and board member of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, and currently serves as the Oregon Delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates. He is a past member of the American Veterinary Medical Association Foundation and is currently a member their Advisory Board. Dr. McInnis is a member of the Rotary Club of Klamath County where he has held roles as Treasurer, President, and served on the Board of Directors. He is also the past president of the Klamath County Rotary Club Foundation. Dr. McInnis is currently serving his community as a member of the Sky Lakes Medical Center Board of Directors, a member of the Sky Lakes Medical Center Foundation Board, and a board member of Klamath County CASA (Child Abuse Special Advocates).

Dr. McInnis is dedicated to his profession and often fosters that dedication for high school students and the youth interested in the veterinary field. He encourages his veterinary hospital staff to pursue continuing education and career advancement, while providing preceptorships to students in the veterinary field. Dr. McInnis serves on two local scholarship committees: The Rotary Foundation Scholarship Committee and the Merle and Emma West Scholarship Committee.

Dr. McInnis is a great animal advocate and has served the Klamath Humane Society on the Board of Directors and has held the role of Vice President. Dr. McInnis continues to support the efforts of the Humane Society, donating many services and providing assistance to the shelter and its animals.

Dr. McInnis received the Diamond Collar Award in 2018 for his efforts in animal welfare from the Oregon Humane Society. Follow the link below.
https://youtu.be/Q4OZTf1h7_M

Dr. Britt Dubil

DVM Medical Advisor

Dr. Dubil has been in veterinary medicine most of her life, starting in her teenage years as kennel help. After completing her veterinary degree, she pursued a small animal medicine and surgery internship at a large referral practice in New Jersey. She has worked at many types of practices over the years, including emergency, surgical referral, private as well as corporately owned practices. Her pride, however, is the practice she built from the ground up in Park City, Utah, where she works tirelessly to improve the health of many furred friends. She joins Western Veterinary Partners as Medical Advisor, and is excited to combine her passion for veterinary medicine with improving the lives of veterinarians as well as those of pets. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University, and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in German from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

Dr. Heidi Wampler

DVM Medical Advisor

Heidi Wampler, DVM grew up in Montana on a ranch where she developed a deep love of the West and caring for animals of all shapes and sizes. After attending Carroll College in Helena, she spent most of her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, earning her bachelor’s degree in Biology from CSU in 1998.

While in graduate school at Colorado State University she completed research in Neuroanatomy and co-authored a published neuroanatomy study. She also completed research studies in Reproductive Physiology and Equine Surgery while attending veterinary school and raising her family. Dr. Wampler completed her DVM degree in 2002.

Before founding Alpine Animal Clinic, Dr. Wampler practiced first mixed animal and then small animal exclusive medicine and surgery for 7 years until deciding to pursue her dream of opening Helena’s first AAHA-accredited hospital, Alpine Animal Clinic, in 2008. Dr. Wampler’s hospital proved so successful, within three years she expanded her hospital to its current 11,083 square feet and employing nearly 40 staff members. At her hospital she organized and hosted two accredited educational conferences for veterinarians from Montana and neighboring states.

Dr. Heidi Wampler served as the Montana Representative to the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education (WICHE) from 2014 to 2017. Her volunteer service to the State of Montana represented Montana students applying to Veterinary School at any of the participating 15 Western States.

With a strong commitment to inspiring tomorrow’s veterinary professionals, Dr. Wampler volunteers many hours in the community and mentors students of all ages from elementary students to professional veterinary students through her hospital in Helena, Montana. Her hospital is an Approved Affiliate of the PIMA LVT program in Dillon, Montana, mentoring those students pursuing licensure as they progress through their clinical rotations. She donates her time mentoring kids for activities including 4-H, “Kid’s College” at elementary schools, Career Day for high schools, and donates medical and surgical care for humane societies as well as supporting many other local community charities. Alpine Animal Clinic and Dr. Wampler also provide a great deal of donated care and services to needy pets in the Helena area.

Dr. Wampler has a special interest in orthopedics with certification in TPLO cruciate repair and TTA repair, and has advanced training in fracture plating repair. She has many years experience in advanced soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, and ultrasound in addition to training in laparoscopy and endoscopy.

Dr. Wampler lives in Helena with her husband, Todd Wampler, M.D., and their youngest son, Hayden. Together they enjoy Montana’s beautiful wilderness mountain biking, skiing, and camping. Dr. Wampler enjoys trail running and is also an avid Marine Aquarist.

Peter Jacobson

Chief Financial Officer

Peter has over 15 years of finance and accounting leadership experience, including over ten years serving as a Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Peter served as the CFO of BridgeHealth, a surgery benefit management company that provides its members with access to high quality healthcare while reducing costs. Prior to BridgeHealth, he worked as a CFO with other privately held high growth businesses in the technology, software, and manufacturing sectors, overseeing all financial reporting and integration related efforts. Earlier in his career, Peter was a Vice President of KeyBanc Capital Markets, where he worked with small and mid-sized businesses in capital raising and M&A activities. Peter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and undergraduate BA with honors from Harvard University.

Grant Wilson

Chief Development Officer

Grant has over 15 years of private equity, investment banking, and corporate development experience. Most recently, he served as a Principal for Tyree & D’Angelo Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm where he invested in and worked with numerous provider-based healthcare services companies. He previously worked as an investment professional for Waud Capital Partners, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm focused on investments in healthcare and business services. Grant also worked in corporate development with CME Group and corporate finance and M&A advisory at Lehman Brothers in Chicago. Grant holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and received a BS in Finance and Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from Miami (of Ohio).

Kristin Moritz

Chief Operating Officer

Kristin has over 15 years of experience working with private equity-backed businesses in the education, healthcare, and veterinary fields. Most recently, she led operations for the equine business line at National Veterinary Associates (NVA) and helped build the foundational support capabilities for equine practices and practitioners. She also worked with the specialty and emergency practices on the West Coast during her time at NVA. Prior to that, Kristin served as Director of Operations and Strategy for DaVita Medical Group (now Optum) and supported specialty and ancillary operations for a 100+ physician organization in Colorado. Kristin started her career as an Associate at Summit Partners, a global private equity firm. She received a B.S. in Management Science and Engineering and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration, both from Stanford University.

Jen Abram

Director of Business Development

Jen has spent the last decade in animal health providing medical and business solutions to veterinarians and their staff.  As a Strategic Account Manager with Zoetis, Jen’s role was to educate and partner with veterinary practices to better the health of their patients, practice and team. In this role, she developed training tools and an accredited leadership certificate program for the industry.

As a Regional Sales Manager with KindredBio, Jen pursued her passion around people and their development by mentoring and coaching a multi-state sales team. Jen has also served on various industry boards, including Project VETS–a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and welfare of animals around the world. 

Prior to animal health, Jen spent ten years on the human health side with Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories in technical sales and recruiting.  Jen holds a BA in Journalism and Business from Indiana University.

Aubrey Agin

Accounts Payable Specialist

Aubrey joins the WVP team bringing years of experience working with small businesses in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. She has worked in a variety of industries including manufacturing and insurance and enjoys the challenge of flexing to accommodate change – most recently supporting the sales and accounting teams at her last job to ensure people were taken care of during the shutdowns. A newer resident of Denver, Aubrey is excited to experience the beauty of Colorado. If she’s not in the mountains, you can catch her drawing, hosting dinner parties, or endlessly throwing a tennis ball with her dog Monty.

Judith Asseo

Director of Operations

Judith Asséo, Certified Veterinarian Practice Manager, originally hails from Boston and has over 20 years of leadership experience in the veterinary and animal welfare space. A graduate of Cornell University, Judy began her career as an animal care attendant when she was just 16 years old. Since then, has held leadership roles with both primary care and emergency/specialty veterinary hospitals. Immediately prior to joining WVP, Judy held a Regional Manager role for a group of veterinary hospitals in Northern California.
When Judy is not busy providing direction and leadership to the veterinary hospitals in her region, she can be found performing and teaching with San Francisco’s Secret Improv Society. She has been performing for over 25 years and has been a member of this award-winning troupe for the last 12 years. Judy’s public speaking, training and performance experience includes providing her original interactive “De-Escalation Training for Veterinary Hospital Teams” at various regional and national conferences throughout the United States.

Heidi Barragan

Corporate Recruiter

Heidi has over 12 years of experience in veterinary medicine and 13 years in recruiting. She began her career at Banfield – first as a Veterinary Technician, then as a Hospital Director and finally as a Regional Trainer. In that role, she was responsible for new hospital openings and practice standards training for hospitals across multiple states. Heidi has recruiting experience in healthcare and technology and is excited to combine her veterinary care experience with recruiting for Western Veterinary Partners.

Heidi lives in Colorado and in her free time enjoys trail running, camping, gardening, and cooking. She also has 3 bunnies, 2 guinea pigs, a cat, 2 dogs and 3 children that keep her busy.

Jessica Bird

Senior Director of Recruiting

Jess has over 20 years of experience in the veterinary field. Most recently, Jess served as the Hiring Team Manager for VetCor, where she specialized in talent acquisition, veterinary school relationship building, and employee engagement. Prior to VetCor, Jess served as the Human Resource Generalist/Surgical Department Head for two large 24hr Emergency Specialty Veterinary Hospitals located in Massachusetts. She began her career working as a veterinary technician in her hometown of Bourne, Massachusetts. Jess attended UMASS-Amherst where she focused her studies on equine sports therapy and animal science.

Dr. Lisa Boyer

DVM Recruiter

Dr. Boyer has enjoyed contributing to many aspects of veterinary medicine throughout her career. Her primary focus has been to provide robust and consistent support to her colleagues. Prior to joining the team at WVP she enjoyed practicing equine, companion animal, and emergency medicine and surgery. Her success in management and maximizing profitability was highlighted when she became medical director for a thriving companion animal practice. This strong interest eventually drew her to become a regional manager, leading a sales team for a global distributor and providing products and services to practicing veterinarians. She is excited to share the exceptional opportunities at WVP with her veterinary colleagues.

When she is not busy working to network and build strong relationships in the veterinary care profession, she enjoys hiking and biking on nature trails.

Laura Carroll

Director of Operations

Laura is driven by her love of animals and motivated by collaboration and teamwork. She is a dedicated servant leader who has held multiple leadership positions in the veterinary industry for 14 years including multipractice and pharmacy ownership. In her most recent role, Laura successfully managed and supported 20+ individual veterinary practices with more than $60M in annual revenue. Her approach was to empower local leaders to excel in operational execution, innovation, people management, strategic initiatives, marketing, DVM recruiting & engagement.

Prior to her multi-site operations role, Laura spent 8 years as the Director of Operations for a nationally accredited e-commerce veterinary pharmacy, developing and scaling all processes and operations. She is excited to couple her veterinary operational experience with her love of building and developing great teams. Growing up in the South and attending The University of Georgia like many others in her family, Laura is a big SEC football fan and also loves to cook. She currently lives in Utah with her two young boys, Jack & Bear, who keep her quite busy.

Megan Cassidy

Senior Manager of Marketing

Megan has eight years of marketing experience in the pet care industry, supporting both veterinary practices and pet resorts. Before joining WVP, she was a Marketing Manager at another veterinary support organization focused on new client acquisition and client retention. She’s passionate about empowering local partners with scalable strategies that support customer lifecycle marketing, as well as cause marketing initiatives. Megan received a BS in Marketing from Miami University of Ohio and is lives in Southern California. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, cooking, and live music.

Vicki Cerpiel

Sr. Accounts Payable Specialist

Vicki has over 20 years of accounting and accounts payable experience. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, she spent time working in various industries including travel, food, plumbing and animal welfare.

London Colbert

Support Staff Recruiter

London was born and raised in Nashville, TN. He attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied biology. During his time in Chattanooga, London pursued a career in ballroom dancing and was an instructor and studio manager. Following his ballroom dancing days, London furthered his pursuit of operational management in human healthcare which brought him to Denver, CO. In recent years, he made the transition to veterinary medicine as a hospital manager in general practice and specialty/ER. London joined WVP in October 2021 as a Support Staff recruiter. London spends most of his free time hiking or camping in the mountains, fixing up his cabin in the woods, or reading a good book. He has a German/Aussie shepherd mix named Stetson that joins him on all his adventures.

Megan Collins

Director of Operations

Megan has 10 years of healthcare industry experience, including insurance, care coordination, human healthcare, and veterinary medicine. Prior to Western Veterinary Partners, Megan served as Manager of Operations for the Baylor Scoliosis Center. Most recently, she worked as Hospital Manager for two specialty veterinary hospitals. Megan received several awards for client satisfaction and innovation throughout her career. Megan has her BS in Human Relations and Business and her MBA in Strategic Leadership from Amberton University.

Hope Cooley

Office Manager

Hope brings over 20 years of administrative experience in all aspects of office management across multiple industries. In her previous roles, she oversaw daily office functions, implemented efficient processes, planned company events, handled office expenditures and provided support to all levels of staff. She takes pride in using her organization skills to ensure smooth office operations.

Heather Daly

DVM Recruiter

Heather has been interested in veterinary medicine since she can remember. She started going on farm calls with her family’s equine vet during summers in high school. Heather has had a long career working with animals and their families in settings from rural farm calls and high-capacity shelter medicine to cutting edge ER trauma hospitals. She also spent 3 years working as the Lead Veterinary Technician Instructor at Pima Medical Institute.

In her free time, Heather can be found volunteering with state and private wildlife rehabilitation facilities in their raptor programs. She and her boyfriend are avid travelers. They enjoy learning about the music, culture and food from all over the world. They share their home with an Italian Greyhound a Maltese mix, a backyard finch aviary and a 17-year-old cat who runs the house.

Eva DeTolve

Director of Operations

Eva has twenty years of experience in the veterinary and animal welfare industries. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, she served in leadership roles as Director of Veterinary Services and Executive Director in large animal welfare organizations. Previously, she worked in manager and director roles in several veterinary hospitals, including specialty and 24-hour emergency practices. Eva started her career as a Veterinary Technician in a small two Doctor practice. Eva holds a BS from Metropolitan State University in Denver.

Kevin DeWitt

Managing Director of Acquisitions

Kevin has over 8 years of investment banking and finance experience. Most recently, he served as a Vice President in the Leveraged Finance group for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, a middle market focused investment bank. Kevin helped structure and raise debt capital for both public and privately owned companies to fund acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, dividend recapitalizations and other general financing needs. Kevin received a BS in Finance from Miami University (Ohio).

Yolanda Dominguez

Vendor Transition Specialist

Yolanda is a Colorado native and usually spends her free time at some type of sporting event for her son. She is an avid Broncos fan and loves to play volleyball. When she has a chance, she also loves to travel to locations where the beach and ocean is involved.

Debra Dyas

Accounting Specialist

Deb has over forty years of healthcare experience in the physician owned surgery and hospital industry. Deb served as an Office Manager, Regional Controller and CFO at a physician owned hospital during her career. Deb has always enjoyed the accounts payable side of business and is creating processes to drive efficiencies to support Western Veterinary Partners growth. Deb enjoys being active and spending time with family. She and her husband live in Fort Collins, CO where they enjoy hiking, biking, and skiing.

Jake Elver

Sr. Business Development Associate

Jake is a recent graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on real estate and entrepreneurship. Initially, Jake became a licensed real estate agent in Colorado where he gained solid sales experience and learned to build and foster mutually beneficial relationships with clients. Jake also learned the importance of staying focused on the customer experience from beginning to end, which is key to the culture of WVP. During his free time, Jake enjoys hitting the gym and finding great eating spots with his friends. Like the rest of the WVP family, Jake also enjoys spending time with Shaggy, his puppy.

Amy Fedon

Director of Business Development

Amy joins WVP as a Director of Business Development, where she will help our expansion efforts into the Midwest states. Prior to joining WVP, Amy spent 15+ years working in animal health with Zoetis in various sales and leadership roles including Senior Strategic Account Manager. She joins WVP with extensive relationships across the veterinary care profession and is looking forward to helping build and scale our expansion efforts.

Amy and her husband Jeremy live in Rochester Hills, MI with their daughter Hunter and son Maxwell. They have a
Labrador that (as Amy says) barks at the wind.

Sarah Garza

Senior Manager Accounts Payable

Sarah has seven years of experience in accounts payable in various industries including banking, mining, construction and entertainment. Sarah started her career as an AP specialist, and has worked her way up to managing teams and departments. She enjoys bringing teams together, as well as creating new processes and procedures that support both internal customers and vendors. Prior her work in accounting, Sarah managed back office processes in the furniture industry, and also managed multiple retail locations. Sarah and her family are huge animal lovers. They love sharing every experience possible with their dogs.

Dr. Krista Gibson

DVM Medical Advisor

Dr. Gibson grew up in Scottsdale, AZ and left after college to pursue a career as a veterinarian. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison Veterinary School in 1996. Her veterinary adventures took her all over the country and included two startup vet practices. After 18 years away, she came back full circle to Scottsdale where she purchased her childhood family veterinary practice focusing on small animal general practice and shelter medicine. Twelve years, a relocation and rebrand later, Kierland Animal Clinic joined Western Veterinary Partners in October 2021. Now the Medical Director of Kierland Animal Clinic, Dr. Gibson spends her free time with her husband Tom, four dogs, Rango, Badger, Betty and Bindi, and two cats, Truman and Princess Fiona. She enjoys mountain biking, painting, RV travel and spending time with family and friends.

Matthew Guhne

Business Development Associate

Matthew is a recent graduate of University of North Carolina-Greensboro where he studied communication and history. During college, he gained experience working customer service and inside sales and learned that he truly enjoys going above and beyond to meet the needs of customers and clients. Matthew recently moved to Denver and during his free time he loves to be outdoors, especially hiking with his Lhasa -Poo, Maggie.

Hannah Hayes

Director of Business Development

Hannah has over 15 years of experience in business development, with the past six years focused on veterinary practice acquisitions. She takes pride in cultivating meaningful relationships with potential partners and taking a consultative approach to guiding owners through the process from initial discussions to integration.

Hannah is skilled in working with individual owners to understand the unique challenges and opportunities within their practices. She provides valuable insight around ways a partnership with Western Veterinary Partners can be beneficial from both a financial and operational perspective. Hannah will be focusing on expanding the WVP portfolio of practices in several states.
Born and raised in the Carolinas, Hannah attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently lives in Charleston, SC with her two dogs, Folly and Murphy, and cat Fripp.

Dr. Charles Hurty

DVM Medical Advisor

Charles Hurty graduated from the North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 and completed a 1-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. In veterinary medical practice, Dr. Hurty has a special interest in internal medicine, dermatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, preventive care, and senior pet wellness. Additionally, he has developed a strong curiosity about creating and maintaining meaningful team culture and building confident, highly-functioning teams. Personal wellness initiatives and mindful, self-care practice are his jam these days.

Charles is married to Dr. Natasha Knight; they have two children, Claire (16) and Ben (14). Their family is completed by three cats (Quentin, Rio, and Alley), two rats (Peanut & Pancake) and four dogs: Daisy (aka Taco Belle), a fawn Chihuahua, Beary (his favorite but don’t tell the others), a black and white Papillion, Bandit, a black and tan Chihuahua, and Buddy Cake, a rambunctious black and white Papillion. They also have 6 chickens.

Charles enjoys fishing, projects at the house, gardening, cooking/BBQ, and hanging out with the family. He also loves live music, traveling, skiing, surfing, and spending time outside.

In the efforts to save our local animal shelter from a controversial defunding plan, Dr. Hurty served as one of the original Board of Directors for the local nonprofit organization, Friends of the Lincoln County Animal Shelter (FOLCAS). Dr. Hurty has previously served as the Chair of Oregon Coast Therapy Animals (OCTA) Board and as the Chair of the Lincoln County Animal Wellness Committee. Additionally, he served as Board President for the Newport Swim Team.

Vince Kassube

Senior Manager, Payroll

Vince Kassube, Certified Payroll Professional, brings years of experience and a passion for payroll to WVP.  Immediately after earning his accounting degree from Black Hills State University in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, Vince jumped at the opportunity to move to Colorado.  His professional career began in Denver with staff roles in internal audit and management roles in accounting operations.  With an appetite for new experiences, Vince added payroll to his skillset and never looked back.

Vince earned his professional payroll designation in 2016, cementing his commitment to the payroll industry. He appreciates that payroll demands both professional excellence and outstanding customer service.

While away from the office, Vince spends as much time as possible in the mountains with his partner and, of course, his four-legged best friend, Churchill.

Marla Katz

Director of Marketing

Marla has over 20 years of marketing experience and has spent the past decade working with veterinary support organizations. She is passionate about developing effective marketing strategies to support local practices and partnering with hospital teams to increase client retention and pet health compliance. In her last role, she built the marketing infrastructure to support decentralized revenue growth and developed curriculum to drive operational best practices.

Marla is a servant leadership driven professional who strives to create and foster strong and inclusive organizational cultures. Marla received a BA in Communications from Michigan State University and recently completed the Diversity & Inclusion Certificate Program through Cornell University.

Annie Lane

Senior Support Staff Recruiting Specialist

Annie comes to Western Vet Partners with over 15 years of experience in the veterinary industry. While holding leadership roles, she gained substantial experience recruiting for all vet staff roles. Annie is a licensed vet tech in the states of California and Washington and holds advanced certifications in leadership and “Fear Free,” a program designed to understand animal behavior and help pets get through a vet visit with minima stress. Immediately prior to joining WVP, Annie served as hospital manager for a multi-DVM general practice, where she engaged in team development and training. When Annie is not busy recruiting staff for WVP, she enjoys playing classical guitar, baking, artistry and spending time with her family.

Lisa Marner

Accounts Payable Specialist

Lisa comes to WVP with over 7 years of Accounts Payable experience, having worked in several different industries mastering her skills, including Oil & Gas, Banking and Waste Management. Prior to bringing her skills into the realm of finance, Lisa worked in the furniture industry, eventually being recognized for her outstanding customer service and sales attributes and promoted to Office Manager. When not attending to her accounts, Lisa is active in fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association and Shriners Hospital for Children as well as organizing and planning fund raisers and parties for the local Shriners.

Jonathan Mastrella

Financial Analyst

Jonathan has over three years of experience working in the financial sector. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Jonathan worked in corporate finance serving as a financial analyst for Seagate Technology. He was born and raised in Rochester, NY and obtained a BS in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder. Outside of work, Jonathan enjoys snowboarding and hiking in the mountains with family and friends.

Miranda Michaels

Regional Operations Manager

Miranda comes to Western Veterinary Partners with over 20 years of healthcare experience both in veterinary and human medicine. Before joining WVP, Miranda worked in general practice as a vet tech, then managed a sole practitioner large animal practice specializing in performance horses. Prior to that, she gained experience in human medicine (radiology), starting as a receptionist and working her way up to Clerical and Facility Manager. She has also worked with state departments to staff medical facilities, worked with a local medical group with physician and vendor contracts and eventually found her way back to veterinary medicine as a hospital manager at a WVP clinic in Reno, NV.

Miranda’s love of animals and the outdoors began while growing up in a small town outside Redding in Northern California, where she was lucky enough to be raised around ranching and the timber industry. This passion is what led her to getting her BS in Animal Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She and her husband continue to enjoy spending as much time in the outdoors as possible with gardening, dirt bikes, camping, horses and much more. She is also involved with one of her community’s local wild horse programs, helping to protect and educate the public about our wild horses.

Steve Middleton

Regional Operations Manager

Steve joins us with over 20 years of experience in both human and veterinary health. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Servant leadership is his passion, and his primary goal in life is to help people. He is married with four young children and loves to spend time with his family. As a self‐proclaimed “foodie, Steve loves traveling and experiencing new cuisines. He has served his local community for the past ten years as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff.

Chad Nichols

Accounting Manager

Chad has over 10 years of accounting experience. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Chad worked in the financial services and energy industry in various accounting management positions. During this time, he was able to acquire experience in scaling accounting systems for private equity backed startup companies. Chad is a Certified Public Account and received his accounting degree from the University of Northern Iowa. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and cycling with his family.

Corinne Novak

Business Development Associate

Corinne is a recent graduate of the University of Mary Hardin‐Baylor in Belton, Texas where she played volleyball and studied Public Relations. Prior to joining WVP, she gained experience in the marketing and communication department at the university. Corinne graduated in May 2021 and moved away from her hometown in Georgetown, Texas to search for new experiences and adventures in Denver, Colorado. Corinne is the youngest of four and is very family oriented. She enjoys spending time with her Shih‐Tzu (Zoie), working out, and going snowboarding on the weekends.

Hailey O’Brien

Financial Accountant

Hailey joins Western Veterinary Partners with over two years of Accounting experience. Prior to WVP Hailey worked at a Big 4 Accounting firm in the assurance practice, working on public clients throughout various industries. Hailey is a Certified Public Accountant and received both her Masters in Accountancy and Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Florida State University. During her free time, Hailey enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family (including her cat Zoey).

Lindsay O’Grady

Director of Business Development

Lindsay has more than 20 years of experience in the veterinary industry. Most recently, Lindsay held leadership roles in development, recruiting, and regional operations for VetCor, a leading group veterinary hospital support organization with over 300 hospitals nationwide. Prior to VetCor, Lindsay served as a practice manager of two small animal practices in addition to a large specialty animal hospital center. She began her career working in reception for her hometown veterinarian and over her career has held positions in nearly every area of a veterinary hospital. Lindsay attended Bentley University and holds a master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire. She continues to maintain her veterinary technician license and membership in veterinary community organizations.

Aidan Osterdyk

Financial Analyst

Aidan has several years of experience in acquisitions and corporate accounting. Most recently, he was an Acquisition Analyst at Tangible Wealth Solutions, consulting clients on real estate strategy and investment into secondary and tertiary markets. Prior to Tangible Wealth Solutions, Aidan worked in corporate accounting for a medical device manufacturer. Aidan completed his undergraduate degrees in Economics and Finance from the University of Montana and received his MA in Economics and MS in Finance from the University of Colorado Denver.

Brent Park

Director of Pricing and Strategy

Brent has eight years of experience in healthcare, both in human healthcare and the veterinary industry. Prior to Western Veterinary Partners, Brent spent several years working in supply chain, procurement, and integrations at a multi-site allergy services company. He has presented at national conferences to discuss the role of data in operational decision-making and process improvement. Brent holds a BA in English Literature from Valparaiso University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Anna Parsons

Senior Manager Business Development

Anna has over three years of experience in finance and has conducted analysis for multiple industries. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Anna held financial and pricing roles in the aviation industry. Anna hails from Minnesota, and holds a BS in Finance from St. Cloud State University. In her free time, Anna is an avid traveler and is working on visiting all seven continents.

Howard Popejoy

Director of People

Howard has over 10 years of human resource and benefit administration experience. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Howard spent time working in various industries which include aviation, manufacturing, transportation, software and most recently portable sanitation. Howard provided support to over 700 employees in 9 states specializing in leadership development, employee engagement, and workforce planning. He is passionate about inspiring team members to reach the next level of performance, leadership and well-being. Howard graduated Summa Cum Laude from Colorado Technical University. In his free time, Howard enjoys playing beach volleyball, indoor soccer, and spending time with his wife and two children.

Tim Reid

Director of Operations

Tim started his career working as a veterinary assistant for a primary care veterinary hospital as a teenager. He later transitioned to 24-hour emergency and specialty practices and this is where he began his leadership journey in management. He has over 20 years of veterinary experience, and in addition to developing a veterinary consulting business for primary care hospitals, he most recently worked for a national company as a director overseeing a large group of primary care, hybrid, and specialty hospitals. Tim is very passionate about the role of coach and mentor; he takes a proactive approach to leadership development and also helping team members at all levels of an organization reach their goals. Tim holds a BA in Business Communications from Baruch College in NYC.

Barbara Rose

Senior Payroll Administrator

Barbara has been a hands‐on payroll professional for many years. She has held various payroll positions (from consultant to manager) in a wide range of industries including mental health, legal, franchising, and government contracting. Barbara is passionate about being a team member in high‐growth, fast‐paced businesses. She loves the energy, challenges, and diversity that entrepreneurial environments provide. Payroll operations is a natural fit for her since it touches everyone and everything in every company. Barbara holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Business Administration from Walden University.

Michael Rubey

Director of Business Development

Michael has over 25 years of veterinary sales and leadership experience. He has built and lead national sales teams for IDEXX, HESKA and BioMerieux, three of the largest veterinary laboratory service providers in the world. He has sold veterinary equipment and solutions and helped hundreds of practices enhance their diagnostic capabilities throughout the country, with a primary focus on the Western United States. Throughout his time in veterinary sales, Michael has received numerous awards for both customer satisfaction and high performance. Michael holds a BA from San Diego State University.

Colette Ruff

Controller

Colette has over 20 years of Accounting experience. Prior to joining Western Veterinary Partners, Colette primarily worked in the financial services industry holding a variety of senior financial and accounting positions at various public and private banks. She also provided her expertise as a consultant to various large Wall Street banks after the financial crisis. Colette is a Certified Public Accountant and received her Masters in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame and her Bachelors of Science in Finance from the University of Florida. In her free time, Colette enjoys hiking, traveling, attending concerts and sporting events and spending time with her family and friends. She also likes volunteering and fundraising for AAKP and Alzheimer’s Association.

Lory Sansinena

Director of Integrations

Lory has over 20 years of experience in the pet care industry. Recently she held a leadership role in development at a boutique brokerage for the pet care industry. Prior to that, Lory held leadership roles in transition/integrations, and operations for NVA, one of the largest private veterinary support organizations. She began her career as a bookkeeper and kennel attendant at a mixed animal practice in her hometown and developed a love for the industry and deep appreciation for the human-animal bond, which led to practice management roles. Lory holds a BS in Business Management and is currently an MBA/CBE degree candidate. She enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, outdoor concerts, caring for her menagerie of chickens, cats, and a dog, and her role as the guardian of a wonderful young girl.

Jennifer Spirgen

Director of Operations

Jenn has 10 years of healthcare management experience with a variety of specialty services within the Pacific Northwest. She has worked in diverse settings from a large global company, a start-up, to non-profit work. Most recently, she has been managing multi-units in veterinary medicine (GP, emergency, equine, ambulatory, and ophthalmology) in the state of Washington. Philanthropy work is something Jenn is passionate about. She has spent time traveling around the world setting up sustainable vision clinics and helping local communities get access to healthcare. Jenn received her BS from Portland State University.

Vance Toole

Senior Manager Business Development

Vance has over 5 years of investment banking and private equity experience. Most recently, he served as a Senior Associate for The Cosine Group providing strategic M&A advisory and investment banking services for early and growth stage companies. Prior to working with The Cosine Group, he was an Associate with Pamlico Capital, a lower middle market private equity group based in Charlotte, NC focused on growth buyouts in healthcare, business technology, and software. Vance was raised in Southeast Missouri and received degrees in Economics and Spanish from Vanderbilt University.

Jennifer Vogel

Regional Operations Manager

Jennifer has over 20 years of both technical and practice management experience in many areas of veterinary medicine including general practice, emergency/ICU, and exotics. Most recently she worked as a market leader with NVA for pet resorts in AZ and NV. Jennifer is a certified veterinary technician with a BA in business administration. Her professional passions are mentoring fellow technicians and emergency veterinary care.

Gillian Vance

Marketing Associate

After graduating from the University of Colorado in May 2019, Gillian gained experience in sports marketing and strategic partnerships while working for the Arizona Golf Association (AGA). Gillian oversaw advertising, social media outreach, website development, and member acquisition at the AGA. During her time at the CU Boulder Athletic Department, she worked in event promotions where she created campaigns to drive ticket sales for students and potential fans. She holds a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Colorado where she was also a leader and competitor on the Women’s Golf Team. During her free time, Gillian enjoys playing golf, running, and spending time with friends and family.

Brenda Wagner

Accounts Payable Specialist

Brenda has 15 years of accounts payable experience and a long career (28 years!) at Staples in a variety of roles including accounting and sales. She is extremely passionate about animals and animal welfare and is thrilled to be part of an organization that supports the people who care for our pets.

Sherry Wehmeier

Payroll Specialist

Sherry joins WVP with over 20 years of accounting and payroll experience. She spent much of her time working with QuickBooks and Payroll Software systems (Intuit, Paychex, ADP Workforce Now, & Kronos). She has worked in a variety of fields including veterinary medicine and was a veterinary technician for several years. Sherry has been married for six years, has two children (one in high school and one in preschool) and two amazing dogs. Sherry enjoys working with animals and playing many sports ‐ especially softball.

Dr. Monique Weldon

DVM Medical Advisor

Dr. Monique Weldon earned her degree in Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 2003. After graduating, Dr. Weldon worked in general practice for seven years before starting and building from the ground up Loving Family Animal Hospital. Providing high quality, personalized medicine has always been her goal and the practice became AAHA accredited within 10 months of opening, earning the distinguished award of “AAHA Hospital of The Year” in 2017. While still the sole owner and medical director of Loving Family Animal Hospital, Dr. Weldon opened Animal Dental Clinic to focus on dentistry. Dr. Weldon has focused heavily on training and continuing education in the dental field for the last 19 years and has a passion for dentistry and oral surgery.

As a Veterinary Dental Practitioner, Dr. Weldon aims to provide affordable, high‐quality dentistry to dogs and cats. She believes dental care should be part of regular wellness care and helps many local animal rescues by providing high quality dentistry prior to adoption. She also helps students, with clinical rotations and internships at her facility, to learn more about dentistry and anesthetic safety. Continuing education is huge for her and her staff and she believes that providing opportunities to learn and grow is so important for the team.

Dr. Weldon is a Colorado native. She currently lives with her two rescue dogs, Paige and Avalanche. When she’s not caring for pets, she is busy singing, bowling, playing with her kids, watching the Broncos or Rockies, camping, hiking and just spending as much time possible with her family.

Brandon Wiegand

Business Development Associate

Brandon graduated from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. His previous experience includes working in retail at REI and as a store manager for Sherwin-Williams. While at REI, Brandon discovered that he really enjoyed working with people to plan outdoor adventures and at Sherwin-Williams, he liked helping clients with their passion projects including seeing their ideas through execution. His experience in retail helped him develop a strong customer service mindset and he looks forward to supporting practices as they consider their next step in veterinary medicine. In his spare time, Brandon likes to go rock climbing, taking his dog Jax on adventures and spending time with friends.

Charles Woo

Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis

Charles joins Western Veterinary Partners with over 8 years of Finance and Accounting experience. Prior to WVP, Charles worked at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms in the audit practice on a variety of publicly traded companies and was most recently in the dental support organization industry, building financial dashboards and tools to enable doctors, managers, and executives alike in their decision making. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Tableau Desktop Specialist and received his Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University. In his free time, Charles enjoys cycling, hiking, and spending time with his wife and two children.

Tiffany Woodward

Veterinary Recruiting Specialist

Tiffany has over 14 years of recruiting and human resources experience, encompassing various industries including healthcare, information technology and creative services. In the realm of recruiting, Tiffany has held leadership roles, largely because of her success in the industry. Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Denver and a Master of Science in Management from Colorado State University, specializing in strategic innovation and change management. A native of Denver, Tiffany is highly involved in the community, devoting much of her spare time to Gateway Women’s Shelter, Project Angel Heart and Food Bank of the Rockies, just to name a few of the non-profits to which Tiffany has given of herself. Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family, food/food culture and travel when not recruiting or volunteering.