Resides in: Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Present Position: Co-Owner of a two-doctor practice
Practice Type: Equine Ambulatory
School and Year of Graduation: Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 2008
Additional Degrees / Specialty Colleges: IVCA chiropractic certification, 2011
AAEP Service:
- Co-Chair, Practice Culture Subcommittee (2023)
- Member, Practice Culture Subcommittee (2024)
- Member, Wellness Committee (2021-2024)
- Member, Healthy Practice Committee (Present)
Professional Life/Community and Professional Volunteer Service:
Giving back remains a cornerstone of my personal and professional identity as I progress through my life and career. My commitment to volunteerism has only deepened as I've seen firsthand how collaborative efforts create meaningful change within our profession.
As a wife and mother to two boys, these foundational roles anchor my life and inform my professional perspective. Since founding my equine practice in 2010, I've guided its growth from a solo operation to a thriving two-doctor practice that focuses on collaboration with and development of our team. This evolution represents not just practice growth, but the culmination of intentional leadership development that has been my focus the past several years.
My service to the veterinary community has expanded significantly through several key initiatives:
- The Whole Veterinarian Podcast, which I launched in 2020, has created a global community committed to holistic professional well-being. What began as sharing my personal journey through burnout has evolved into a platform featuring diverse voices and innovative approaches to sustainable veterinary careers.
- Since 2021, my role as equine cohort facilitator for MentorVet has allowed me to directly support approximately 75 early-career veterinarians. With the facilitator experience I gain in this role, I've learned evidence-based mentoring techniques that have measurably improved retention rates among program participants.
- The Sustainability in Equine Practice Seminar series, which I co-founded in 2021, has now successfully guided over 150 mid-career equine veterinarians through critical professional hurdles and growth. In 2025, we merged with the Decade One program and launched an online learning platform and digital resource library that extends our reach beyond in-person events. Facilitation of both the SEPS and Decade One groups bring me immense fulfillment and a constant opportunity to hear new perspectives.
- As my terms on the Practice Culture Subcommittee and Wellness Committee for AAEP ended in 2024, I am excited to continue my volunteer work with the Healthy Practice Committee for the next several years. I believe the work our group is doing is integral to the future of our profession.
Despite the inherent challenges of balancing multiple responsibilities, my service to these aligned organizations energizes rather than depletes me. By focusing my efforts on initiatives that directly support veterinarian well-being and practice sustainability, I maintain a clear vision for our profession's future—one where equine veterinarians thrive personally and professionally, supported by strong mentorship networks and adaptive practice models.
This comprehensive approach to service gives me a unique perspective that I'm eager to bring to the AAEP Board of Directors, where I can help shape policies and programs that address the real-world challenges facing our members today.
Why do you want to serve on the board?
I am eager to join the AAEP Board of Directors to help shape the future of our profession during this pivotal time of industry transformation. My dedication over the past five years to building resources and fostering meaningful connections among equine practitioners has given me valuable insights into the challenges we collectively face and the innovative solutions needed to address them.
My vision for AAEP centers on three key priorities that I believe are critical to our profession's sustainability:
Championing Small and Independent Practices: As someone who built a practice from the ground up and navigated the path to partnership, I understand firsthand the unique challenges facing small and independent equine practices. I will advocate for targeted resources, educational opportunities, and support networks specifically designed for solo practitioners and small groups who form the backbone of our profession. This includes developing practical business models that promote work-life integration and long-term sustainability.
Advancing Diversity and Inclusion: Our profession's strength lies in its diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and approaches to equine care. I am committed to expanding AAEP's initiatives to welcome and amplify underrepresented voices within our community. By creating more accessible pathways to leadership and ensuring our educational content reflects diverse experiences, we can build a more robust and innovative professional community that better serves all equine patients and clients.
Creating Safe Spaces for Collaboration and Growth: Through my work with Decade One, SEPS and MentorVet, I've witnessed the transformative power of environments where practitioners can openly discuss challenges, share solutions, and explore new ideas without judgment. I envision AAEP as another forum where members at all career stages feel empowered to ask questions, challenge conventions, and collectively advance our standards of practice and professional wellbeing.
My leadership approach is fundamentally collaborative. I believe in listening deeply to member needs, building consensus around shared goals, and implementing practical solutions that make a tangible difference in members' daily practice lives. The connections I've built through my various professional initiatives have given me a broad understanding of the diverse perspectives within our community, which I will bring to board deliberations.
The AAEP has been instrumental in my own professional journey, and I am passionate about ensuring it continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of our profession. By serving on the board, I hope to help create an organization that not only upholds the highest standards of equine medicine but also actively nurtures the people who provide that care—because thriving veterinarians are essential to a thriving horse industry.
What attributes would you bring to the board?
I would bring a unique combination of practical experience, innovative thinking, and interpersonal skills to the AAEP Board of Directors:
Bridge-Builder Between Generations: Having built my practice during a period of significant industry transformation, I hold a distinctive position between traditional practice models and emerging approaches. This perspective enables me to translate between different generational viewpoints and facilitate productive dialogue that honors experience while embracing necessary evolution.
Practiced Listener and Effective Communicator: Through my work as a podcast host and mentor, I have improved my skills in active listening and clear communication. These abilities allow me to synthesize diverse perspectives and articulate complex issues in accessible ways—essential attributes for effective board service and member engagement.
Entrepreneurial Problem-Solver: My journey from solo practitioner to partner has honed my ability to identify challenges, develop creative solutions, and implement practical changes. I bring this entrepreneurial mindset to addressing the profession's most pressing issues, balancing innovation with pragmatism.
Data-Informed Decision-Maker: As I have learned more about my communication style and strengths over the past several years, I have strengthened my commitment to making decisions grounded in both qualitative insights and quantitative data. I value comprehensive assessment of issues before taking action, ensuring that AAEP initiatives are built on solid foundations.
Collaborative Leader: My leadership style emphasizes building consensus, empowering team members, and creating environments where diverse viewpoints are valued. This approach has proven effective in my practice management, seminar development, and mentorship roles, and would enhance board dynamics and decision-making processes.
Unwavering Commitment: When I commit to a responsibility, I bring my full energy, attention, and dedication. My track record demonstrates this attribute—whether through consistently delivering high-quality podcast content, fulfilling mentorship obligations, or managing practice transitions. My board service would receive this same level of committed focus.
Strategic Vision With Implementation Skills: I combine big-picture thinking about our profession's future with practical experience implementing changes at the ground level. This dual perspective would help ensure that board initiatives translate effectively from concept to real-world impact for members.
These attributes, developed through my unique professional journey, would complement the existing board's strengths while bringing fresh insights to AAEP's governance. I am prepared to channel these qualities into thoughtful service that advances our organization's mission and supports the diverse needs of our membership.
