Prior to his role at BHC, Stith was the founder and CEO of My Veterinary Career (MVC) which he sold to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) in 2011 and managed until 2016. His industry experience includes facilitating workshops at national and state veterinary conferences as well as writing for Today’s Veterinary Business, AAHA’s Trends Magazine, Veterinary Team Brief, and Veterinarian’s Money Digest. Stith also conducts professional skills workshops for student clubs and organizations at veterinary schools across the country. Stith currently collaborates on the development and delivery of professional development curriculum at several veterinary schools where he serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member. He is also part of a team through Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences working under a federal grant to explore and design strategies for successful rural veterinary practice ownership.

Stith’s volunteer experience includes serving as President of VetCAN (Veterinary Career Advisory Network), terms as President of VetPartner’s Career Development and Practice Management Special Interest Groups, participation in Washington State University’s CVM “Diagnostic Challenge” and a seat on the AVMA’s Economics Advisory Research Council Financial Literacy task force.

His passion for our profession extends into his role as managing partner in a handful of privately owned veterinary practices. In partnering with veterinarians hungering for successful practice ownership and wishing to build a legacy, Stith enables them to achieve their goals through his role overseeing team development and leverage, operations and financial management.

In his free time, Stith enjoys adventuring in the outdoors with his wife, a small animal veterinarian, their daughter and their dogs and horses.

While attending college at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business, Dusty Bonner joined the United States Marine Corps. During this time, he gravitated toward three things – leadership, management, and finance. He has been blessed with the privilege to lead some of the toughest Marines through some of the most unique situations throughout his nearly ten years as a leader while serving his country. While in charge of groups that have included over 500 Marines, he has fine-tuned his skills in teaching others how to lead and develop their staff with the necessary skills to meet any challenge. Dusty was also assigned as the Financial Officer managing over 120 million dollars in assets and the expenditure of over 50 million dollars annually. Developing responsible and realistic financial goals while managing day to day operations has been his key to success.

His interest in the veterinary community, along with his friendship with business partner Stith Keiser, led him to jump into the veterinary community. Joining Blue Heron Consulting has allowed him the opportunity to tie his experience in finance and management from the Marines with his interest in the business of veterinary medicine. His love for animals and the joy of developing successful leaders makes this an ideal team for Dusty to be a part of.

Jason has an accomplished record of working with people and pets. For more than 20 years he has developed successful business leaders across several venues. He ran business operations for a variety of retailers including Ann Taylor, Eddie Bauer, Staples and Petco prior to joining Blue Heron Consulting.

During his 11 years working with Petco, Jason held several positions including District Manager of 2 separate markets in the upper mid-west. He was able to successfully expand those markets as well as nurture a love for strengthening the human animal bond. Alsoduring this time, Jason was a founding board member of a successful non-profit Spay and Neuter clinic, providing low cost (and sometimes free) spay and neuter services in his community.

When not at work, Jason spends time outdoors golfing, fishing, hiking and spending time with his wife; Christine, his 3 daughters; Hannah, Makenna and Ashlyn and their four legged Black Labrador Retriever brother; Oliver.

Jeannie Bellsmith comes to Blue Heron Consulting with over 20 years of ownership, management, customer service, business and veterinary experience. She has owned and operated her own business and worked as a practice manager for over 10 years in an AAHA accredited veterinary hospital where she was one of three founding practice managers of the original North American Business Association (NABA). Following her career in veterinary medicine, she served in a financial advising office focused on comprehensive financial planning and asset management.

Jeannie enjoys being involved in her community and was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel for her efforts in providing local K-9 officers with bullet proof vests in 2008.

In Jeannie’s spare time she enjoys gardening, traveling, exercising, hiking, “facetiming” her children, porch time with her husband and morning walks with her German Shepherd, Fiona.

Cassidy Matano developed a passion for animals and an appreciation of the behind-the-scenes contributions to their care at a young age. A local AAHA accredited veterinary hospital doubled as her school bus stop and her weekday afternoons were spent playing with animals, actively avoiding kennel duty, and observing hospital procedures and client interactions whenever she could.

Her professional career briefly took her away from the industry following her graduation from Centre College and The Pennsylvania State University. Upon graduation, she pursued a career in higher education where she could leverage her expertise in organizational leadership, customer service, project management, marketing and creative design. Fortunately for Blue Heron, Cassidy is returning to our profession as the Director of Marketing and Client Relations and looks forward to serving our team and clients.

Cassidy resides in South Bend, Indiana with her fiancé, John and their cat, Wrigley. In her free time she enjoys baseball games, thunderstorms, and trying new recipes.

Dr. Erin Keiser’s Why is rooted in improving the lives of her colleagues by combining continuing education that will truly make a difference with once-in-a-lifetime experiences

Dr. Erin Keiser is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah and attended Utah State University where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences. She graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM in 2018 as part of the third class to participate in the Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) regional program. She began her career as a small animal general practitioner in rural Kentucky where she currently still practices.

Erin has always had a passion for personal and professional development. She attended her first veterinary conference as part of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) as a first-year veterinary student and knew she couldn’t stay away from the invigorating atmosphere.

When she isn’t practicing, working with numbers, or planning the next CE adventure, Erin enjoys hiking and horseback riding with her husband, daughter, and their dogs on the family farm in Kentucky.

Becca Keiser has over a decade of experience in organizational development, people management, and recruitment strategy and has worked with corporations and non-profits including Audi AG, the Centre for Organizational Reform, My Veterinary Career, The College of Wooster, and American University. She holds a Master of Science in Intercultural Communication from the University of Warwick in England and a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Denison University. Becca’s professional mission is to improve employees’ lives through establishing and promoting healthy workplace cultures. With a focus on people, communication, and efficiency, Becca enjoys assisting Blue Heron Consulting and their clients with organizational effectiveness, recruitment and retention strategies, and team productivity. Becca established Blue Heron Consulting’s organizational development program and the Hiring Services cylinder.

In an effort to achieve Blue Heron Consulting’s mission of improving lives of veterinary professionals, Becca currently focuses her time on leading the Hiring Services cylinder and managing our company’s hiring process. Formerly, the Director of Organizational Development, Becca currently serves as the Director of Hiring Services and Director of Hiring.

Becca lives with her husband and son in Northern Virginia. In her free time, she loves traveling, afternoon tea parties, and hiking.

Adam Grecco serves Blue Heron Consulting as the Manager of Strategic Partnerships. In this role, Adam brings over 15 years of industry experience, including veterinary hospital management and veterinary sales, to the team. He has an understanding of managing practices, the importance of the hospital-patient bond, and extensive knowledge growing the practice from a business standpoint. In addition to the above, Adam brings a unique talent for building and maintaining great relationships.

Prior to joining BHC, Adam spent 7 years working in a veterinary hospital. He spent a couple years as a Customer Service Manager and was then promoted to Practice Manager. After leaving the practice, he joined Patterson Veterinary Supply, an industry leading distributor of animal health products and technology. Adam started as a Technology Specialist and then served as a Territory Manager. He then went on to become a Regional Director with Trupanion, where he helped to coach and mentor Trupanion representatives in western United States and Canada.

Dr. Chuck Keiser is a graduate of Centre College and Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

His career in veterinary medicine started with a truck and the desire to serve rural Kentuckians. That soon morphed into a brick and mortar hospital, which grew to ownership of three mixed animal practices and ended with the sale of several million dollar plus, small animal, AAHA accredited practices. The sale was to three young doctors that had been mentored and coached by him and who then retained him to continue as a consultant to them and to actively find and assist with the purchase of additional hospitals. While practicing in and running, with the help of a phenomenal team, his own core hospitals, he had the opportunity to buy, sell and manage several other hospitals.

Beyond the practice and management of veterinary hospitals, Dr. Keiser has been involved in other aspects of veterinary medicine and business in general. He chaired the large animal advisory council that raised over 33 million dollars for the new Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital, has been a member of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) since 1988, and served as a chair on the Practice Management Advisory Committee for AAHA. He is one of the founders of the North American Business Association, a group of hospital owners and their practice administrators, and helped grow it to the point where it was gifted to the Veterinary Study Groups (parent organization of VMG).

Dr. Keiser’s community involvement includes serving as an elder in his local Presbyterian church and on mission trips. He has served AAHA as a past board member, and past chair of LINC (Leadership Identification Nominating Committee). Dr. Keiser has also been past chair of the local chamber of commerce, Rotary Club, and United Way campaign. He has been a board member of the health department board, multiple foundations, and several banks. He currently serves on the business development board of First Southern National Bank.

For fun, Dr. Keiser enjoys horseback riding, fishing, camping, and traveling with his wife, kids and grandkids.

Dr. Missy Tasky obtained her undergraduate degree in Animal Science at Virginia Tech. She graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. She moved to Denver, Colorado after graduation and worked as an emergency doctor for 4 years, and then managed a single doctor practice for 5 years. She opened Gentle Touch Animal Hospital in 2000. Her passions include dentistry, client education and business management. Dr. Tasky has taken numerous courses on conflict resolution and emotional intelligence, and has implemented much of what she has learned within her own practice. Her practice is AAHA accredited, and she is a member of the AAHA Accredited VMG Groups. Dr. Tasky’s experiences growing and managing her own business as well as her experience as a Blue Heron client, offer great insight into how she can help practice owners and managers achieve their “why”.

In her “free time”, Dr Tasky enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, scuba diving, and skiing. She also jokes that her next career will be as a travel photographer.

Dr. Kate Crumley graduated from North Carolina State University with her DVM degree in 1992 and she also holds an MS degree in Biochemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her veterinary career path includes 7 years of mixed practice experience, companion animal medicine and surgery, and practice ownership in the roles of partner and as a sole owner. She has been active with AAHA beginning in veterinary school and has participated in a number of volunteer roles as well as serving on the Board of Directors and as AAHA President 2014-1015. She is passionate about top-notch veterinary medical care and about developing people into leaders who can make their practices thrive.

She founded Heartwood Animal Hospital which serves the rural North Carolina community of Youngsville, just north of Raleigh. Dr. Crumley built the hospital from the ground up, first opening the doors in 2000. Team development has always been a priority for her. Numerous team players have advanced through AAHA’s distance education veterinary technician program (DEVTP) with Dr Crumley as preceptor. In 2019 she sold the practice to her partner who took the reins only 4 years after graduating. She has especially enjoyed coaching and watching his professional development flourish both medically and from a business perspective since he joined the practice as a freshly minted graduate.

Dr. Crumley is quick to give credit to Blue Heron for helping Heartwood succeed; she has been a client and has personally experienced the challenges and victories that come with working ON your practice while at the same time working IN it. She loves working with other veterinarians to help them achieve their best; working together to create a practice that provides financial security, a fun work environment, and excellent service and care. Her goal as a part of the Blue Heron team is to inspire veterinarians to feel fantastic about their legacy.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr Crumley enjoys recreational road biking, gardening, travel, and listening to audiobooks. She and her husband Steve live on the quiet backroads of beautiful North Carolina. Of course, their dogs, Spock (Papillon) and Bucky (Bernese Mt Dog), and the cat, Neko (camera shy) all get their fair share of attention, too.

After his undergraduate studies at the University of Idaho and University of Nevada, Reno, Dr. Tony Luchetti received his DVM from Colorado State University in 2000. Dr. Luchetti’s veterinary career path has been quite diverse. Immediately after receiving his DVM, he practiced for five years in a mixed animal practice in rural Nevada. His career then led him to work in a sixteen veterinarian, AAHA accredited, small animal exclusive practice for fifteen years in the Reno area.

For a portion of this time, he served as Surgical Director and was a partner for seven years, with the practice eventually transitioning to corporate. Since 2007, Dr. Luchetti has been a shareholder at a local 24/7 emergency practice, as well as serving on the board for a portion of this time. During this period, the practice transitioned to a 24/7 specialty referral hospital.

Along with being a Medical Team Coach for Blue Heron Consulting, Dr. Luchetti keeps his clinical skills sharp by performing relief work at his prior practice and the emergency hospital. In addition to his clinical experience, he has served as both a board member and an officer in the Nevada VMA, culminating as president of the Nevada VMA in 2015.

Through his love of the profession and diverse career path, he looks forward to offering a unique perspective to practice owners and managers, in addition to the rest of the Blue Heron Team.

Dr. Luchetti is married to Jennifer, his bride of over twenty years. Together they have two teenage boys who keep them busy along with their young German Shorthair Pointer. In his free time, Dr. Luchetti enjoys spending time outdoors, whether that is camping, snow or water skiing, or dirt bike riding.

Dr. Anita Dennison joins the Blue Heron Consulting team as a Medical Team Coach. A third-generation veterinarian, she completed her undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University and Colorado State University in the areas of Microbiology, Biology, Anatomy and Neurobiology before graduating from the Colorado State University Veterinary School program in 2000. She went on to continue her studies at through an internship in large animal medicine as well as a Master of Science degree through the CSU’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. Through a partial residency in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery, her work at CSU became the basis for a vaccine now used in the U.S. cattle industry.

Throughout her career, Dr. Dennison has owned and operated an equine and livestock medical and surgical center, a private mixed-animal practice, an online veterinary supply company, and a large-animal ambulatory practice. She has also served as an adjunct professor for Western University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Dennison practiced for 5 years as a small-animal animal emergency veterinarian and as a relief veterinarian throughout the western United States. She has been the on-site veterinarian for the Colorado State Fair and the Mesa County Fair. In addition, Dr. Dennison has served as a consultant and attending veterinarian for multiple human trauma medicine training companies, ranging from paramedics and law enforcement to the U.S. Military and its allies. She has recently facilitated development and AVMA accreditation of the Western Colorado Community College Veterinary Technology Program.

Dr. Dennison is excited to be in a position where she can use her diverse veterinary experience to positively impact the profession for future generations of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, ranchers, animal owners and their furry companions.

In her free time, Dr. Dennison raises beef cattle and maintains the family homestead ranch, preserving ranching traditions in the West. She has 2 daughters, who she spends her time with enjoying 4H, FFA, cattle, horses, sports, travel, and the outdoors. They just might be the fourth generation of veterinarians in her family.

Nick was introduced to veterinary medicine as his wife, Taylor, was going through veterinary school and using the family’s dining room for study sessions with her classmates. Nick cooked for the study group, and listened to more conversations about pathology, anatomy and too many other “ologies” to count. Nick’s first ‘official’ foray into veterinary medicine occurred through a company he and his wife started, Checkpoint Veterinary (CPV). CPV was designed as traveling veterinary exam trailer providing a heated, clean area for veterinary care at sled dog races across the Midwest. Experience working closely with veterinarians during races, coupled with watching his wife navigate the rewards and challenges of her career, helped him realize the impact of a practice’s quality of medicine, client service, culture and profitability.

Nick began his BHC quest, working alongside CEO Stith Keiser, helping facilitate the company’s “Wilderness CE Series” in the mountains of Idaho. Since that time, Nick fully immersed himself in the profession becoming a private practice owner himself as well as joining BHC fulltime. During the last few years, Nick has been blessed to serve hospitals of all sizes across the country as an Operational Coach. In addition to operational coaching, he has helped develop the company’s Start-Up Division, helping aspiring owners navigate the challenges of launching their own hospital. One of Nick’s greatest professional accomplishments is his role in helping design and lead strategic planning retreats for hospitals seeking to grow with a purpose and plan.

In his spare time Nick loves spending time on his hobby farm with his wife and son, Jack, surrounded by their menagerie of pets – 2 steer calves, 2 pygmy goats, 30 chickens, 2 garage cats, 1 indoor cat, and a 3-year old springer spaniel named Evie. They also love spending time in the outdoors with their families pursuing a range of activities.

Kelli was born an animal lover. While most little girls played with dolls, she preferred stuffed animals. When her first dog, Tiny, was hit by a car and survived against all odds, she knew she wanted to work in veterinary medicine. Her journey started with volunteering several times per week at a local animal shelter, despite having to walk a half mile to and from the shelter each day. Once she could drive, she began working for the same veterinarian that had saved Tiny’s life years earlier.

Kelli’s early experience in medicine and management originated in human healthcare, at the world renown, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Beginning with a receptionist role, she pursued advancement at every opportunity and quickly moved through the company. She was ultimately tasked with overseeing the startup of a satellite. Despite her success, Kelli was still being pulled into her passion for pet care. In February of 1998, Kelli’s husband encouraged her to follow her dream, so she left the human side for veterinary medicine.

She began her ‘professional’ career in veterinary medicine as the Office Manager with Animal Hospital Inc. The small animal practice grew very quickly and in 2004 she managed the remodel and expansion that doubled their facility size to 14,500 sq. ft. In 2005, Kelli earned her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager distinction and continued to receive a certificate in Veterinary Practice Management from Purdue University in 2009.

In 2016, AHI hired BHC for a diagnostic site visit, bringing a breath of fresh air to Kelli and the practice. It reminded Kelli of her “why,” which has always been educating and mentoring people. In 2018, AHI opened their first satellite clinic, and with its expansion, Kelli became their CEO and realized her dream of becoming a practice owner.

Kelli joined the BHC team in 2019 so she could share this Why along with lessons learned from over 20 years in the industry. She is a Past Board President of Lake Humane Society and a member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, American Animal Hospital Association and The Society of Human Resource Managers. She is also Fear Free Certified, an advisory board member for a local Registered Veterinary Technician program. She is currently working towards her Human-Animal Bond Certification.

When Kelli has down time, she loves spending time with her husband RJ and their two adult children John and Lisa and now her first grandchild Kayden. Their family would not be complete without their beagles and cats! Together their family enjoys the outdoors, working on their log cabin and passionately cheering on Cleveland sports teams and THE Ohio State Buckeyes.

Mary LeMay’s passion for leading teams started many years ago. After obtaining her Associates Degree in Management, her journey into veterinary medicine started with an externship at Animal Hospital, Inc (AHI). Halfway through the externship program, Mary realized she had found her new home and joined AHI’s reception team. This new adventure began just as Blue Heron Consulting started their coaching journey with the practice. Over the next several years, and while receiving Blue Heron coaching, Mary accepted a variety of positions within AHI, working to tackle some of the most challenging aspects of the clinic such as inventory, management, and human resources.

After years at AHI, Mary realized she wanted to make a larger impact on the veterinary community. She found herself inspired to study the processes behind coaching and the pillars to achieving work-life balance and well-being. Mary is currently pursuing a certificate in Health and Wellness coaching. She aims to aide clinics in identifying future goals, developing systems to streamline day-to-day operations, and generate a culture that fosters growth and well-being. She is excited to combine her veterinary knowledge and love for coaching to support veterinary practice owners in creating profitable practices with high functioning teams.

When she is not working or studying, Mary likes to go boxing and spend time outdoors hiking, running, or paddle boarding. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, riding their Harley and taking vacations to Florida. Their six children and American Bulldog, Zoey, fill their home with an incredible amount of love…and laundry!

Neda joins the Blue Heron Consulting team with over a decade of experience improving the lives of animals. She holds a Bachelor of Science in management from the University of Phoenix and an MBA from Fitchburg State University, in addition to an AAS in Veterinary Technologies. Neda put her education into practice with a career as an LVT in Virginia for over ten years in addition to owning a veterinary practice with a business partner. She also married a veterinarian and practice owner, and since then, dinner discussions always seem to revolve around some aspect of the profession.

After working in various aspects of the veterinary industry including customer service and technical support, she is getting back to her passion: improving patient lives. She says she has gone from helping one patient at a time, to one product at a time, to one practice at a time! Neda is looking forward her journey with Blue Heron Consulting and helping veterinary professionals achieve their vision.

Neda grew up in Hampton Roads, VA and now lives in South Carolina with her husband, two cats (Ringo and Tucker), and flock of chickens. In her free time, Neda likes to garden and do yoga.

Devin has had a lifelong love for education and learning, graduating from high school at just twelve years old before continuing his education in religious studies until the age of sixteen. Later, Devin received a degree in Business Process Management through Capital One via Harvard University before starting his professional career. 

Devin comes to our team most recently from serving as Practice Manager for a privately owned veterinary hospital. Prior to that, Devin worked for several large corporations such as Netflix, Capital One, and Banfield Pet Hospital. From business development and process improvement to client retention and practice management, he brings a wide range of experiences and expertise to the Blue Heron Consulting team, including management of different teams ranging in size, personalities, and backgrounds.  

Devin recalls advice from a previous mentor encouraging him to “Find something that you can really ‘get behind.’ When you do, you will work with a passion that you may not even know you had.” His love of business and pets (and lack of desire to be a veterinarian!) led him to our team where he is able to use his skillset and passion to help businesses thrive. 

On a more personal level, Devin is husband to his beautiful wife, Kala, and father to their daughter, Olivia. They have two fur babies, Cooper and Tucker. In his free time, Devin loves to go camping in the mountains of Wyoming during the summer travel with his wife to new places, fish, and play the guitar. When he’s at home, he has been known to play some video games from time to time, too. 

Cyndi Valerio has always known a love for animals. Her journey began as a Pre-Vet student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, after years on the pre-vet track, she started working in an animal hospital as a Veterinary Assistant. Soon after, she realized her passion and set her sights on becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician. In 1998, she joined Hallett Veterinary Hospital as a Certified Veterinary Technician and quickly progressed to the Inventory Manager.

After spending years working with an amazing veterinarian, his mentorship led Cyndi to realize her strong leadership skills and great management potential. Cyndi was sent to the Purdue Veterinary Management Institute and, soon after, became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager.

In addition to a CVT and CVPM, Cyndi is proud to be part owner of Hallett Veterinary Hospital where they believe in improving the lives of pets, their families, staff, and the communities they live in through advocacy, compassionate care and education.

In 2022, Cyndi joined the Blue Heron Consulting team as an Operational Coach. After her own personal experience with BHC in 2016, she has grown to love and respect the entire team and their commitment to improving the lives of veterinary professionals.

Faith and family are the two most important things in Cyndi’s life. Camping with her husband, two daughters, parents, and four sisters and their husbands – along with all her nieces and nephews – is her absolute favorite past time.

Stacy Gentry joins the Blue Heron Consulting team as an Operational Coach, bringing over twenty years of veterinary experience to our clients. She started as a Client Service Representative at Wellington Veterinary Hospital (WVH) in 2001. From the beginning, she has grown there, moving into new positions as opportunities arose, always focusing on her Why ­– connecting with and caring for animals.  In 2016, Stacy become the practice manager and, through this position, was able to make valuable changes to both the hospital and culture. These changes propelled WVH into a four-doctor hospital. In 2018, she became a practice owner, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Along the way, Stacy attended Veterinary Management Institute and coached communications to third-year veterinary students at Colorado State University.

WVH was purchased in 2020 and Stacy found a new opportunity coaching other practice managers. This eye-opening experience allowed her to help cultivate an environment that allowed leadership teams and hospitals to shine.  Stacy knew this was her new path – her new Why.

When Stacy is not coaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Vince, her children, and their numerous pets. She is an avid hiker and loves kayaking and camping in the beautiful Rocky Mountains; and she is always on the hunt for the next great beer at the many breweries in Colorado!

Derek Tyson brings to the team extensive experience in the animal health profession with his experience in veterinary practice management and sales. Derek led a team of employees at one of largest clinics in Jacksonville, FL. From there, Derek worked as a national sales representative at Sneakers Software, the producers of DVMax practice management software, before eventually joining Trupanion as a Regional Director.

Prior to starting with Blue Heron Consulting, Derek decided to pursue a dream of his to become a sports reporter which he accomplished by working for two different companies including ESPN from 2011 through 2017 as a college football writer. Derek has his Business Management degree from Northwood University in Midland, MI. In his spare time, Derek enjoys traveling, playing golf, and spending time with his wife Amanda and their son.

Anthony Giffen comes to the Blue Heron Consulting team as our Learning & Development Manager with an impressive background in leadership and development. Anthony was a fifteen-year team member at the Walt Disney World Resort where he held a diverse variety of operational leadership, leadership development, and learning & development roles, including leading the day-one orientation program, “Traditions.” He further refined his leadership, consulting, and learning & development skills with Heart of Florida United Way, Insperity, and Wyndham Destinations before moving on to a role with National Veterinary Associates. At NVA, he was able to combine his lifelong love of animals with his passion for learning & development as he provided support for hospital managers and veterinarians.

Prior to these experiences, Anthony graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Millersville University in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and spent the next few years performing and teaching improvisational theater in the area. These two experiences would provide the foundation for Anthony’s approach to learning & development throughout his career: from education, a focus on who our learner is, what our specific objectives are, and how we can best achieve our desired outcomes; and from improvisation, a passion for creating something new and exciting together that we could never even imagine separately.

When not at work, Anthony and his wife Melissa enjoy traveling, running, cycling, going to sporting events, and dining out whenever their greyhound, Tico, will allow them to leave the house without him.

Katey Keeton joins the team as an administrator helping assist the Field Consultant Division. As well as possessing a vast understanding of customer service, Katey has a legal and insurance background making her a great addition to the BHC team.

Katey was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology. Katey played two years of collegiate basketball which instilled in her the importance of teamwork. Her interests include photography, being outdoors, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Katey and her husband, Noah, now reside in Stanford, Kentucky with their children, Knox and Quinn, and their two dogs, Rupp and Cali.

Ryan brings over 25 years of building successful cultures and developing leaders to Blue Heron Consulting. Ryan has held numerous leadership positions in a variety of retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, and Petco. With an affinity for people development, Ryan has mentored numerous leaders throughout his career.

Ryan was raised an animal lover and grew up with multiple family dogs. Their impact on his childhood continued into his career. His time as a district manager at Petco helped him understand the need for educating pet parents. He realized there was a large knowledge gap within pet health; filling that gap gave him the sense of purpose that was missing in his career. Ryan was able to grow his market by offering products and services that pets need to live a healthier lifestyle, so that they have a better chance of living a longer life alongside those who cherish them. Having the opportunity to work in the veterinary industry has allowed Ryan to continue his passion for animal care in a more substantial capacity.

When not at work Ryan enjoys golfing, live music, and spending time with his family and his cats, Iris, Leia and Vader.

Scott Huggins, DVM, MBA grew up in Raleigh, NC and earned his BS degree in Biology with Honors from the University of North Carolina and his DVM degree from the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Huggins worked in private practice for 10 years in small animal clinics in NC, UT, and NV before coming back home to work for Novartis Animal Health as a field veterinarian based out of Charlotte. Dr. Huggins then moved to the Novartis home office in Greensboro, NC and served as the Manager of Marketing Operations for 7 years, overseeing market research, e-business, corporate trade shows, and competitive intelligence, while simultaneously serving as a technical advisor to the entire marketing team and other home office departments.

Dr. Huggins returned to school to complete an MBA at the Bryan School of Business and Economics at UNC-Greensboro where he was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business students. While completing his MBA, Dr. Huggins taught college-level courses in Anatomy and Physiology as well as high school biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science, earning a lateral-entry NC teacher license.

After completing his MBA, Dr. Huggins worked for Nutramax Laboratories as the Manager of Field Professional Services, growing the unit from one full-time field veterinarian to a team of seven. In this role, Dr. Huggins also collaborated with sales management in the training of field-based sales representatives, worked side-by-side with sales reps, and gave over 250 presentations to veterinarians and staff, providing over 500 hours of RACE-approved CE content.

Dr. Huggins is excited to bring his broad experience in veterinary medicine to Blue Heron Consulting as of October 2020, and looks forward to assisting his veterinary colleagues in reaching their dreams and fulfilling their Why. In his spare time, Dr. Huggins has a passion for history and traveling, two pursuits that often coincide on his many adventures around the country and, when opportunities arise, the globe.

Michelle’s love of animals started very early, with her first word being “duck.” She grew up in Clearwater, FL where there was never a shortage of creatures to catch, foster, or just admire –from marine life to lizards and frogs to orphaned kittens. She became interested in science and medicine as a teenager and began to set her sights on veterinary medicine. After spending two years of undergraduate studies at Cincinnati Bible College, she moved back to Florida to pursue that dream. She began working at a local veterinary hospital and learned quickly that she not only loved to care for animals, but she loved being able to teach pet parents and help them to provide the best life possible to their pets. She finished her undergraduate studies in Zoology and obtained her DVM at University of Florida, where she focused on international veterinary medicine and exotic/zoo/wildlife medicine.  

She pursued her love of exotic animals and canine/feline medicine in the central Florida area following graduation in 2009, and worked at several small animal practices, including a large 6 doctor practice in Winter Park, FL. Michelle’s love of teaching carried over into helping her veterinary technicians gain skills and knowledge, such as training on exotic species blood draw or microscope evaluation of a sample. This skill set was recognized, and soon she was creating the hospital’s technician and technician assistant training manuals.  

In 2017, Michelle felt a calling to teach and train in other ways and began work as a Professional Services Field Veterinarian for a veterinary nutritional supplement company. During her time in that position, she traveled the country providing continuing education to veterinarians and technicians about various disease conditions and supplementary management options. She also helped train and improve the skill sets of the regional sales managers, allowing them to help more pets in their areas by extending that knowledge to their local hospitals. Michelle still practices at her local emergency clinic on some weekends.  

In her free time, Michelle keeps active by open water swimming and training for long distance runs among other activities. She is a singer at her local church and loves going to live music events. Michelle loves football, soccer, and hockey and loves to travel – for sporting events and seeing our incredible world. She shares her home with littermate Yorkie-poodles Tigger and Pooh Bear, as well as a blue-tongue skink, Spike.  

After a brief stint as a Captain in the United States Army, Lisa Darrah brings over 22 years of successful sales and sales management experience to both human biotech and veterinary manufacturing companies – the last 15 have been in the veterinary space where her true passion lies. Lisa brings her knowledge of sales training, management, and mentorship to Blue Heron Consulting from her previous positions while at Abbott Laboratories, Novo Nordisk, Virbac Animal Health, and Nutramax Laboratories. She craves developing others and watching them succeed and grow into amazing sales professionals fulfilling their Why.

Lisa has been an animal lover since she was a young child, having been brought up with dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and anything small enough you can put in a cage; but Lisa’s love truly began for the industry when one of her own animals needed intensive care after being diagnosed with a foreign body and needing surgery. The doctors, surgeons, and specialists were wonderful in the care of her kitten, Todd, and he recovered seamlessly. The compassion and professional care these health care providers gave is what ultimately drew her to the profession, and she knew she wanted to partner with clinicians like them moving forward in her career.

In her free time, you can find Lisa outside enjoying some level of “any” extreme sport. In the summer, it’s climbing a “14er”, cycling the Colorado Rocky Mountains with her daughter, and skiing glaciers (yes, that’s a summer activity in her eyes). In the winter, it’s alpine and back country skiing, snowmobiling, and mountaineering. Lisa also has an affinity for travel as well – especially in the company of her daughter, Ashley. The mom and daughter duo have traveled to many countries and the desire never ends. Lisa does have quiet side as well, and when she turns off her activity button you can find her reading or watching movies while nestling with her two feline fur babies, Maizey and Todd.

Jamie’s passion for animals started as a child and she spent many years in 4H showing dogs, horses, and rabbits. Realizing animals were a way of life for her, she pursued her veterinary technician degree at Macomb Community College and went into emergency medicine. As a licensed technician, she enjoyed how her skills could improve the life of pets and their human families. During her tenure as an ER tech, Jamie completed a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at Oakland University.

After spending 10 years in the clinical setting, Jamie moved to sales with a Veterinary Distributor, helping clinics improve inventory management and sharing techniques across clinics. Her career continued to follow the sales path until she found herself back on the operations side, most recently working as a Regional Manager for a group of veterinary clinics where she truly enjoyed developing the business and her staff. Jamie has a true passion for the veterinary industry and she loves being able to support and educate those around her.

Jamie lives in North Carolina with her partner, James, their three dogs (Ara, Walter and Sadie) and 3 cats (Opal, Spice and Pinguino). She is a foster for the Cavalier Rescue Trust and spent many years showing Irish Setters. In her free time, she loves to explore the mountains of North Carolina either in her sports car or hiking the trails. Jamie a self-proclaimed foodie, amateur wine connoisseur, and enjoys travel and knitting.

A lifelong Tennessee native, Dr. Kelley Lay grew up on a family farm tucked into the hills of a small town just down the road from the one and only Jack Daniel’s Distillery. There she was surrounded by an array of beef cattle, chickens, an ever-evolving population of stray cats and dogs, the occasional lost baby animal, and some of the smoothest, gaited trail-riding horses one could ride. Taking care of those animals and growing up amidst nature instilled in her a love for the natural world, but surprisingly, veterinary medicine was not her first calling. She spent over a decade of her school years, and a couple in college, surrounded by teammates on the basketball court. Many people grow up focused on sports, but what Kelley loved more than the game, was a constant theme of camaraderie, teamwork, perseverance for a cause, and selfless leadership. Because of the fulfillment and passion for those things, she first sought a degree in Physical Therapy. However, while finishing her Bachelor’s in Biology, fate and a couple of influential people, would change her course to pursue medicine for other species. She graduated with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Tennessee four years later. During her time at UT, she realized there was a general deficit of business knowledge and leadership skills in the curriculum, so she served in a lead capacity of several student organizations such as President of the Veterinary Business Management Association, Student Leader of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and Director of Professional Development on the AAHA Student North American Business Association’s National Leadership Team.

After graduation, Dr. Lay moved to Nashville and now calls Music City home. She has worked in numerous small animal and emergency settings, often mixing it up with relief work and finding ways to help teams all over Nashville. This has opened her eyes to different environments, enabled a vision for what works and what doesn’t, as well as solidified a belief that the culture of a practice is its greatest asset and that without the framework of a great team around us, we are all less successful than we could be. She also never lost sight of her passion to guide and encourage others. While still practicing, she joined the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association’s Power of Ten Leadership Program and Blue Heron Consulting’s team of coaching experts. Kelley is not only one of Blue Heron Consulting’s Operational Coaches but is also our Director of Student and Early Career Programs. In this role, she lectures to students and young veterinarians at schools and conferences across the U.S. Thanks to her own personal experiences, she believes passionately that the next generation should be empowered to control their destiny, navigate their career through early challenges and unknowns, find well-being and fulfillment, and pursue dreams of practice ownership. She is helping to develop more business leaders, regardless of their background or the evolution of the profession, and by doing so, believes we can form a profession of people who take care of each other even better than we take care of our clients and patients.

She and her husband, Nathaniel, recently welcomed their first child and share their home with their sweet pit bull mix, Cade, and a sassy tabby named Allie. From her background, it will come as no surprise that she loves fitness and nutrition, outdoor recreation, and attending an array of sporting events and concerts in her free time.

Dr. Abigail Farrow joins the Blue Heron Consulting team as a Social Media Strategist for the Ascend Student Program. Dr. Farrow grew up in Alabama and later earned a Bachelors of Science in Biology at Florida Southern College. Her journey toward veterinary medicine led her to Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. During veterinary school, Dr. Farrow also began investing in her other interests, leading her to earn a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Minnesota.

Throughout her education, Dr. Farrow has worked to engage in many different areas of study, such as business, marketing, event planning, and programing. This includes a position on the National Board of the Veterinary Business Management Association, an internship in Convention and Meeting Planning at the AVMA, and a role as a Student Ambassador for Royal Canin. All of these experiences have helped strengthen her ability to think creatively, communicate effectively, and fulfill her passion of connecting with other people in business and life to help enrich the experiences of others.

Dr. Farrow resides and practices in Tampa, FL with her Italian Greyhound, Figment, and her cat, Luxo. In her free time, you can find Dr. Farrow out for a run. Fun fact: She is pursuing the ’50 before 50’ challenge, where she will be running a marathon in all 50 states before turning 50. She is currently at twelve!

Tiffany Galen grew up in China before moving to Seattle, Washington at 11 years old. Watching pets treated as family members in America strengthened Tiffany’s motivation to become a veterinarian and improve companion animal welfare across the world.

Tiffany earned a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Washington before transitioning to Colorado State University’s veterinary prep program, where she earned an MS in Toxicology. Tiffany is currently a rising second-year veterinary student at Colorado State University. Her interests include business ownership, small animal general practice, and emergency care.

Aside from a strong interest in companion animal emergency medicine, Tiffany is incredibly passionate about business and technology. She hopes to channel her passions into owning a successful veterinary practice in the future, using her story and experience to give back to the field of veterinary medicine.

When not in school, Tiffany loves to travel the world with her pup, Cinnamon, and eat great food.

Becca Keiser has over a decade of experience in organizational development, people management, and recruitment strategy and has worked with corporations and non-profits including Audi AG, the Centre for Organizational Reform, My Veterinary Career, The College of Wooster, and American University. She holds a Master of Science in Intercultural Communication from the University of Warwick in England and a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Denison University. Becca’s professional mission is to improve employees’ lives through establishing and promoting healthy workplace cultures. With a focus on people, communication, and efficiency, Becca enjoys assisting Blue Heron Consulting and their clients with organizational effectiveness, recruitment and retention strategies, and team productivity. Becca established Blue Heron Consulting’s organizational development program and the Hiring Services cylinder.

In an effort to achieve Blue Heron Consulting’s mission of improving lives of veterinary professionals, Becca currently focuses her time on leading the Hiring Services cylinder and managing our company’s hiring process. Formerly, the Director of Organizational Development, Becca currently serves as the Director of Hiring Services and Director of Hiring.

Becca lives with her husband and son in Northern Virginia. In her free time, she loves traveling, afternoon tea parties, and hiking.

Neda joins the Blue Heron Consulting team with over a decade of experience improving the lives of animals. She holds a Bachelor of Science in management from the University of Phoenix and an MBA from Fitchburg State University, in addition to an AAS in Veterinary Technologies. Neda put her education into practice with a career as an LVT in Virginia for over ten years in addition to owning a veterinary practice with a business partner. She also married a veterinarian and practice owner, and since then, dinner discussions always seem to revolve around some aspect of the profession.

After working in various aspects of the veterinary industry including customer service and technical support, she is getting back to her passion: improving patient lives. She says she has gone from helping one patient at a time, to one product at a time, to one practice at a time! Neda is looking forward her journey with Blue Heron Consulting and helping veterinary professionals achieve their vision.

Neda grew up in Hampton Roads, VA and now lives in South Carolina with her husband, two cats (Ringo and Tucker), and flock of chickens. In her free time, Neda likes to garden and do yoga.

Carissa Welsh joins the Blue Heron Consulting team as a Communication Specialist for the Hiring Services department. Carissa is originally from Las Vegas, NV and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Utah State University. She brings over 8 years of administrative experience in both veterinary and human medicine to our team.

Carissa loves creating connections with others to ensure that clients feel heard and cared for throughout the hiring process. She enjoys the challenge of thinking strategically to help clients achieve their goals for their practice while building meaningful relationships. Her husband is a veterinarian and together they have enjoyed sharing a passion and love for animals and the care that they receive.

Carissa and her husband, Peter, welcomed their first baby boy, Revan, this past year and love doing anything that involves getting outdoors as a family. You can find them mountain biking, trail running, or cross-country skiing during the year and they look forward to having Revan join in on these adventures soon. In her free time, Carissa also teaches indoor spin group fitness classes as a fun hobby in the early mornings.

Bobbie Stout joins the Hiring Services department of Blue Heron Consulting with over a decade of veterinary experience.

Bobbie’s passion for veterinary medicine started as a kid when she would beg her mom to go along to the family dog’s veterinary appointments. She started her first job in the veterinary industry over 15 years ago as a kennel attendant by driving around to every clinic in town and offering to do any job available. Eventually, she moved on to other clinic roles and most recently was the practice manager of a privately owned clinic in Washington.

After 8 years in that role, she is excited to bring her love of veterinary medicine and her hiring skills to BHC. Bobbie loves the challenge of finding the right candidate for each role and is looking forward to helping hospitals add the perfect new member to their teams. Her main goal is to help clinics as much as possible so that they can focus on providing the best care to their patients.

Bobbie lives in Southern California with her black lab (June) and her ginger cat (Pickle). When not working, she spends time volunteering for the local animal shelter. She also enjoys going camping and exploring with June (June’s favorite would be the Huntington dog beach!).

Mayra Adamov joins the Blue Heron Consulting team as a creative administrator for the Hiring Services department. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mayra has always had a deep passion for the natural world. From a young age, she was fascinated by plants and animals, spending hours exploring the parks and gardens around her hometown. As she grew older, her interest in biology only intensified, leading her to pursue a degree in the subject at a local university.

Alongside her studies, Mayra developed a love for art and drawing. She found that sketching the plants and animals she encountered on her hikes helped her to better understand their form and function, while also allowing her to express her creativity in new and exciting ways.