Rob Armstrong, DVM, DVSc
Dr. Rob Armstrong is originally from Canada and earned his DVM degree in 1982 and DVSc in pathology 1989. He has experience in private practice and as a Global Marketing Director for Merck Animal Health in the USA. He is Professional Services Veterinarian for companion animal ectoparasite products for Merck Animal Health based in the Pacific Northwest. Dr Armstrong is author and co-author of peer reviewed publications on animal health topics and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Merck Animal Health is pleased that Dr. Armstrong can provide audiences with insightful presentations on issues in companion animals based on his wide experience and background in many aspects of animal health and disease management.
Gabrielle Asay, DVM
Brian S. Beale, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Brian Beale received his DVM from the University of Florida in 1985. He completed an internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., and a surgical residency at the University of Florida. He became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1991.
Dr. Beale was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine prior to joining Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in 1992. In 2018, Dr. Beale was named a Founding Fellow in Minimally Invasive Surgery – Small Animal Orthopedics (arthroscopy and fracture repair) by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. In 2020, Dr. Beale founded Beale’s Best and Bark City Veterinary Specialists.
Melanie Benz, DVM, MS, DACVIM (O)
Holly Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Dr. Holly Brown received her veterinary degree from the University of Georgia and worked in private practice in Colorado and North Carolina before returning to UGA for a residency and PhD in clinical pathology. Dr. Brown remained as a faculty member at UGA where she served as a diagnostic clinical pathologist, instructor, and collaborative researcher. Dr. Brown then joined VCA Metzger Animal Hospital’s general, referral, and emergency practice in State College, PA as an on-staff clinical pathologist. There she sees a wide variety of diagnostic submissions and enjoys playing an important role at the interface of diagnostic testing and patient care. Dr. Brown has always been passionate about and actively involved in delivery continuing education around maximizing laboratory testing, and she recently transitioned into her new role as Chief Veterinary Educator for Antech Diagnostics.
Jacob Brown, VMD, CCRP, cVMA
Dr. Jake Brown earned his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the College of William and Mary and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he pursued further training by completing an intensive internship at the large specialty/emergency hospital in North Carolina. Upon finishing, he stayed on as an emergency clinician for an additional year. Seeking a change in pace, Dr. Brown and his wife moved to Maui in 2014. He initially worked relief emergency shifts at Veterinary Emergency+Referral Center of Hawaii (VERC) before eventually transitioning to general practice at a progressive small animal hospital on Maui. During his varied experiences, Dr. Brown developed a strong interest in the field of veterinary pain management and canine physical therapy. To further these interests, he subsequently obtained his certification in Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians (cVMA) and Canine Rehabilitation (CCRP) through the University of Tennessee. He is currently seeking certification from the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management to become a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner. He owned and operated a pain management and rehabilitation clinic on Maui for six years before returning to VERC to begin a rehabilitation department.
Melanie Church, BS, DVM, DACVO
Dr. Melanie Church graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BS in Biology in 2003 and received her DVM from North Carolina State University in 2008. She did a rotating small animal internship in Atlanta, Georgia and completed her residency in Comparative Veterinary Ophthalmology in Phoenix, Arizona in 2012. Dr. Church became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 2013. She has worked in numerous private practice ophthalmology clinics in Arizona, Rhode Island, Florida and currently works in Virginia Beach. Dr. Church is honored to have the opportunity to be the ophthalmology speaker at the 70th annual HVMA conference.
Lindsay Elam, DVM, MPH, DACVSMR
Dr. Lindsay Elam concurrently obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees at University of Florida. She completed her post-graduate specialty training (specialty internship in integrative medicine and a residency in canine sports medicine and rehabilitation) at University of Florida, where she additionally then served as faculty from 2016 until 2020. In 2020, she joined the Orthopedic Medicine and Mobility service at Colorado State University as an Assistant Professor. Her clinical and research interests include medical management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions and physical rehabilitation techniques. She additionally is a veterinary consultant for ElleVet Sciences.
Don A. Hulse, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Hulse graduated from Texas A&M in 1970 and completed his surgical training at Kansas State University in 1973. Commencing in1970 and continuing until his appointment as a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Texas A&M University in 1984, Dr. Hulse served as a clinician in general practice and as a Staff Surgeon at Louisiana State University and Oklahoma State University. He successfully fulfilled the requirements for admission into the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1977. He is a recognized leader in veterinary orthopedics and is frequently an invited speaker at National and International Veterinary conferences. He has developed techniques commonly used for treatment of bone and joint disorders in dogs and is a co-author of Small Animal Arthroscopy. His clinical research interests focus on minimally invasive surgery for joint disorders and for fracture treatment.
Michael Karle, DVM
Dr. Karle graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999, practiced in Tulare for two years, then settled in Orland, California. He owns a six-doctor mixed-animal practice and enjoys working on food animals and fostering a great work environment for his team. Dr. Karle is currently the President of the California Veterinary Medical Association and has served as their Agriculture Committee Chair since 2005. He is on the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Admissions Committee and represents the American Association of Bovine Practitioners on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Legislative Advisory Committee. Outside of work, he is a volunteer leader in the county 4-H program and President of the local school board. He enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, especially doing outdoor activities and improving their property.
Julie Kluxdal, DVM
Dr. Julie Kluxdal is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She spent eight years in clinical practice. Her practice experience includes canine, feline, emergency, exotic pet and wildlife medicine. Her career transitioned to the animal health industry when she accepted a position as a Field Technical Services Veterinarian in 2006 and most recently joined Dechra Veterinary Products as a Professional Services Veterinarian in November 2019. In addition to her work within veterinary medicine, Julie’s interest in personal wellbeing has led her to gain certifications in Compassion Fatigue, Yoga, Meditation, and as a Breath Coach. Outside of work Julie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family hiking and biking at home in California. When they can, they enjoy visiting other parts of the United States and the world. Her family includes her husband, son, a house full of cats and one snake.
Victoria Riggs, DVM
Dr. Victoria Riggs graduated in 2013 from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Genetics. She continued her studies at North Carolina State University, and in 2020 received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She then relocated to University of Florida in 2020 for a small animal rotating internship, and in 2021 was chosen to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she is currently completing her final year of residency in Radiology. Within the realm of imaging, she has specific interests in exotics, interventional radiology, MRI, and abdominal and musculoskeletal ultrasound. Dr. Riggs has a passion for collaborative progressive medicine, building a positive veterinary community and
embracing any opportunity to provide engaging continuing education.
Heather Ann Scott RVT, LVT, VTS-ECC
Heather, a San Clemente-born California native, began her career in veterinary medicine as an assistant in general practice in 1996. She branched out into her first referral hospital after a year and a half and spent 3 years training and learning the ways of referral practice medicine ranging from ICU, CCU, Oncology, and MRI. Heather quickly fell in love with emergency and critical care and continued her career path by working in both general practice and referral hospitals eventually obtaining her RVT in California. She ultimately chose to return to specialty medicine full-time and decided to specialize in emergency and critical care. Heather also worked in the state of Nevada obtaining her LVT and then passing her VTSECC exam in 2018. Heather has written articles for two nationally published technician journals and has been an active member of the AVECCTN credentials committee for the last 3 years. Heather is a certified BLS/ALS RECOVER CPR instructor and currently holds the position of technician learning and development specialist at Ethos Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center of Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Her hobbies include snuggling with her kitten Ollie, professional photography, martial arts, snowboarding, free diving, hiking, archery, surfing, and enjoying the beautiful state of Hawaii with her husband Josh any time she gets a chance.
Kevin Stepaniuk, DVM
Kevin S. Stepaniuk is a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and is Co-owner of Pet Dental Specialists. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Calgary, DVM degree from Oklahoma State University and completed a small animal internship at Washington State University. His specialty training was in private practice. He is a previous faculty member and section chief of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of Minnesota. He is an invited international and national renowned lecturer and instructor. Dr. Stepaniuk is a journal and textbook author as well as a reviewer for various dentistry and oral surgery publications. He is past-Executive Board member of the AVDC, and past-president of the AVDS. Dr. Stepaniuk works clinically full-time and provides continuing education to veterinarians, veterinary students, and technicians.
Joseph Taboada, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM
Dr. Taboada is a Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine where he has served as Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs and as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Accreditation since 1999. He is a graduate of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and pursued specialty training in internal medicine by first completing an internship at The Animal Medical Center in New York City and then a small animal internal medicine residency at the University of Florida. Dr. Taboada is a diplomate of the ACVIM; is a past President and Chair of the Board of ACVIM, of the Specialty of Internal Medicine, and of the ACVIM Foundation. He was a member of the Board of Regents of ACVIM from 1996-2009 and a member of the board of the ACVIM Foundation from 2004-2011. He presently serves on the Board of the International Council of Veterinary Assessment (ICVA). He has won 32 national and SVM teaching and service awards. He has spoken at over 150 international, national, regional, and local meetings. Dr. Taboada’s special interests are feline medicine, hepatology, fungal and other miscellaneous infectious diseases, and veterinary education.
Ashton Thompson, DVM, CCRP, cVMA
Dr. Ashton Thompson is the Professional Services Veterinarian for Companion Animal Health. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Animal Science and Technology and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University in 2013. While in veterinary school, Dr. Thompson was exposed to the world of canine rehabilitation and immediately knew that she wanted to pursue this field. After graduation, she began general practice in Nashville, TN and became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner through the University of Tennessee. Wanting to exclusively focus on the field, Dr. Thompson became the head of a rehabilitation department at a referral hospital in Indianapolis where she grew the program by providing continuing education to local clinics and becoming a Certified Medical Acupuncturist through CuraCore. She then relocated back to Nashville to continue to practice rehabilitation and sports medicine and eventually decided to combine her love of the field and business development by joining the Companion Animal Health team.
Yu Ueda, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVECC
Dr. Ueda received his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and a veterinary degree from Washington State University. Following graduation, he completed a one-year small animal rotating internship at Auburn University, followed by a small animal emergency and critical care residency at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Ueda achieved board certification in small animal emergency and critical care in 2015. In 2020, he completed his PhD program at the University of California-Davis and joined the small animal emergency and critical care team as an assistant professor at North Carolina State University. He also serves as an associate director of the extracorporeal therapy service at NCSU.
Josh Vaisman, MAPPCP (PgD), CCFP
Josh believes all veterinary professionals deserve to feel fulfilled and energized in their work, each and every day. Through his company, Flourish Veterinary Consulting, he combines more than 25 years of veterinary experience, a master’s in applied positive psychology and coaching psychology, education in positive leadership and positive organizational scholarship, and a passion for guiding leaders to cultivate workplaces in which people thrive. He’s also the author of the American Animal Hospital Association book, “Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting a Positive Veterinary Culture. When he’s not cultivating ways to elevate the veterinary community, Mr. Vaisman spends his time with his wife, Greta, and their many creatures in Firestone, Colorado. To fill his bucket, he’s a soccer-playing, reef-keeping, cookie-eating, beekeeper.
Katherine Weber, DVM, MOS
Dr. Weber is completing her final year of a Diagnostic Imaging Residency at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is originally from Ohio and completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University in 2014. She also received a Masters in Operational Studies at the Command and General Staff College in 2021. Despite her educational time being limited to the Midwest, she has spent the intervening years serving around the world in the United States Army Veterinary Corps and currently holds the rank of Major.
Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA
Dr. Peter Weinstein is a husband, father, pet parent, veterinarian and leader.
He has been involved with virtually all aspects of veterinary practice from a 15-year-old kennel kid to a hospital owner. Organized veterinary medicine has been a passion as well with various roles and leadership and presidencies of Southern California VMA, California VMA, and Vet Partners. He is a published author, most notably of the E-Myth Veterinarian-Why Most Veterinary Practices Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Currently, he is teaching business and finance at the Veterinary College of Western University of Health Sciences. He likes to think of himself as a free-thinking change agent and disruptor who, because he has a daughter who just graduated from veterinary school, is working for an even better veterinary profession in the future.
Baye Williamson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)
Dr. Williamson attended Converse College in Spartanburg, SC where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Following her undergraduate studies, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Tennessee in 2012. Dr. Williamson then completed a small animal rotating internship at University of Missouri in Columbia, MO and a neurology internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, NY. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri prior to entering into her neurology and neurosurgery residency program at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Dr. Williamson has contributed to and authored multiple publications involving degenerative myelopathy and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis but is most proud of study describing the clinical signs of syringobulbia in dogs. She maintains a special interest in neurodegenerative conditions as well as feline neurology, neurosurgery, and anything involving dachshunds. Her favorite part of practicing veterinary medicine is being able to see her patients improve and return back to a full life with their families. She also enjoys collaborating with and educating her colleagues on different treatments for neurologic diseases.
Kenichiro Yagi, Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer (CVNO)
Ken has dedicated his career to reimagining veterinary nursing for over 20 years. He obtained his VTS certification in emergency and critical care as well as small animal internal medicine and achieved his master’s degree in Veterinary Science. He is currently the Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer for Veterinary Emergency Group, and the Program Director for the RECOVER Initiative. Over the years, Ken has received many accolades, including the Veterinary Technician of the Year award by NAVTA and the AVECCTN Specialty Technician of the Year award. Ken co-edited the Veterinary Technician and Nurse’s Daily Reference Guide for Canine and Feline, and the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking, and publishes articles and presents internationally on topics in ECC, transfusion medicine, and the veterinary nursing profession. Ken passionately works to bring further recognition of the vital role of the veterinary technicians and nurses through work with industry leading organizations.
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