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Meet the fantastic members of the
Chimacum Valley Vet
& Pet Townsend team!
Client
Service Representatives (CSRs)
Michelle
Michelle’s
life experiences have taken her from homes in Carbondale, Illinois, Bainbridge
Island, Toronto, and now the Olympic Peninsula—where she came for a change of
scenery (beautiful mountains and water!). She took classes Southern Illinois University for two years, with an
emphasis in Zoology.
Michelle
began working as a CSR at Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital in 2009, and she
now holds the position as our Lead CSR. Michelle’s favorite part of her job is working with clients and sharing
in their joys and life experiences.
Prior to her
work in the veterinary profession, Michelle has held positions in a variety of
fields, including those working in daycare, catering, retail, as a pastry chef,
and she has enjoyed teaching horse-riding lessons over the past 24 years as
well. Outside of work, Michelle
most enjoys gardening, hiking, running and riding horses. She is passionate about personal
evolution, and seeking out a happy way of life! Michelle also volunteers on the Board of Directors of the
Jefferson Equestrian Association.
Michelle
shares her home with a 14-year-old tabby cat named Rosie (who may bite if you
touch her hind end or her belly), an 8-year-old tabby cat named Buster (who
loves playing with his shaky mouse toy) and her husband Dave. Michelle also has a beautiful daughter
named Lauren, who lives in Toronto.
Janice (in progress – stay tuned)
Juliana (in progress – stay tuned)
Connie
Connie
joined our team as a Veterinary Assistant in 2011, but since that time she has
worked her smiling face up to the front desk where she often assists our
clients as a CSR. Connie was born
in the North Seattle area, but later moved to Poulsbo. After high school, she received
training through the Medical Assistant Program at Olympic College. Professionally, Connie has worn a
variety of hats – she spent five years working at the North Kitsap Medical
Center, and after moving to Chimacum she worked for the Jefferson County Public
Works department. She’s also worked
as an electrical apprentice, a substitute teacher, in retail, and as a mom to
her three kids (Jackie, Hannah and Emma).
Connie’s
favorite part of her job is both interacting with clients and helping to for
our animal patients. She loves
being able to help make a difference in the lives of animals, and she says that
sharing in camaraderie with clients and her team members is what makes her day.
Connie’s
hobbies include caring for and riding horses, hiking, biking, gardening and
camping. She is passionate about
learning to ride dressage, and she enjoys trail riding with family and
friends. Connie also volunteers
her time and energy serving as as the District Commissioner for the Equitese
Pony Club, the Treasurer of the Equimasters Pony Club, and the Vice President
of the Jefferson Equestrian Association.
At home,
Connie’s family includes her kids and husband Bill, but also includes 4 dogs
(two Pugs [Suki & Bella], a Blue Heeler named Riley & a Pointer named
Nicki), Rosie the cat, 2 hamsters, 2 rabbits, and four horses (a Luistano
gelding, a Paint gelding, a Thoroughbred gelding, and a Hanovarian/Welsh mare)
and a full fish tank too! They
also raise chickens for eggs – currently there are 11 hens and 1 rooster.
Veterinary Nursing Staff
Tiela
Tiela is a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT). She got her start at Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital in July of 2001, working as an assistant alongside Dr. Tony Rogstad. She was inspired to pursue a career of her own in veterinary medicine, so she attended Yakima Valley Community College's Veterinary Technician program for her formal training. After graduation and passing her board examinations, she returned to CVVH to continue her experience working as a Veterinary Technician.
Tiela has a knack for accomplishing whatever she sets her mind to, and she has a broad skill-set in veterinary medicine. She has a passion for phlebotomy, as well as learning about new procedures and treatments. She especially loves bunnies.
When she is not at work, Tiela is passionate about studying dance, especially ballet. Her home is shared with a senior dog named Baxter, her step-daughter Alanna and husband Ramon.
Maria
Maria joined
our team as a full-time veterinary nurse in 2010. She is originally from Oregon, where
she graduated from Portland State with a degree in Biology. She loved being in the Port Townsend
area, and ultimately moved here to raise her daughter.
Maria found
out that she wanted to work with animals around the age of 14 – when she
started volunteering at the Columbus Zoo, alongside Jack Hannah. Since that time, she has filled various
roles of kennel assistant, groomer, receptionist and veterinary assistant at various
animal hospitals, zoos and shelters – including a job working out of the back
of a semi-truck, helping to provide neuters and spays to feral cats!
It is safe
to say that Maria enjoys any good challenge at work! Not only does she work alongside the veterinarian in surgery
and dentistry (performing ultrasonic scaling and dental x-rays), Maria excels
in the areas of triage and critical care. It is never a good thing when one of our animal friends is having an
emergency, but Maria is always able to jump right in to help stabilize the patient. Making a difference in the comfort of
our patients is what Maria likes most about her job. She also likes working with cats – “even the sassy ones”,
she says!
Outside of
work, Maria most enjoys riding her horse, kayaking, watching movies, and hanging
out with her friends at fine local establishments. She volunteers on the Disaster Animal Welfare Team for
Jefferson County, and she is the Treasurer of the local Pony Club.
Maria has
always had a lot of animals in her life. She currently shares her home with a Border Collie named Emma-Jo, a
“Chi-Weenie” named Ely (aka Little Man, aka Chicken Mix), two cats, an Arab mare named Clarity, and a 3-year old beta fish. Maria is also exceedingly proud of her
daughter, who is currently attending college in California.
Kirsten
Kirsten is
one of our full-time Veterinary Technicians, and she joined our practice in
2010. She is a true local girl,
having grown up and lived in the Port Hadlock area her whole life. After graduating from high school,
Kirsten obtained her formal training at the Pima Medical Institute, where she
received her Associate of Applied Science degree in the Veterinary Technician
program.
It is safe
to say that Kirsten’s favorite species to see in the hospital are guinea
pigs! However, she finds her
greatest great fulfillment in getting to know animals from when they are young,
so that she can watch them grow and help them as they age through the years. She also has a remarkably gentle and
caring nature when working with geriatric patients who come in for their
acupuncture treatments. Another
fun fact about Kirsten is that she really gets a kick of finding rare or
“unusual” things under the microscope when running diagnostic tests through our
in-house laboratory!
The main animals in Kirsten’s home life include a Boxer-Shepherd mix named Chevy, a white Boxer puppy named Woodrow and three guinea pigs (Bella, Charlotte and Moe). Kirsten enjoys spending her time hanging out with her grandma, doing puzzles, cooking, shopping and tickling her guinea pigs.
Angela (in progress – stay tuned)
Sara
Sara has
over 15 years in the veterinary field. She currently works as a part-time veterinary nurse at Chimacum
Valley Veterinary Hospital, where she has worked since 2001. Prior to that, she spent several years
working at other veterinary hospitals in the area, and she has also
worked as a tattoo artist!
Although she
grew up in the Kirkland area, Sara originally came to the Olympic Peninsula to
get away from the suburbs and to open a tattoo parlor. She enjoys living by the water and the
mountains.
Sara’s
favorite aspects of her job include assisting with surgery and dental
procedures, and she also enjoys emergency medicine. She loves working with all types of animals, but she has
special interests in exotics and wildlife.
When she is
not working at the hospital, Sara keeps herself busy as the director of Center
Valley Animal Rescue (CVAR), a nonprofit organization serving Jefferson
County. With the assistance of Dr.
Jeff Highbarger and the entire Chimacum Valley Vet team, this is where Sara is
truly able to utilize her amazing skills in both domestic and exotic animal
rehabilitation.
Along with
all of the critters at CVAR, she also shares her home with 6 cats, 2 rabbits, 3
parrots, 3 horses, a goat, an emu, 2 chickens, numerous fish, her canine daughter (named Lili), and her human counterpart,
Robert. In her “down time”, Sara enjoys riding her Harley and her ’67 Triumph
Chopper.
Nicole (in progress – stay tuned)
Technician Assistants
Moe (in progress – stay tuned)
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