We’re led by a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who are committed to the NAVC mission.

Dr. Karen Kline joined the team at VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists in October of 2019 and prior to this worked at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle from August of 2008 through September of 2019. She received her DVM degree from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1989 and completed a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in 1990. She stayed at AMC and completed her neurology residency in 1993 and stayed on a year as staff neurologist until 1994. In 1994 she became board certified in veterinary neurology through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine that same year. She completed a clinical instructorship at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.
From 1995 through 2008, Dr. Kline was an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. While there, she obtained her Master of Science degree in veterinary pathology and completed her thesis on Immunohistochemical Differentiation of Canine Inflammatory and
 Infectious diseases. She has published multiple journal articles, has been an author in several veterinary textbooks and has spoken at both local, national and international meetings. She obtained her certification in veterinary acupuncture in 2000.
She is currently Medical Director and staff Neurologist at VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists. Her special interests are neurorehabilitation, inflammatory and infectious central nervous system diseases and spinal cord injury and therapeutics.
Dr. Kline has always enjoyed the Pacific Northwest and enjoys spending her free time with her husband Karl and lovely dog Voodie.

Bob is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer for WellHaven Pet Health, a family of companion animal general practices that believe in caring for caregivers so that they can care for others. WellHaven Pet Hospitals are both new build full-service AAHA hospitals, acquired, and joint venture affiliate practices.
Before WellHaven Bob was on the founding leadership teams at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine and Banfield Pet Hospitals. His early career was spent as a small-town mixed animal practice owner.
He serves on several boards including as President of NAVC, Treasurer of Pet Peace of Mind, the Veterinary Innovation Council, and the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Lester’s interests include all things veterinary, writing, start-ups, speaking, investing, business and leadership development, the human-animal bond, and giving back to the profession that has done so much for him and others.
His family includes his wife Crystal, two amazing daughters McKenzie and Paige, and two rescue Yorkie’s Jessie and Woody.

Dr. Sally Haddock is the owner/founder of St. Marks Veterinary Hospital located in the vibrant East Village of NYC, where she and her committed staff have been providing high quality and compassionate care to NYC pets since 1986. She has a special interest in avian and exotic pets as well as dogs and cats.
An Ohio native, Dr. Haddock received her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Miami University (Ohio) and in 1980, her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University.
She began her career in a private practice in Pittsburgh, followed by an internship and then a medical residency at the prestigious Animal Medical Center of New York City. There she honed her veterinary skills which contribute to the well-rounded vet she is today. It was during this time that Dr. Haddock’s book, “Making of a Woman Vet” was published. The book describes the rigors of veterinary college and the trials and triumphs of veterinary practice.
While raising a family and managing a thriving, 5 vet practice, Dr. Haddock has never wavered in her commitment to service in veterinary medicine. She chaired the Annual Awards Banquet of the VMANYC for over 15 years and served several years as Program Chair for the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference. She is equally active in her local community, where her practice works with NY SAVE, providing emergency care to pet owners with financial need, and Paws NY, helping to provide veterinary services to people who are housebound and need help caring for their pet. Dr. Haddock is one of a few select veterinarians who have received the Merit Award and the Outstanding Service Award from the Veterinary Medical Association of New York City.
As St Marks Vet has grown, allowing Dr. Haddock to work a less rigorous schedule, she again wanted to give back to the veterinary community which has served her so well. Being elected to the Board of Directors of the NAVC was the perfect way to do so. Dr. Haddock says, “I am so blessed and honored to be working with the highly qualified group of individuals associated with the NAVC. It’s an exciting time to be working with the NAVC with the new upcoming change of location to the Orange County Convention Center. I look forward to my time on the Board and am excited about the future of the NAVC.”
When not working at St. Marks Vet or serving on the Board of NAVC, Dr. Haddock loves spending time with her family, including husband Tom and children Kristen, Todd and Sara, step-sons Jason and Tommy, three grandchildren, Tyler, Serena and Sofia, and two fuzzy four-legged creatures: a Bernese Mountain Dog named Fonzi and a playful Yellow Lab named Barley, who was rejected from Guiding Eyes for the Blind. One of her favorite activities is dining at her husband’s restaurant, Veselka, which is conveniently located on the same block as St Marks Vet. An outdoor enthusiast, her interests include cycling, fitness classes, photography, gardening and just laughing with good friends!
When did Sally first know she wanted to be in veterinary medicine?
Although I was fascinated with animals from an early age, it was almost unheard of back in the 1970‘s for a woman to become a veterinarian. Needless to say, my parents discouraged me from applying to vet school. Despite that, as a freshman Zoology major I volunteered for a local vet while attending college. I saw first-hand how much I loved helping animals and was determined to fight the odds and apply to veterinary school. Fortunately I was blessed to be accepted and my life just fell into place after that. I believe I was truly meant to become a veterinarian!

Dr. Jonathan Townsend is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He grew up on a small Jersey dairy farm in Maine and after receiving his B.S. from the University of Maine, he attended the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University, graduating in 1995. Following graduation he worked as a private practice veterinarian in New York doing primarily dairy medicine and surgery. In 1998 he began a Dairy Production Medicine residency at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University. After completing the residency in 2000, he began graduate work in the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue examining liver function in transition dairy cows which resulted in a PhD in 2007. From 2004 to 2010 he worked as technical services dairy nutritionist in Michigan. In his current role he is actively involved in teaching, clinical service and Extension throughout the state of Indiana. Dr. Townsend lives on a small farm in Lafayette, Indiana with his wife, Wendy (who is also a veterinarian at Purdue) and their two daughters, Emma and Rachel. His hobbies include being a taxi driver for his daughters, New England sports teams, and attempting to develop a herd of Jersey show cows.

Dr. Navarre received her DVM from Louisiana State University in 1990. Following graduation, she worked in a private mixed animal practice in Sulphur Springs, TX before going to Texas A & M for a large animal internal medicine residency and master’s degree. Dr. Navarre joined the Food Animal Section at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital where she spent 11 years providing clinical service and teaching of food animal medicine and surgery. Dr. Navarre is currently Extension Veterinarian with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator.
In 2023, the NAVC was thrilled to recognize and celebrate Christine Navarre, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM-LA, as Louisiana’s 2023 Veterinarian of the Year. Dr. Navarre was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association at its annual meeting mid-February 2023.
Dr. Navarre is Past President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and a Past President and current Treasurer of the North American Veterinary Community. She and her family raise SimAngus cattle and her extended family is involved with the beef and farming industries.

Crystal Chrisler is an Area Business Manager with Zoetis, where she leads a sales team to partner with veterinary professionals to advance care of pets by embracing and leveraging best-in-class medicine and innovation in their practices. She has a special interest in professional development, human and animal behavior.
Crystal grew up in a small northeastern Wisconsin town where she developed a love for cats, dogs and other small animals. She received her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology from Edgewood College in Madison, WI and began her career in pharmaceutical sales with Merck & Co following graduation. Over the past several years, Crystal has served in many leadership roles including Vetsource, Royal Canin (Mars Pet Care), Mixed Animal Veterinary Associates North America, and Badger Veterinary Hospital. Her career passion is empowering veterinary professionals to identify and achieve their goals through the development of soft skills and business acumen.
Crystal currently resides in Madison, WI with her husband Kurt. They have 2 children: Maddi and Emmi and several pets including 3 dogs: Honey (Shar Pei mix), Arlo and Dash (both Cavalier King Charles Spaniels) and two cats: Max (orange tabby) and Mia (grey tabby). Her interests include reading, acrylic painting and cooking. On the weekends, you can find her gathering fresh market items for a cookout with neighbors or coaching her girls’ volleyball teams. She enjoys traveling, especially when there is an opportunity to work alongside local volunteers for the benefit of education or animal welfare. It was during a volunteer trip to Thailand that she realized the depth of her passion for working with people who love animals as much as she does.

Owner, Marathon Veterinary Hospital in the Florida Keys
Dr. Diethelm-Mader grew up in Hong Kong when it was still a British Colony and attended veterinary school at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Diethelm-Mader completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Washington State University, Pullman before moving to Los Angeles, California and from there, to the Florida Keys. For over 20 years, she has owned and built up the Marathon Veterinary Hospital, the local general, referral and emergency hospital in the Keys. She is certified in veterinary acupuncture and homeopathic medicine and practices herbal medicine, Tui Na (chinese massage), food therapy and veterinary medical manipulation. Today, Dr. Diethelm-Mader is still rebuilding the Marathon Veterinary Hospital after Hurricane Irma and looks forward to finally enjoying her home and the garden after this recovery process. Most importantly, Dr. Diethelm-Mader has loved being part of the NAVC family for the last 20 years… and counting!

Dr. Tammy Miller Michau, a native of Pennsylvania, received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) and combined masters (Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology) degrees from The Ohio State University. Following veterinary school, she then completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at Colorado State University. Dr. Miller completed her specialty training in a 3-year comparative ophthalmology residency and masters (MSpVM) program at North Carolina State University in 2003. Following the completion of her residency, she joined the faculty at NCSU as an assistant professor of ophthalmology before joining BluePearl Veterinary Partners in 2008 in their Florida location. Teaching and education has always been a priority, and she has been awarded the Bayer Faculty Teaching Award while at NCSU and Educator of the Year at the Western Veterinary Conference. At BluePearl, she was instrumental in the development of the House Officer Program, including didactics within BluePearl University, scientific program support, educational and training outcomes measures, and the online BluePearl journal library. In 2019, she joined Mars Veterinary Health as the Vice President of Medical Affairs Operations and moved to the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys traveling, riding her horse Wodan (a Dutch Warmblood) in dressage and spending time with her friends and 2 Shih Tzu, Benjamin Wade and Theodore Roosevelt.

Dr. Christina V. Tran received her undergraduate degree at University of California, Davis, and her veterinary degree from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has spent the majority of her career in small animal private practice — as a full-time associate, relief veterinarian, and house call practice owner. In addition, Dr. Tran has worked in shelter medicine and in academia. She served as veterinary technology faculty at Portland Community College (Oregon) and as veterinary technology program director at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Currently, Dr. Tran is on faculty at University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine as an associate professor of practice and Clinical Relations Lead Veterinarian. In addition to her academic positions, Dr. Tran has worked in other non-clinical
 roles including veterinary telehealth consultant, Chief Veterinary Officer for a telehealth platform and executive director for a veterinary non-profit organization.
Dr. Tran is passionate about volunteering and currently serves in multiple veterinary medical organizations including the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (past president and founding board member), Not One More Vet (advisory committee), Virtual Veterinary Care Association (board member), American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Committee, Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board (investigative committee), and the AVMA’s Council on Education (site visitor). In addition, Dr. Tran and her dog Marley are a registered pet therapy team with Pet Partners.

Dr. Cindy Trice is a multi-state licensed relief veterinarian with over 20 years of experience working in many unique general practice, emergency, mobile, and shelter clinics. She is the founder of Relief Rover, ( reliefrover.com ), a community connecting relief vets and techs to jobs and resources. In 2023, Relief Rover was acquired by Hound and she now serves as their Chief Veterinary Officer.
She’s a serial entrepreneur and based on her experiences as a cancer patient, she founded a clothing company called KickIt Pajamas ( kickitpajamas.com ) that designs sleepwear and other clothing for women battling cancer.
She spends most of the year living in Bradenton, FL with her husband and 3 long and low dogs. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer, cook, scheme travel plans, and write rap lyrics for hamsters.

Trish Farry is a registered veterinary nurse with specialist qualifications in emergency/critical care and anaesthesia/analgesia. She is a lecturer and clinical instructor in anaesthesia at The University of Queensland in Australia. Her areas of teaching include emergency medicine, anesthesia, analgesia, and clinical practices for undergraduate veterinary and veterinary technology students. Professional positions held previously include: President of the Academy of Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses (AVECCTN) and Member-at-Large of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists (AVTAA) and Vice President of the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia. She has been honored to receive the VNCA Veterinary Nurse of the Year and the AVECCTN Speciality Technician of the Year Awards. Trish is currently on the Board of Directors of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) and is the technician program coordinator for the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS). Trish is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning and is active in the development of CPD and career opportunities for nurses and technicians both nationally and internationally. She is currently completing a research Masters degree through The University of Queensland.

Megan Brashear, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC) graduated in 2000 with a BS in Veterinary Technology and obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Emergency/Critical Care in 2004. She has enjoyed working in emergency and critical care since 2000 and is the Senior Manager of Veterinary Nursing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana. Here, Megan truly enjoys the opportunity to work with veterinary nursing supervisors as well as teach and train technicians and students on the hospital floor.

Vice President, Global Chief Medical Officer, IDEXX
Jason is a proven leader who focuses his energy on igniting the veterinary space to envision the bold future we can create together. He is most satisfied creating platforms that perpetually give back to people and animals. Period. Passionate, credible, internationally recognized leader with 17+ years of leading change with within the veterinary space he was the co-founder/Vice President & Dean of LMU-College of Veterinary medicine, the 30th college of veterinary medicine in the USA, founder of the Center for Animal and Human Health in Appalachia, among other initiatives. His career has found him as a boarded veterinarian, private practitioner, practice owner, professor, VP & Dean, consultant, researcher, multiple board member & serial founder. Recognized in veterinary cosmos most notably as a visionary innovator, collaborator, expert communicator and team builder, and change agent. Skilled at inspiring teams toward a shared vision and a preferred future driven by sound business decisions and incessant evaluation of metrics. He has conducted international veterinary work across 7 countries and believes it is our distinct privilege and responsibility to elevate animal health around the globe.

Eugene (Gene) O’Neill joined the NAVC in 2013 as Chief Financial Officer. He was promoted to Deputy CEO and CFO in 2018 and was named CEO in late 2019. O’Neill helped transform the NAVC’s educational portfolio which consisted primarily of its annual veterinary conference(VMX) to now include: a media division that has become the veterinary industry’s largest trade publisher; an online news station; a robust online learning platform (Vetfolio); certification programs; and an online recruiting tool for veterinarians. This strategy enabled the NAVC to more than double its revenue. Under Gene’s leadership and vision, the NAVC has expanded its virtual portfolio, taking the events and continued education opportunities through which the NAVC built its global reputation and making them available to veterinary professionals worldwide. Prior to joining the NAVC, O’Neill held executive and financial leadership roles at the Institute of Internal Auditors, IIA-Australia and SeaWorld of Florida. He has held CPA and CIA designations throughout his career. O’Neill served as the Interim CEO for The Institute of Internal Auditors-Australia, based in Sydney. During his four month term there, he was able to implement new programs and benefits that turned around a declining membership base, develop an operating business plan for the organization that matched the changing dynamics of the structure of The Institute and produce a world-class conference for members in Australia and SE Asia. Prior to joining The IIA, O’Neill spent 10 years with SeaWorld of Florida, holding positions in Administration and Finance areas. He also spent eight years as the General Manager of Baseball City Sports Complex, the spring training site of the Kansas City Royals.

Dana Varble received her B.S. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University in 1999 graduating Suma cum laude with departmental and university honors having completed an honors thesis evaluating abnormal behavior in captive Spectacled Bears. She earned her veterinary degree with high honors from University of Illinois in 2003 where she pursued a non-traditional clinical rotation schedule and fulfilled her clinical and academic requirements at University of Illinois, University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University, Brookfield Zoo, and University of Pretoria. She also completed an externship at Marathon Veterinary Hospital including clinical experience at the Sea Turtle Hospital and Key West Aquarium.
She has practiced clinical medicine in exotic pet, small animal general practice and emergency medicine and continues to serve as an associate veterinarian on a limited basis for Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital in Skokie Illinois and as a relief veterinarian for emergency services. She has served as a veterinary consultant to the Mississippi River Sturgeon Project and Central Arizona Animal rescue.

As the Chief Media Officer, Laura Walker oversees the creation and implementation of an organization-wide strategic business plan that elevates the unification of the NAVC’s sponsorship, advertising and publishing sales efforts. Her role also includes oversight of the publishing of Today’s Veterinary Business, Today’s Veterinary Nurse, Today’s Veterinary Practice and Veterinary Advantage, the official journals of the NAVC.
Joining the NAVC with a diverse background in sales, marketing and publishing (traditional and digital), Walker brings a proven track record of developing results-driven campaigns for a wide range of industries. Most recently, she served as a group publisher for Bonnier Corporation, one of the world’s most respected media groups, where she oversaw all aspects of the business from advertising and strategic planning, to print circulation and budgeting, for seven magazine brands. She also previously served as vice president of digital and strategy for Bonnier where she oversaw all facets of digital business for more than 20 magazine brands. She also held the positions of online editor for Rodale and video journalist for CNN before her time with Bonnier.

Dieter is an accomplished management professional who is responsible for the strategic application of resources to assure the sustainability of the organization.
Before joining the NAVC in 2014, Dieter was the Chief Financial Officer of the University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals in Gainesville, Florida. His primary responsibilities included interpreting financial data to make business decisions and drive bottom-line results. faculty members, deans, vice presidents, the campus and the veterinary community. He was also active in the campus GBAS program with Finance and Accounting and worked with other industry CFOs to resolve administrative, regulatory, and legal issues. His previous role with the same organization was Small Animal Hospital Operations Manager, managing all aspects of the hospital operations including patient care, 30 direct reports, and customer and vendor relations. He worked directly with clients, clinicians, referring veterinarians and vendors to improve overall service levels and decrease average appointment duration.

Meghan Golden is a global branding, communications and association management leader who is responsible for driving the growth and development of the veterinary profession since 2003. Combining strategic vision with the ability to take decisive action, she has earned the reputation for achieving results through identifying new opportunities, building management teams, moving products to market and driving revenue to achieve organizational objectives. In her previous role as Vice President of Marketing, her notable accomplishments include marketing and communications campaigns that resulted in record-breaking VMX (formerly the NAVC Conference) attendance for three consecutive years, the launch of VetFolio – a disruptive online learning platform that has earned global recognition, the rebranding of the NAVC, a pivotal step in accelerating the organization’s current growth and service offerings and helping to complete a successful move to the Orange County Convention Center. Meghan successfully led the transformation of the NAVC from being known as the world’s largest veterinary conference to a global community that relentlessly strives for better care for animals everywhere through collaboration.

Summer joined the NAVC Team in 2012 and has led NAVC Marketing since 2017. She has a B.A. in Public Relations with a Concentration in Business Management from the College of Journalism & Communications at the University of Florida. Before joining the NAVC in 2012, she worked at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and in full-service marketing and public relations agencies including Frankel Media Group in Gainesville, Florida, and The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Florida. Summer has served clients such as TPC Sawgrass, Cape Eleuthera Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, South Seas Island Resort, Bertram Yachts and the University of Florida.
Summer is a Florida native, born in Central Florida. She and her husband Matt now live in Jacksonville with their three children, Camden, Carlee and Cadence and their cavapoo, Oliver. Summer enjoys tennis, music, art and traveling and is passionate about animals of all kinds and their wellbeing.

Joe is responsible for managing the operations of our flagship event, the NAVC Conference, including our multiple venues, transportation, food & beverage, housing, audio/visual and customer service issues from the initial planning stages through execution. He works with numerous staff members, contractors, vendors and volunteers during the year to make sure the Conference experience is exceptional.
Joe is an association executive with experience working with local, state, national and international groups. He has directed all aspects of non-profit management including marketing, event management, membership development, leadership development, conferences, quality analysis, publications, certification programs, and more. Joe formerly served as a senior manager at a full-service association, corporate event and conference management company based in Orlando overseeing events in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

Robin joined the NAVC in April 2019 to develop and lead its first formal public relations program and to serve as its principal spokesperson.
Robin is an award-winning senior communications executive with more than 30 years’ experience leading international public relations and corporate communications for Fortune 500 companies and national non-profits. She also held senior communications positions in the federal government where she has served as a press secretary in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and senior media advisor and spokesperson for the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Her expertise is product launches, corporate repositioning and crisis communications.
Robin has extensive experience building company, brand and executive visibility and reputation management in some of the most competitive business sectors including financial services, hospitality, media and telecommunications. Most recently, she served as vice president of public relations and corporate communications for PenFed Credit Union, the nation’s second largest federal credit union. She also served as vice president of public relations and government affairs for Choice Hotels and, prior to that, led corporate communications and the re-branding strategy for global energy company AES and Gannett, one of the world’s largest media companies and the parent company of USA TODAY.

Erin has been with the NAVC since 2017 where she was instrumental in the creation and development of the Certification Division including The Human-Animal Bond, The Pet Nutrition Coach and Certified Veterinary Business Leader. Currently, she leads NAVC VirtualXP initiative which includes VetFolio, VMX Virtual and Certifications.
Prior to NAVC, Erin’s experience has been in virtual learning and project management for over 15 years. Erin is a project management and LEAN process improvement professional – in previous roles she has worked in implementation, management, research and development.
Erin is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and lives in Maitland, FL with her husband, Brian. Children- Colin and Juliet and beloved animals- Snickerdoodle, Keke, Alladin.

An Englishman in NJ, Dan shares his life with his better half, Christina and his boss, Holly the 12 year old Yorkie who has him firmly wrapped around her little paw. In 2023, Dan and Christina welcomed a baby boy, Adam.  Dan has had the honor and pleasure of being able to lead businesses and teams around the world, across the US, Europe, Russia and the CIS, Asia, South America and Africa. Dan’s career started in publishing, moving into events in 2007. Having worked across multiple industries, Dan has had the opportunity to learn from amazing people and industries and brings those learnings to each and every day. Most recently Dan led CloserStill Media’s activity in North America including their recently award winning Vet Shows. His time at CloserStill has led to a deep passion to continue to assist in helping the veterinary industry to continue to evolve.

Suzanne is a graduate of the Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Go Gators!
She has been a Certified Meeting Professional since July, 2006 and is active member of the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and BoardSource. She has also earned a Certification of Nonprofit Board Education.
She has been with the NAVC since 2000 and has served in many roles including Hospitality and Event Operations. She currently serves as Vice President of Governance and Administration.
Her hobbies include gardening, yoga, reading, cooking and anything outdoors. She has two children, Kyle and Madisen, and two fur babies, Sadie, a Golden Retriever mix and Moon, a medium haired tuxedo kitty.
She is from Gainesville, Florida.