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The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that Alex Brannon and Alex Flinkstrom have been selected as its 2023 Emerging Leadership Program Scholarship Award Winners.

The VHMA Emerging Leaders program is intended to create an opportunity for the next generation of veterinary management professionals to engage in the association in meaningful ways that contribute to their professional growth and energize the association with new leaders and the future direction of the profession. The 2023 recipients were selected for their commitment to professional growth and leadership.

Meet the Emerging Leaders

Alex Brannon, Director of Operations, Lafayette Veterinary Care Center

Alex Brannon joined Lafayette Veterinary Care Center (LVCC) in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2014 and held several job titles there before becoming the Director of Operations. Previously, Brannon worked as an accountant in the oil and gas industry, but her prior experience working at pet stores, doggy daycares, and as a veterinary technician while attending University of Louisiana at Lafayette led her back to a her passion for animals.

“I was in a cubical all day, which felt neat at the time because I had my own little office, but it was not for me at all,” Brannon said about her accounting job prior to starting at Lafayette Veterinary Care Center.

While volunteering in 2014 for Krewe des Chien, an organization involved with fundraising and distributing funds to animal assistance organizations in the Acadiana area, she met the practice manager of Lafayette Veterinary Care Center and was encouraged to apply for an open position. She started out in doggy daycare before once again assuming a veterinary technician role.

“I just loved learning and being helpful, so I started working at the front desk for a while,” Brannon said.

When LVCC opened a clinic in a smaller nearby town, Brannon was tasked with helping the new team with organization, training, and getting the practice up and running. She later started a new position back in Lafayette as education coordinator before moving into the human resources department. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the owners of LVCC retired and sold the practice, creating new opportunities for employees to move up the ladder.

“That’s where I ended up becoming the Director of Operations, which is what I do now,” Brannon said.

Navigating the pandemic

The pandemic, which coincided with devastating hurricanes in southern Louisiana, created numerous challenges for Brannon and her team. The management team spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to provide relief to their own team while still serving the community and the pets that needed care. Brannon describes herself as detail-oriented and organized, but she also emerged as a leader during this challenging time. She enjoys reassuring her team that they don’t have to be perfect.

“It’s just letting them know that we are all doing this together, and that they’re going to make mistakes, just as I will,” she said. “It’s not a, ‘let’s get you in trouble.’ It’s a ‘Let’s make the mistakes so we can figure out what we can do better.’”

Problem-solving is one of Brannon’s favorite aspects of being Director of Operations. When an issue arises, Brannon enjoys troubleshooting the problem with her team, trying to understand why the mistake was made, and then figuring out how to resolve it.

Looking ahead

As a five-year VHMA member, Brannon was honored and surprised when she received the Emerging Leaders Award. She believes earning the CVPM credential will play an important role in her career. She’s excited to learn more about inventory, adding that earning the CVPM “can definitely help streamline some processes in our practice and make sure we are in line with the rest of the country.”

Brannon has been with her husband for 14 years and enjoys watching the New Orleans Saints with her husband on Sundays. They have two dogs, two cats, and a vegetable garden. After work, she spends her free time at the barn with her horse, Big John.

Alex Flinkstrom, Practice Manager, Lunenburg Veterinary Hospital

Alex Flinkstrom began his career as Practice Manager at Lunenburg Veterinary Hospital in Lunenburg, Massachusetts in 2014, but his roots there stem far back to his childhood. In fact, his parents founded the veterinary practice in 1983, three years before Flinkstrom was born.

“My dad was the veterinarian, and my mom was the hospital administrator, technician, and CSR” he said. “They worked tirelessly 9 AM - 9 PM, Monday through Friday to support our family.”

When he was 12 years old, Flinkstrom started helping his father on weekends, taking care of wildlife.  Four years later, his first full-time job as a receptionist at Lunenburg Vet helped pay for a high school class trip to France and planted a seed for the future. Flinkstrom graduated from University of Massachusetts Lowell with a degree in sound recording technology and music performance. He lived in New York City for two years, working briefly in audio and video production, before falling back into a job as a receptionist at Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital, a 15-doctor practice, in Brooklyn, New York.

“The founder of Animal Kind graduated from Cornell University the year before my father did,” Flinkstrom said. “They both started mobile practices and then settled into physical buildings. It was basically the same story in a different setting, which was cool and familiar.”

After working at Animal Kind for a year-and-a-half, Flinkstrom returned home to Massachusetts with his wife, Shawna. After Flinkstrom’s first daughter was born, he began taking over the management tasks at Lunenburg Vet while his mother, Teresa, stepped back to watch her grandchild(ren).

“My parents have always been very supportive of me,” he said. “They still live a quarter of a mile from the veterinary practice, so I get to go and have lunch and dinner with them which is really nice.”

Preparing for transition

A significant challenge Flinkstrom faced as a Practice Manager was successfully navigating a change of practice ownership. Knowing his father, Dr. Carl Flinkstrom, wouldn’t be able to practice forever, Flinkstrom began taking steps to help build a marketable practice for when the time came.  Prior to officially taking over as the practice manager, he attended several continuing education conferences, learning from practice consultants and industry gurus. To grow his network and add to his resources, Flinkstrom joined the VHMA this past year.  In 2021, Flinkstrom and the team at Lunenburg Veterinary Hospital successfully closed a deal, partnering with Associated Veterinary Partners (AVP).

“The trust that was built with our staff over the years was tested the week before the transaction closed, when we broke the news of the new partnership,” he said. “I am happy to say that trust and faith prevailed, and all team members were retained through the transaction.”

Career impact

Flinkstrom believes winning the Emerging Leaders Award and obtaining his CVPM credentials will help him support and positively impact his staff, practice, and the pet community.

“Having successfully managed a partnership merger, I am interested in collaborating with other practices,” he said. “I’m looking forward to expanding my network and sharing knowledge and best practices, which are constantly evolving.”

With a background in CSR, Flinkstrom enjoys working with people and “the business aspect of things.”

“As I achieve the CVPM and continue to grow with our practice, I am becoming more confident,” he said.

Flinkstrom and his wife have three daughters: Alaina, 10, Paige, 8, and Emma, 6. They have a Timneh African Grey Parrot named Cutie Pie, and cats named Momo and Moonlight. In his free time, Flinkstrom enjoys driving his children to gymnastics and ninja classes. His hobbies include saxophone repair and street hockey.

About the Emerging Leaders Program

VHMA Emerging Leaders receive an annual $2,500 scholarship for two years, which can be used toward registration and travel costs to attend the VHMA Annual Meeting and Conference and apply to the CVPM certification process. Each candidate is expected to "give back" to VHMA through specific volunteer activities which position them as an ambassador to promote the program, the association, and the profession. Activities include such as serving as a member of a current VHMA standing committee, participating in the Emerging Leaders Focus Group, presenting an educational Webinar, serving as a guest on VHMA’s Member-to-Manager podcast series or drafting an article for VHMA’s newsletter. Additional volunteer activities are detailed on VHMA's website.

About VHMA

VHMA is a nationally recognized thought-leader and innovator in providing training, education, and resources to more than 4,500 members and a trusted resource that the veterinary sector relies on for industry insights, research, and advocacy to assure performance at the highest levels. VHMA's core purpose is to advance and support veterinary practice management professionals by developing professional competence and supporting and encouraging standards through the industry's highest-level certification program, the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM), and providing individuals with a network for professional connection and support. Learn more at www.vhma.org.