ALACHUA, FL– The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that Esteban Sotomayor and Rebecca May have been selected as its 2024 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 2024 recipients were selected for their commitment to professional growth and leadership.
Meet the Emerging Leaders
Esteban Sotomayor, MBA, Practice Manager and Owner, All Pets Hospital Veterinario
Esteban Sotomayor’s childhood existed within the walls of All Pets Hospital Veterinario, the first 24-hour emergency hospital in Ecuador, opened by his parents. Sotomayor’s enriched familial history in the veterinary field traces back to the legacy of his late grandfather, a pioneer of the veterinary medicine industry in Ecuador during the 1940’s. His mother and father expected him to maintain the family’s tradition of veterinary medicine, but Sotomayor felt a lure toward hospital management.
“I started to take an economics class during high school, and it clicked for me immediately. I learned that I love the business side of the veterinary industry, so I decided to pursue business and administration instead of veterinary medicine,” said Sotomayor. “I was trying to see what scholarships I could get to go to the United States for college,”.
A pathway to the United States emerged when he received a scholarship to the University of New Orleans. Sotomayor went on to obtain a double bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, and a master’s degree in business administration.
Implementing Business Insight to Solve Practice’s Inefficiencies
After completing college and returning to Ecuador in 2014, Sotomayor observed the hospital’s operations from an entirely new perspective. It became increasingly apparent that the issues the hospital was facing were a direct result of a lack of business expertise.
“While my parents did the best that they could with the knowledge that they had, the hospital lacked the business structure that it needed to grow,” said Sotomayor. “The hospital was not dynamic enough to adapt to market needs. We were near bankruptcy and client retention was extremely low.”
Sotomayor’s initial focus was on rectifying the work environment, and several new policies were established to retain and improve employee satisfaction. The next step Sotomayor took was to cultivate customer-oriented culture. The staff was taught how to prioritize customers and to deliver that unique, personal touch that will leave clients with a positive experience and inclination to return. The final step was adopting a new management system that provided instantaneous feedback and decision-making information, helping the team to make better decisions, identify inefficiencies as they arose and increase the speed of the billing process.
“Through strategic changes, team building and embracing new technology, we have been able to turn the situation around and set my family’s hospital on the path towards success,” said Sotomayor.
Supporting Ecuador’s Veterinary Industry Through Education
Sotomayor believes that winning the Emerging Leaders Award and becoming a CVPM will help him support not only his staff and his family’s practice, but also the veterinary industry in Latin America through speaking engagements and close collaborations.
“In Ecuador, a large majority of the clinics and hospitals are run directly by veterinarians with no formal education in business or management. If we give veterinarians a chance to learn about administration and management, we can all thrive together,” said Sotomayor.
In his free time, he enjoys walking his pet Chihuahua and boxing. Sotomayor also owns VetFlexx, a veterinary equipment distribution company that he operates out of the hospital. Sotomayor is able to stay ahead of the curve and have an intimate knowledge of cutting-edge technology before it enters the marketplace.
Rebecca May, Business Development and Personnel Manager, Happy Tails Emergency Veterinary Clinic
Rebecca May was working for an insurance sales company when she came across a newspaper advertisement for a receptionist role at a veterinary clinic. She was unhappy in her current position and decided to apply for the job, one that she anticipated would be a short-term arrangement.
“I had thought I would just collect a paycheck or two there while I searched for my next sales job. I had always loved animals and always enjoyed customer service, but when I started working at the clinic, I also developed a passion for caring for the people who care for the animals. There was no going back after that,” said May.
May focused on accruing as much knowledge and experience as possible, trying out multiple roles within the clinic. May found that she was most interested in management, and while working as a veterinary assistant, she completed Penn Foster’s Veterinary Practice Management Certificate Program. This helped her to develop a stronger foundation of medical knowledge and to understand how to support her staff. May has now been in the veterinary medicine industry for over 18 years, with her last six years being exclusively in management.
Supporting Employee Mental Health
May encountered her biggest obstacle as a manager when one of her employees had overdosed in an attempted suicide.
“Prior to working in management, I had lost a team member to suicide. When this happened, I had just lost my father as well. I knew there was so much more that I could do for this employee who had just joined my team months prior. With no specific plan in place to follow, I began to research what resources were out there,” said May.
May completed the coursework through Evergreen to become Compassion Fatigue Certified, CCFP, to be more aware of the warning signs and how to intervene before it is too late. When the employee was medically cleared to return to work, a plan and schedule was developed to reintegrate back into the workforce.
“This experience absolutely transformed me as a manager. I would encourage any manager in this position to seek as much help and resources as possible for their employees suffering from mental health issues. The numbers behind veterinary suicide statistics are staggering. The time has come to destigmatize this topic,” said May.
Pursuing Passion for Teaching and Connection
May has worked with VHMA in the past, and when she learned that she received the Emerging Leader Program Award, she was honored and pleasantly surprised.
“The real push for applying was that I have a passion for teaching and also sharing my experiences and connecting with people in the field, and earning my CVPM will allow me to do that,” said May.
May lives in Guilford County, NC, with her husband, Brandon, and her two sons, Jake and Grant. In her free time, she enjoys going on long hikes with her dog named Beans. May also is a Cub Scout Leader and serves as the STEM Coordinator for the Old North State Council.
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 the VHMA
The VHMA is a nationally recognized thought-leader and innovator in providing training, education, and resources to more than 4,800 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, 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.