CVPM Leadership

Susie Crockett began her veterinary career as a receptionist in 1999 for a two-facility practice while attending Purdue University. As she began assisting the manager of the practice she was identified as a leader. Susie was then trained to take over Office Manager duties at the satellite location for the practice. During that role, the hospital owners decided to separate the facilities and Susie became an instrumental part of dividing the two practices. Susie along with the sole owner of the satellite facility devised a plan to turn the satellite facility into an independent AAHA Accredited veterinary practice with full-service boarding and grooming. This experience was the catalyst for her realization that she truly enjoyed and excelled at managing a veterinary hospital from the ground up. Susie graduated from Purdue University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Organizational Communication. She had a passion for Human Resources, particularly hiring and staff development.

After relocating to Indianapolis, Susie became the Practice Manager at Eagle Creek Animal Clinic. She quickly became an active participant in the Veterinary Management Association of Indiana (VMAI). Susie became a board member of the VMAI, holding positions as Vice President in 2011 and President in 2012. While serving this organization, Susie worked with the Board to help it grow from a small group of managers meeting monthly to larger quarterly workshops. In 2014, Susie took on the position as Human Resource Director at IndyVet Emergency and Specialty Hospital, a 24-hour emergency and referral practice with a team of over 60 members. She also helped oversee their associated general practice, 30th Street Animal Hospital. Susie now works with Noah's Animal Hospitals, managing two of their general practices and one emergency and specialty centers.

Susie joined the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) in 2008. She earned her CVPM designation in 2009. She served on the Membership Committee and was a member of the 2013 Special Education Task Force. Susie finds staff development, team involvement, and practice cultures are herfavorite areas of Veterinary Management. When she is not working, she is busy keeping up with her very active children and their dog, Bradley.

Melissa started working in the veterinary field over 15 years ago starting out as a technican assistant/receptionist. After working her way up, she became a practice manager in 2005 and never looked back. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in animal science and became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager in 2011. She has worked in general practice (Feline only), specialty, and emergency. Last year she opened her own consulting business, South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions in order to help more hospitals.

In 2018 she became the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association’s Paraprofessional of the year.

She is a published author of multiple articles in DVM360.com, Veterinary Team Brief, Firstline Magazine and Veterinary Economics. She has also been a speaker at several annual conferences and symposiums including VHMA’S management exchange, CVS’s Veterinary Forum, Oklahoma’s Annual Conference, ASEC’s Conference, and Fur Paws Consulting’s Spring/Fall Symposiums. She also helped train veterinarians on how to create a feline friendly practice through AVSG’s annual wet lab.

Melissa is very active within the local veterinary community co-founding the North Orange County Veterinary Hospital manager group. She loves helping other managers and team members grow within the veterinary profession.She spends her free running or walking in 5k’s & half marathons. She also spends time with her friends and family. She shares her home with her boyfriend, his son, and their five furry babies.

Debbie Hill is the hospital administrator for a veterinarian with four Florida veterinary hospitals. She entered the profession in 1989 at the front desk of a one doctor practice in Denver and has worked with nine hospitals with 4-45 employees in three states, often as multiple practice settings.

In addition to on the job experience, her training includes AAHA’s VMDS, VMI and a wide variety of veterinary management conferences each year to stay current. After several years of indecision, taking Marketing 101 at the local college proved to be the turning point in her decision to pursue certification. While her hospitals grew, she took the college courses needed to apply for the CVPM, attended 2-3 management conferences annually and received her CVPM in 2005. With a mind for lifetime learning, she sat for the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) through the Society of Human Resources Management in 2011 and then the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) in 2015.

Debbie is a Management Instructor for Patterson Veterinary University and has been teaching throughout the country since 2008. She enjoys meeting managers and has spoken at Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, Florida Veterinary Medical Association, Wild West Veterinary Conference and Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference. In addition, she has offered webinars on human resource and financial topics for the VHMA.

Realizing she has been privileged with a wealth of exposure to management experience and education, Debbie has a strong desire to help other managers achieve their career goals and speaks to local manager groups around the country each year. She served on the Board of Directors for VHMA for six years and served as the VHMA liaison to the CVPM Board.

MaryBeth began her career in the veterinary field in high school working as a receptionist and kennel technician. She is now the manager of Main Street Veterinary Hospital & Dental Clinic, a small animal hospital, and dental specialty clinic. Managing several hospitals in different cities throughout Texas, MaryBeth landed at Main Street Veterinary Hospital and has been there since 1997. Beginning as a technician, she received her CVA Level II, she was promoted to manager within six months of employment, and within the year, led the hospital to become AAHA accredited. MaryBeth also developed a dental specialty clinic, bringing in a veterinary dentist to acquire referrals from the immediate area as well as from three surrounding states. In the past year, the dental specialty clinic has become a residency program and has acquired the first resident.

In 2011 MaryBeth earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager certification. She speaks on occasion for various manufacturers and distributors. MaryBeth also speaks at the local practice managers groups. She was on the steering committee to form the organizational board and is serving on the board of one of the local veterinary practice manager’s associations. Technology is MaryBeth’s special interest. She is the IT person at Main Street, always discovering new ways to use technology to make the hospital more productive.

Janine started in the veterinary field in 2001 as a technician and receptionist. She developed an interest in practice management after realizing she had a passion for taking on projects, such as streamlining inventory and finding ways to increase visits/revenue. She earned her B.S. degree in Agribusiness Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Janine joined the VHMA in 2009 while still in college and started managing in 2010. Her experience includes general practice, 24-hour ER/specialty, a mobile practice, mixed animal, as well as a startup veterinary practice. She earned designation as a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager in 2016. She formed the San Diego Veterinary Managers Group in 2018 to help other local managers grow in their professional development. In her current role, she is a manager in a large specialty and emergency referral practice.

Janine grew up in New Jersey but has lived in California for many years. She and her husband share their home with three Rhodesian Ridgebacks and two cats. She enjoys competing with her dogs, riding horses, hiking, cooking, and live music.

Michelle began her professional career, at age 17, at the Winston-Salem Police Department where she was employed for 30 years when she retired at 49. During her tenure at the Winston Salem Police Department, she served as the Public Safety Communications 911 Center Supervisor and the Police Evidence Management Supervisor. She earned an Associate and Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminal Justice. Since her retirement she has devoted her time to her husband, son, and her volunteer activities. In addition to serving as the Public Member Representative on the CVPM Board since 2015, she currently serves as the President for the Wildlife Rehab, Inc. organization. Michelle's honors include NC Long Leaf Pine Governorances Award, Winston Salem Police Department Medal of Merit, NC Governor’s Volunteer Awardee, and NC Guardian ad Litem Volunteer of the Year.

Stephanie has been working in the veterinary field since 1999. Starting as a kennel technician, right after college and working her way up to managing specialty practice in Charleston, SC for the past 14 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marine science from Coastal Carolina University and became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager in 2016. She as been a member of VHMA since 2014.

While working for a specialty surgical practice, she realized she missed that client/patient bond, so made the move to a specialty internal medicine/cardiology/oncology practice where she gets to form those special bonds with their clients and patients daily. Since working in her current position, she has built and opened two new 16,000 sq. ft. facilities and grown from a 1 doctor/4 employee practice to a 10 doctor/31 employee practice.

Stephanie was born and raised in Kentucky. She currently lives in Charleston, SC with her husband Chad and their three pups, Curtis, Thurman and Penelope. They enjoy watching and attending sporting events, enjoying their pool during the beautiful South Carolina summers, traveling, reading, gardening and hanging out with family and friends.

Dr. Bannister most recently worked at a 16-doctor general practice in Atlanta, GA for six years. He served as the Surgical Director and a shareholder. Dr. Bannister earned his CVPM designation in 2014. Along his journey, he held various positions such as boarding manager, client service manager, and medical director. Dr. Bannister specializes in areas of business, clinical and practice operations management, such as human resources, marketing, financial analysis, and medical standards of care. In 2013, he earned his AAHA Certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration from Purdue University’s Veterinary Management Institute.Dr. Bannister began his veterinary career in 2007 while working in three animal practices under a single owner.

In 2018 he started Family Tree Animal Clinic, his own small animal general practice in Milton, GA. In 2014, Dr. Bannister joined the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, Inc. Since 2007, he has been a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association and the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Accreditation Program.

Dr. Bannister was born in Nassau, Bahamas, and was also raised in Bermuda and on the East Coast in the U.S. He and his wife Andrea have one toddler-age daughter and two senior cats to make for a lively household. They enjoy live music, festivals, traveling, NBA basketball and spending time with their extended family and friends.

Beth has been involved in the veterinary field for nearly 40 years, beginning with volunteering in a hospital in 7th grade. She attended Oregon State University as an Animal Science major and graduated from Washington State University with a DVM degree in 1991. Beth and her husband purchased Lien Animal Clinic in 1999. They soon realized that veterinary school did little to prepare them for business ownership and Beth began attending practice management conferences to learn more. She earned a Certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration from Purdue University's Veterinary Management Institute in 2006 and in 2008 earned her CVPM designation. Beth was the first recipient of the VHMA Transforming the Practice Award.

Over the years Lien Animal Clinic has grown to eight doctors and over 30 staff members and Beth and her husband recently opened a second practice in partnership with one of their associates. Beth currently works full-time as Hospital Administrator and CFO for both practices. She especially enjoys working with the practice finances and gains satisfaction from helping staff to achieve their goals and dreams.
Beth has previously served as the chair of the VHMA Ethics Committee and as the DVM representative on the CVPM Board. She is currently a Director on the VHMA Board and serves as board liaison to the CVPM Board. Beth lives on Vashon Island in Puget Sound, a 15-minute ferry commute from Seattle. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, travel, and spending time with their horses.