Mentor Program

The Value of Mentoring  

Mentoring is a vital part of career and leadership development and an effective way to develop talent and transfer knowledge that has been gained through experience. Mentoring pairs an experienced professional, who acts as a role model, with a less-experienced professional to provide guidance and advice. Mentoring is important because Mentors can help Mentees learn new skills, develop greater confidence, and make better decisions.

See available mentors below.

VHMA Mentor Program    

VHMA offers a Mentor Program that is Mentee-driven. The program works as follows:

  • VHMA will solicit Mentor volunteers and create a Member Mentor resource.
  • Member Mentees interested in partnering with a Mentor can peruse the list and identify a Mentor who is best suited to the Mentee’s professional goals.
  • The Mentor list contains the Mentor’s bio, along with expertise, interests, and contact information.
  • Mentees should send inquiries directly to the Mentor.
  • It is the responsibility of the Mentor and Mentee to establish the terms of their relationship.

VHMA Mentoring Program Goals and Objectives  

Members who participate in the VHMA Mentor Program should work to advance the program’s goals and objectives, which are designed to:

  • Encourage the professional development of future veterinary practice managers.
  • Assist members with their career advancement strategies.
  • Tap into the knowledge and expertise of veteran managers.
  • Encourage a more personalized approach to membership and involvement in VHMA.
  • Improve the networking benefits of VHMA by encouraging high quality, personal, and professional coaching.
  • Provide a format for increased member involvement.

Common Mentoring Activities   

  • Engaging in discussions that concentrate on the Mentee’s past experiences, current and future goals, plans, and skills, as well as those that detail the Mentor’s career path.
  • Exploring useful problem-solving strategies to apply to practice issues.
  • Attending meetings, conferences, and other events together (either in-person or virtually) and reviewing the lessons learned together.
  • Collaborating on activities of mutual interest.
  • Allowing the Mentee to observe the mentor’s handling of challenging situations.
  • Role-playing solutions to situations faced by the Mentee,
  • Sharing and discussing written materials (such as a document written by the Mentee or an article valued by the mentor).
  • Co-authoring a publication.
  • Interacting with individuals or other Mentor-Mentee pairs to learn new insights and gather information.

Essential Information to Ensure a Successful Partnership  

  • Both parties should aim for realistic, focused goals and maximize their time by communicating by phone, e-mail, and/or other platforms.
  • Consider creating structure and a timeline for the partnership so that expectations are realistic. A Sample Partnership Agreement is provided under the Mentoring Tools section.
  • Mentors and Mentees should discuss the relationships honestly, focusing on expectations, limits, and preferred ways of interacting.
  • All VHMA member Mentors and Mentees will conduct themselves in accordance with the VHMA Code of Conduct and adhere to the VHMA Code of Ethics.
  • Use the contact button to reach out to your Mentor directly. If you do not receive a response from your selected Mentor within two days, please contact the VHMA office.


Thank you to our Mentor volunteers for their support and involvement.

Disclaimer

Please note that VHMA does not in any way screen the Mentees or Mentors voluntarily participating in the VHMA Mentor Program, nor does it inquire into the backgrounds of the participants or attempt to verify the statements of the participants. It is incumbent upon all participants involved to obtain sufficient information to make an informed and prudent decision about whether to continue in the mentor/mentee partnership or the Program.

By participating in the Program, participants understand that they are solely responsible for their interactions with those who are participating in the Program and that they fully understand and acknowledge the nature and risk related to participating in the Program. The VHMA makes no representations or warranties as to the conduct or qualifications of any of the participants. Potential program participants received program recruitment emails on account of their membership with VHMA. The VHMA is not responsible for the conduct of any program participants, and under no circumstances will the VHMA be responsible for any loss or damage, including personal injury or death, whether direct, indirect, general, special, compensatory, consequential, and/or incidental, arising out of or relating to any participant’s conduct or participation in the VHMA Mentor Program.


The Mentor Program is available as a VHMA member benefit. Members, please log in to access the program tools and the list of available Mentors.

Jeanne Williams, CVPM

I am a Practice Manager at a mixed animal practice in Eastern Oregon. Although we live in a rural community, we are staffed with three to four full-time veterinarians that provide services across a multi-county area. I enjoy the broad spectrum of patients we see and the variety of services we can provide. I have knowledge and experience in all areas of practice management, but my primary focus has been Human Resources, Payroll, Marketing, and Inventory Management.

I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with other veterinary management teams. I have been fortunate to surround myself with members of the veterinary community that have provided me with a support system as I have furthered my career. I am excited to now offer my time to support others as they face the many challenges of practice management.

See Jeanne's VHMA profile.

Connect with Jeanne.