Meet the Heartland family.

Ashley has spent the past 12 years as an operations leader within the physical therapy field. She is passionate about building a healthy and authentic culture while helping her teams excel in their careers. In her previous role as a District Director at ATI, Ashley oversaw multiple acquisitions, opened up several de novo clinics, and integrated and coached numerous new employees as they joined her team. She believes the patient and client experiences are incredibly important, as well as nurturing doctor relationships to make all practices successful. Ashley strives to empower those around her to grow both professionally and personally and feels great success when developing new leaders. Ashley lives in Chicago and enjoys walks through Oz Park with her husband, new baby girl, and golden retriever. Outside of spending time as a new mother, she loves to be outdoors and traveling both abroad and domestically, finding a great trail to hike, trying new recipes to cook for her family, and cheering on her beloved Michigan State Spartans.

Eden has been working in the veterinary industry for over 15 years. While she has had many roles in practice, she has found her passion in operations as a Recruiter. Eden truly enjoys helping those find the right practice to thrive in! She shares her home with her husband, three young sons, and four cats. However, she holds a special place in her heart for pugs. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors (usually camping and hiking).

Renee Humphries thoroughly enjoys mentoring and supporting team members and managers in the veterinary industry and has over 30 years’ experience. She started as a veterinary technician in a mixed animal practice and also worked at an equine practice as their Practice Manager. She had an exciting career with Hillside Veterinary Clinic in Dallas, TX as their Hospital Administrator where she assisted the group in extending their hours to become a 24/7 emergency hospital, opening their specialty practice, and purchasing 7 satellites. Renee and her husband live on their cattle ranch in North East Texas and she enjoys riding her horse and painting.

Brice started his career over ten years ago at a private zoo with dreams of being the next Steve Irwin. There, he found his passion for marketing and building relationships within the community. In 2018 Brice joined the veterinary world as the marketing director for a general practice clinic. From there he joined Heartland in 2020 as a practice manager and eventually transitioned onto the marketing team as a marketing associate. Brice graduated with a BA in Biology from Missouri State University. In his spare time, Brice loves to travel, golf, spend time with family and friends, and love on his fur babies.

Whitney has nearly a decade of experience in education and training. She began her career as a public-school teacher before moving on to the university space after receiving her Masters in Education Management. After serving in the university space for several years, Whitney transitioned to human healthcare where she led the design of key programs, strategies, and initiatives for 12,000+ team members. Whitney loves developing instructional content for our teams and helping to implement our learning management system. Whitney is a single mom to a beautiful and brilliant little girl named Wynter and a pet mom to a rambunctious little mini lop named Waffle.

Mike brings over 15 years of experience in both operations and facilities. Prior to entering the world of veterinary medicine, he was Facilities and Project Manager for approximately 180 financial, commercial, and institutional properties in the Ohio area. After that, he spent 8+ years as a leader at MedVet in Operations. His first three years were spent developing and growing a Facilities team to support their specialty hospital network. Most recently, he was accountable for all operations initiatives for ten specialty hospitals from the Great Lakes to the northeast. Mike currently resides in Chicago with his wife, who is a boarded Veterinary Radiologist, and kids (two humans, two dogs, and a cat). In his spare time, he loves to enjoy the outdoors, hike, and travel anywhere he has never been before.

Isabell has spent over 22 years in veterinary medicine working as a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) in a multi-site small animal practice. During this time, she mentored numerous LVT graduates. She is most passionate about surgery. She thrives to serve clients as well as pets. She lives in Spring, Texas with her 2 chihuahuas; her cows and chickens reside nearby. She spends most of her free time working out, hiking, and with family and friends. She enjoys a relaxing beach scene and has a passion for great wine tasting.

Kim has enjoyed working in the veterinary industry since 1999. Starting as a large animal assistant at a large practice in South Dakota, she fell in love with the industry. Kim started managing practices in 2003 at a large emergency hospital, and from there she assisted the owners of the practice in selling to a consolidator. Soon after, she started her career in multi-site leadership, supporting hospitals in multiple states that focused on general practice, emergency, urgent care, and specialty. Kim feels at home in the hospital setting and loves helping her teams grow and develop. Kim lives east of Rapid City, South Dakota with her understanding husband who just smiles when she brings home another critter. She loves traveling with her family and playing rodeo grandma to her granddaughter.

Michelle has over 15 years of training and management experience. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Michelle led teams in the retail and human medical fields where she coached and developed them on their career paths. In her free time, she volunteers with multiple canine rescue groups, building on her passion for working with animals. Together with her management skills and her love of dogs, Michelle was able to further herself in her career starting as a multi-site Practice Manager before advancing into the Regional Director of Operations role where she oversees multiple Michigan practices. Michelle lives in the Metro Detroit area with her fiancé, Andrew, and their five dogs. When she isn’t busy playing with the dogs, she enjoys cake decorating and home projects.

Cidney Fitzpatrick joined the team as a Marketing Associate. Cidney began her career in the veterinary industry in 2008 as a Client Service Coordinator with Banfield Pet Hospital where she spent seven years gaining a well-rounded understanding of veterinary medicine. She then graduated from Miami University in 2014 with a BA in Communications and a focus on digital marketing. Prior to HVP, she was working at Medvet marketing their specialty and ER centers.

Kelly’s experience in marketing and advertising spans several decades, and includes leadership roles within companies on the brand side and within advertising agencies. While she’s experienced in virtually every aspect of marketing, Kelly’s expertise and passion is in location-based marketing where she has had success developing strategies to drive traffic and revenue to local businesses. Prior to joining Heartland, Kelly was the head of marketing at XSport Fitness and at Apartments.com. She also led advertising and field marketing efforts at Bally Total Fitness. Kelly’s agency background consists of senior account management positions at a variety of shops including Leo Burnett where, as Senior Vice President, she led the Nintendo of America team. Kelly’s most recent position was at TDH Creative where she led an integrated team for Vi Senior Living (formerly Classic Residence by Hyatt), a luxury senior living brand with locations in six states. Kelly received her BA in Journalism/Advertising at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Her love for animals has led her to volunteer positions within shelter organizations and to having many faithful companion animals over the years.

Kirstin found her passion in veterinary medicine six years ago when she managed a private general practice. From there, she joined Heartland Veterinary Partners in 2019 as a Practice Manager. Her earlier work in marketing and her knowledge of practice operations gave her the perfect skillset for her current role as a Marketing Associate. Kirstin graduated from Pittsburg State University with a business degree and spent the early part of her career working with start-up companies. In her spare time, Kirstin enjoys spending time with her family and hiking with her dogs, Hooch and Lily.

Ken has over 15 years of experience in general construction, including 7 years of facility maintenance. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Ken spent 5 years managing facility maintenance with a private veterinary practice, Animal & Avian Medical Center, which has been a Heartland practice since December of 2018. Ken began his Heartland career providing facilities support to practices in the state of Ohio, but has since expanded into other states where he focuses on improvements, upgrades, and additions. Ken is passionate about maintaining high-quality facilities to support our veterinary professionals. He enjoys spending time camping and other outdoor activities in his free time.

Andy is a Human Resource professional with over 20 years of experience in several different industries such as retail, manufacturing, banking, and hospitality. Andy has supported multi-unit leaders and local field leadership in those organizations throughout the majority of his career. He appreciates the opportunity to travel to Heartland practices and meet all of our amazing teams. Andy enjoys supporting teams through training and development, finding process improvement, and helping manage change. Andy received his BA in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and lives in Chicago.

Kiearra’s career began in the veterinary industry in 2008 upon graduating from Purdue University’s Veterinary Technician program and has continue to grow since. She has supported veterinarians as a registered technician, through practice management and leadership, & multi-site operational support in private practice as well as in corporate practice environments. Kiearra began working with National Veterinary Associates in 2011 and during her time there she supported general small animal, large animal, and exotic practices in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. Kiearra is passionate about supporting veterinary teams in growth and development. She is happiest when she is connecting and communicating with teams to support their goals and aid in elevating their personal development. Kiearra resides in west central Illinois with her husband and three daughters. She enjoys spending time with her family on her small hobby farm with their horses, goats, pigs, dogs, and cat.

Joe has over a decade of experience in various operational management roles. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Joe spent several years with Analyte Health, the nation’s largest independent telehealth company helping patients gain better access to and understanding of diagnostic information, focusing on vendor partnerships and expanding a physician network for nationwide coverage. Joe also led various veterinary practices while at Banfield Pet Hospital increasing operational efficiency and financial performance. During this time he also managed efforts to promote pet food pantries and local shelter services within the Chicagoland area. Joe earned his BS from Carthage College and MBA from Lewis University.

Anthony has worked in the veterinary industry since 2001 and spent the last 18 years managing a private practice in Texas. After growing and managing a highly successful practice, he comes to Heartland Veterinary Partners to support other veterinary professionals to also grow their careers and achieve extraordinary goals. Anthony is passionate about mentoring leaders and providing exceptional client and pet patient experiences. Anthony and his family live in Merritt Island, Florida, only minutes away from Cape Canaveral. Their family of pets includes two cats, two dogs, two rats, and a Silicate Tortoise. He enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife and two daughters either relaxing at the beach soaking up the sun or getting away in their travel trailer enjoying the camping life.

Kerrie joined the veterinary industry in 2005, and has held many roles in support of veterinary practice management. Most recently, Kerrie has embraced the role of consultant with veterinary practices. Previous to consulting with general practices, she was the multi-site director of three AAHA accredited, after-hours emergency practices in Nashville, TN. Kerrie also worked for IDEXX Laboratories as a Cornerstone trainer and managed a specialty and emergency practice in Rochester, NY.

Kerrie earned her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) designation in 2011 and both the PHR and SHRM-CP designations in 2017. She spent 10 years in two separate Fortune 500 organizations with a focus on business and human resource management prior to finding her passion in veterinary medicine.

Kerrie has been an active member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) since 2006, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) since 2013; as well as previous involvement with the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Practice Association (VESPA) and the Veterinary Specialty Practice Alliance (VSPA). Outside of work, she and her husband Joe own a vinyl record store in Nashville. She also enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family, including her pit bull rescue, Gladys.

Keri Horn has over 20 years of experience in management including seven years in multi-site senior housing management and then in regional management of veterinary practices. Her experience in long-term care started in skilled nursing homes and then moved into assisted living for a start-up company where she served as Regional Operations Director for 7 years and oversaw 14 assisted and independent living communities. In 2013, Keri transitioned into animal healthcare by joining VCA as a Regional Operations Director overseeing 23 general practice animal hospitals in Illinois and Milwaukee. She joined Pathway Vet Alliance in 2017 where she was responsible for general practice and specialty/ER hybrid hospitals in the eastern United States. Keri earned her BS in Biology from Bradley University and her MBA from Olivet Nazarene University.

Ann-Marie has over a decade of experience in the veterinary field in various operational management roles. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Ann-Marie spent several years leading various veterinary practices with Banfield and National Veterinary Associates (“NVA”). While with Banfield, she became a Registered Veterinary Technician and a Certified Animal Behaviorist, focusing her efforts on rescue and rehabilitation and working with code-red cases at local animal shelters to ensure that every pet had a fair opportunity for adoption. During her time with NVA she was a part of the Ambassador Program, where she had operational responsibility and worked closely with practice leadership at eight locations spanning the Dallas-Fort Worth and West Texas areas. Ann-Marie earned her BA from University of Texas at Arlington and is actively involved with the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA).

Mike joined Heartland Veterinary Partners with over 15 years of experience in the veterinary industry. His experience began early as a veterinary assistant and has grown into practice management. Prior to joining Heartland, Mike led several veterinary practices in Arizona before returning to his roots here in Indiana. Mike has thrived in providing servant leadership and support to the practices he has partnered with and has a passion for direct communication with team members and growing them professionally to maximize their potential. His philosophy represents collaboration and teamwork creating the highest levels of success. Mike received his BS from Indiana University and MS from Purdue University. Mike and his wife Heather reside in Carmel, IN with their children Ashlyn and Eli and their Cavapoo Blair.

Angela brings over 20 years of experience leading teams and driving operational excellence within the veterinary industry. She’s held management roles in a multitude of environments including private and corporate practices, and has supported multi-specialty/emergency and general practices of all sizes across the country. Angela’s passion is developing transformational growth strategies that align with a practice’s culture, team purpose, and service to the community. In addition, she is committed to creating and supporting career growth opportunities for professionals within the veterinary industry. Angela earned her BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Troy University, and she received a Certification in Veterinary Practice Management early in her veterinary career. Angela and her husband live outside Nashville in a home they share with three cats, two parrots, some busy chickens, and a few exotics.

Dr. Robinson has over 30 years of veterinary industry experience holding numerous clinical, operational, and senior management roles throughout his career. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Dr. Robinson held a senior management and operations position with National Veterinary Associates, a group veterinary hospital and support organization with over 500 hospital locations and 1000 veterinarians throughout the U.S. Prior to National Veterinary Associates, Dr. Robinson held several management roles with Banfield Pet Hospital, including as a Regional Medical Director for Banfield responsible for multi-hospital leadership and operations for a region with over 180 veterinary hospitals. Prior to these management roles, Dr. Robinson also owned, operated, and successfully sold his own veterinary hospitals. Always a practicing DVM; his special clinical interests are avian medicine, orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. He enjoys lecturing, teaching and sharing his knowledge through journals, media,and mentorship. He is a graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, has an MSPH degree from the Howard University School of Medicine, and a BS from Southern University. He previously served as vice president of the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine and is presently a class agent for the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Robinson also served as the Chairman of the Practice Advisory Panel of the AVMA that notably issued the AVMA Practice Advisory Panel report on Telemedicine.

Murat has spent his career focused on various areas within the Human Resource field, such as Benefits, Employee Relations, Training & Development, and Recruitment. Prior to joining Heartland, Murat began his career as a generalist in the Security industry training and recruiting Security Officers. As the Human Resource Director for Heartland, Murat leverages his ingenuity and creativeness to assist practices over a wide range of HR-related topics. Murat graduated from DePaul University with his focus in Human Resources and he is PHR Certified.

Carl has more than 20 years of finance and accounting experience, including nearly ten years in the healthcare services location based business. Carl held senior finance and accounting roles while at Accelerated Rehabilitation, a private equity backed leading outpatient physical therapy company which grew to over 300 locations in eight states prior to selling to Athletico Physical Therapy in 2014. Prior to his work at Athletico and Accelerated Rehabilitation, Carl held a senior finance role at Applied Systems and served as a global accounting executive for the consulting firm A.T. Kearney working across multiple domestic and international offices. He graduated with a BA in Accounting from Northern Illinois University and a Masters of Information Systems from DePaul University.

Connor has approximately a decade of experience in healthcare operations, corporate development and investment banking. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Connor held operational and development leadership roles with National Surgical Healthcare (“NSH”), an owner and operator of over 20 short-stay surgical facilities with >500 affiliated physicians. During the course of Connor’s tenure with NSH, he held operational responsibility for several hospital markets across the country and served in a leadership capacity in one of NSH’s largest facilities. Connor previously worked in a development role with NSH, where he focused on new acquisitions of ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, physician practices and strategic portfolio growth. Connor also worked with NSH through its successful sale to Surgery Partners (NASDAQ: SRGY). Prior to joining NSH, Connor worked in the investment banking division of Cleary Gull primarily working on sell-side engagements for middle market and lower middle market companies. He graduated from Marquette University with majors in Finance and Economics.

Peter has over a decade of experience in operations and leadership roles spanning multiple industries. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Peter spent several years managing international development projects in Latin America and then as a management consultant with PwC implementing strategies to increase efficiency and operational effectiveness. Most recently, Peter was with Innovetive Petcare, focusing on improving business operations at acquired veterinary hospitals. Peter earned his BA from Virginia Tech, economics training at the London School of Economics and a dual MBA from the University of San Diego and the Tec de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.

Laura brings experience in veterinary hospital management, a passion for animals, and their care. Starting her career in the optics industry, Laura developed a low vision program in Tennessee, successfully progressed to district management, and gained skills in nurturing doctor partnerships.  However, with early-career aspirations to become a veterinarian, she decided to change course and head into animal medicine where she oversaw a large veterinary hospital and rehabilitation center.  Laura supported veterinary hospital teams as a Regional Operations Manager where she was tasked with supporting newly acquired veterinary practices in the state of Tennessee. Laura’s positive attitude and energy encourage our veterinary teams to continue to deliver exceptional client and patient care. Laura is inspired daily by her husband and their three sons.  A Canadian native, she has spent the last 30 years immersed in all things equine and has a deep-rooted love for animals and their care!

Kellie’s veterinary career began in 2012 when she graduated from Vet Tech Institute with a degree in Veterinary Technology. After working as a vet tech for several years, she decided to explore the business side of veterinary medicine and graduated with her MBA from Lindenwood University in June 2019. Kellie has worked for both privately owned and corporate owned practices. She has performed many jobs inside the clinic setting, including Vet Tech, Receptionist, Pharmacy Tech, Office Manager, and Practice Manager. Kellie is passionate about veterinary medicine, and helping others succeed. Kellie and her husband Marcus live in Belleville, IL and share a home with their four cats, Hercules, Meka, Russell, and Greta, and their corgi mix, Amadeus.

Mike has over 20 years of experience as a multi-unit leader, including over 6 years of experience in the veterinary industry. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary partners Mike lead several teams with Banfield in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and San Diego, CA where he helped his teams gain in their leadership and management skills, and promoted several of his team to new leadership positions. While at Southern Veterinary Partners Mike’s primary role was to transition newly acquired hospitals and their hospital teams to the practice. Mike has also worked in the childcare industry as well as other service industries. Mike and his wife Lynda make their home in Saint Louis, MO where they have two dogs and a pond with 15 fish. Mike’s hobbies are cycling and gardening, and he is an avid baseball fan. Mike earned his BA in Zoology at the University of Tennessee, and has an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources from New York Institute of Technology.

Michele has 25 years of multi-unit leadership which includes 11 years in the veterinary industry. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Michele worked with veterinary groups to manage General Practice, Emergency and Specialty hospitals through states in the Midwest, South, and West. Michele transitioned new hospital partnerships while working with her portfolio to help teams in their leadership/management skills and to increase operational/financial performance. Being able to support teams who help pets and clients is what energizes Michele. Michele has also worked in the car rental industry with Enterprise and Hertz. She resides in Peoria, AZ, with her husband Bill of 27 years. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting her children Ryan and Kelsey, completing home projects, cooking, and relaxing outdoors.

Hailing from New Orleans, Dr. Duris graduated from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. He has worked with multiple veterinary groups in the Specialty and General Practice realms, including Compassion First Pet Hospitals and The Nave Group, respectively. Dr. Duris uses a team-based approach to help maximize efficiency and workflow. With a lead-from-behind mentality, he empowers individuals to have maximum impact. Dr. Duris is happily married with three children, four dogs, and three cats. In his free time, you can find him alpine mountaineering, freediving, and mountain biking.

Katie has over 20 years of operational experience as a multi-unit leader including 6 years of experience in the veterinary industry. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Katie led several teams with Banfield in AL, FL, MS, AR, and TN where she helped her teams gain in their leadership and management skills, increased operational and financial performance, and promoted several of her team members to new leadership positions. Katie is passionate about supporting veterinary professionals grow their careers. Katie has also worked in the physical therapy and retail industries. Katie and her husband Dave share their home in Birmingham, AL with their pets Maggie and Jake. Katie earned a BS in Education from California University of PA.

Kaylene began her career in veterinary medicine upon graduation from Michigan State University as a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She has worked in general practice, emergency practices, research, and as a practice manager at an internal medicine practice. She spent several years teaching a variety of courses to veterinary technician students while also taking courses in business management. Most recently she worked for Petco as a District Services Manager where she helped her services teams grow their businesses by fostering relationships with their guests and providing great customer service. She has a passion for helping team members with professional growth, mentoring, teaching, and working with teams to provide exceptional visits for our guests. Kaylene is originally from Michigan but currently resides in Minnesota with her husband Jayme and youngest son Noah. She also has five adult children and three wonderful grandchildren she enjoys spending time with. Kaylene loves to spend time with her family on their hobby farm with their goats, pigs, chickens, peachicks, turkeys, dogs, and cats. In her spare time, she loves reading and painting.

Jon has more than twenty years of finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Jon was Vice President of Finance at FlexManage (an IT consulting firm). He has also held senior finance roles at two global management consulting firms—A.T. Kearney and Huron Consulting Group. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in accountancy and is a registered CPA in Illinois. In his time outside of work, Jon enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and their chocolate labradoodle.

Jon has more than twenty years of finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining Heartland Veterinary Partners, Jon was Vice President of Finance at FlexManage (an IT consulting firm). He has also held senior finance roles at two global management consulting firms—A.T. Kearney and Huron Consulting Group. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in accountancy and is a registered CPA in Illinois. In his time outside of work, Jon enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and their chocolate labradoodle.

Christy has enjoyed working in the veterinary field for the last 8 years, most recently in regional management for another veterinary practice group supporting practices in the Midwest. Christy earned her BA in Illinois, and had a career in optical management prior to joining the veterinary field. Christy has a passion for serving others and being able to support teams who help pets and their people. Christy and her family live outside Milwaukee and enjoy being active in the community as well as tooling around the country in their RV with their two dogs enjoying the great outdoors.