Contributors
Stacy Pursell
Stacy Pursell, CPC, CERS, is an internationally respected Executive Search Consultant and Recruiter, based in the United States and ranked in the top 1% of search consultants worldwide. Considered the “go to expert” in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession for talent centric solutions, Stacy is a workplace/workforce expert, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) and Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS).
Stacy is the founder and CEO of The VET Recruiter and Therio Partners, executive search and professional search firms serving the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. Stacy has 25+ y ears of executive search and recruiting experience in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession and has placed more professionals in positions in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession in the United States than any other recruiter. She was the first recruiter to focus exclusively on Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine.
Mark Cushing
Mark Cushing is an attorney and the founder of the Animal Policy Group and author of the book Pet Nation.
Since 2004, Mark has specialized in animal health, animal welfare, veterinary and veterinary educational issues and accreditation, developing a cutting-edge practice across these sectors. He currently leads several industry coalitions and initiatives. Mark has guided successful accreditations for a growing list of veterinary colleges, and is co-founder of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association.
Dr. Karen Felsted
Dr. Felsted is a CPA as well as a veterinarian and has spent the last 20 years working as a financial and operational consultant to veterinary practices and the animal health industry. She is active in multiple veterinary organizations, has written an extensive number of articles for a wide range of veterinary publications and speaks regularly at national and international veterinary meetings. In 2011 and 2017, she was awarded the Western Veterinary Conference Practice Management Continuing Educator of the Year and in 2014, the VetPartners Distinguished Life Member Award.
Bruce L. Truman
Bruce is a pet technology business executive with expertise in emerging digital technologies, virtual care, and business development. He is an advisor to early-stage and channel expansion companies helping them to navigate the companion animal industry and align with the right partners. Bruce has a specific focus on key opinion leader/influencer management and vast business development network.
Wendy Hauser, DVM
Wendy Hauser, DVM is the founder of Peak Veterinary Consulting and has practiced for 35 years as an associate, practice owner and relief veterinarian. She has worked in the animal health industry as a pet health insurance executive and as a technical services veterinarian. She is a member of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee.
Debbie Boone
Debbie Boone, self-professed “customer service geek and champion for animal health,” began her training in business management and customer care at 12 years old while working in her family’s restaurants. A love of animals led her to a bachelor’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State University and her first job in the industry as a client care representative at an animal hospital. Her business, retail, and hospitality background quickly moved her into hospital administration, and she managed AAHA-accredited hospitals for 23 years. Her unique skillset includes experience working with a variety of veterinary hospitals, including small animal, mixed animal, specialty, and emergency practices. She also has experience with shelter management.
Kelly Baltzell
Kelly Baltzell, M.A. is President and CEO of the Beyond Indigo family of companies, which she founded in 1997. Under her leadership, Beyond Indigo companies have developed all types of vet-erinary websites that now reach millions of people each year in multiple countries. Since 2015, Be-yond Indigo has been a certified Google AdWords Partner, and works directly with Google. Addi-tionally, Kelly has been a monthly columnist for AAHA Marketlink since 2011. She has also spo-ken and been published in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. Kelly graduated from George Washington University with a degree in international affairs and economics and received her master’s degree in counseling and psychology from St. Mary’s.
Coral Doherty
Coral graduated Centralia College in 1993 as a Registered Veterinary Technologist. Coral has worked in a variety of veterinary workplace settings across Canada. Recently, she has been consulting veterinary workplaces as a Psychological Health and Safety Advisor, Mental First Aider and is certified in Quality Process Management. She has been working in the veterinary industry for more than two decades, first as a practicing Registered Veterinary Technologist, then as a sales lead for veterinary food, medical supplies and equipment and as a consultant helping veterinarians manage their practice. She has always had a love for animals and grew up in central Ontario. Coral counts animals among her best friends. Today, she lives in Morden, Manitoba with her husband and children. She is fulfilling her life-long dream of living on a rural property with her two horses Starr and Tess and her two dogs Spotty and Goldie.
Catherine Haskins
For more than 25 years, Catherine Haskins has provided strategic counsel to the veterinary profession in critical areas such as issues management, media training, and new product launches. Today as Founder of The Bridge Club, she leverages decades of industry insights and experience to elevate and advance veterinary medicine.
Shannon Nowak
Shannon earned a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Michigan State University. Since becoming credentialed twenty years ago, her clinical experience has been exclusively in specialty practices in services such as: emergency, critical care, internal medicine, surgery, and anesthesia. Shannon thrives on learning and teaching others, and she has held several positions professionally which have allowed her to do so. She is a Fear Free Certified professional, and is a member of many professional organizations and groups. Shannon is currently serving as Secretary on the executive board of the North Carolina Association of Veterinary Technicians. She works as the VP of Education for The Bridge Club and is also working toward starting a small business providing pet care services to her local community.