CURRICULUM VITAE

Work Experience

UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital – RVT, VTS – Anesthesia Department 2009 – Present

Supervisory Duties:

• Supervisor Large/Small Animal Anesthesia Services

• Work closely with faculty and staff in other departments to help meet their scheduling needs for procedures requiring sedation and anesthesia

• Manage and maintain weekly staff, student and visitors schedule

• Manage and maintain monthly continuing education lectures for anesthesia technical staff

• Actively involved in interviewing and hiring new staff for positions within the small animal anesthesia, neurology, dentistry and surgery departments

• Developed new employee handbook

• Developed and maintain an online library of videos, articles, textbooks and other training documents for anesthesia staff and residents

• Revamped new and visiting employee training program, provide hands-on training, evaluate new staff progress during the probationary period, meet and discuss training with new staff during the probationary period

• Provide annual evaluations for anesthesia staff

• Developed SOP and training documents required for AAHA certification

• Act as departmental representative for AAALAC, IACUC and AAHA inspections

• Provide didactic teaching to residents, students, visiting veterinarians and veterinary technicians 

• Manage annual employee safety training via the UC Davis LMS system

• Run monthly staff meetings for anesthesia service

Technical Duties:

• Provide anesthesia/analgesia support for all surgical and medical procedures on dogs, cats, large, and exotic animals

• Ability to safely, effectively and independently induce and maintain anesthesia for ASA levels I-V, including emergency cases

• Proficient with the following anesthetic skills and knowledge: drugs calculations, multimodal anesthesia techniques, multi-parameter monitors, various inhalant delivery machines, administering emergency drugs, blood transfusions, fresh frozen plasma, various intravenous fluids, patient triage and management, RECOVER CPR and life support techniques 

• Maintain and troubleshoot anesthesia equipment including various general inhalant anesthesia machines and various types of multi-parameter monitors

• Purchase basic and specialty equipment and supplies needed for patients requiring anesthesia

UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital – RVT – Companion Avian and Exotics Department – 1999 – 2009

• Provided technical support for exotics department, including, but not limited to venipuncture, biological diagnostic sampling, radiography, fluoroscopy, physical examinations, restraint and handling, nursing and supportive care management, anesthesia, surgical nursing, OR maintenance and client communication and education for multiple companion and wildlife exotic animal species

• Maintained, set-up and troubleshot specialty equipment including, but not limited to endoscopic equipment, surgical drills and saws, bipolar and unipolar cautery, anesthetic darting systems, nebulizers and various microsurgical instruments 

• Wrote and maintained IACUC research and teaching protocols

• Purchased equipment, supplies and specialty foods as needed

• Managed client food order line, including keeping specialty diet inventory stocked and ready for client purchase 

• Managed and maintained student treatment crew schedule for weekend and holiday coverage

• Organized daily schedules and clinical procedures with faculty, residents and other CAPE staff

• Provided didactic teaching to residents and students including team teaching student labs

Penn Foster Technician Instructor – 2016 to Present

• Teach exotic animal medicine and anesthesia webinars

• Teach anesthesia and analgesia webinars

VSPN Instructor (www.vspn.org) - 2011 to Present

• Exotic Small Mammal Anesthesia 

• Avian Anesthesia

• Reptile Anesthesia

• Basic Exotic Small Mammal Nursing

• Exotic Animal Radiology

• Small Animal Anesthesia Case Presentations

• Capnography 101

• Pediatric and Geriatric Anesthesia

VetMedTeam Instructor (www.vetmedteam.com) - 2012 to Present

• Advanced Principles of Exotic Small Mammal Diseases and Disorders

• VETERINARY NURSING: SMALL ANIMAL ANESTHESIA FROM PERIOPERATIVE TO RECOVERY

• VETERINARY NURSING: SMALL ANIMAL ANESTHESIA PATIENT PREP AND PHARMACOLOGY

• Veterinary Assistant Program – Exotics Section Instructor

Yuba Community College Veterinary Technology Program – Adjunct Professor – 2008 to 2012

• VETT 10 Wildlife and Exotic Animal Medicine

• VETT 57R Special Projects Class

• VETT 53B Radiologic Imaging

Education

• Graduate of the Yuba College Veterinary Technology Program - May 1998

• VTS in Anesthesia/Analgesia - October 2009

• VTS in Companion Exotic Animal - April 2012

• UC Davis - Undergraduate Studies

  • Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology

  • Avian Science

• Working towards Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner certification 

Supervisory and Management Training

• UC Davis Supervisory Development Program

  • Preparing for Supervision Certificate Series

    • Introduction to Supervision

    • Living the Principles of Community

    • Workplace Communication Skills

    • The Basics of Delegation

    • Next Steps to Supervision

    • Giving Feedback

    • Coaching Performance

    • Workplace Conflict: Strategies for Resolving Conflict

    • Workplace Violence Prevention

• Developing as a Supervisor Certificate Series 

  • Principles of Supervision

  • Living the Principles of Community

  • Principles of Leadership

  • Communicating Goals and Expectations

  • Employee Recruitment and Selection

  • Navigating Personnel Policies

  • Supervising in a Union Environment

  • Employment Law and Liability

  • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

  • Coaching for Performance and Development 

  • Conducting Employee Performance Appraisals 

  • Safety Leadership for Supervisors 

• Veterinary Support Personnel Network (VSPN)

  • Management/Supervisory Classes

    • Counting the Beans: Budgets, Reports and Analysis

    • Training – Building Your Dream Team

    • Employee Evaluations and Performance Planning

    • Moving Through the Ranks: Technician to Supervisor

    • Communication and Conflict Management Module 1: Communication and Organizational Development

    • Communication and Conflict Management Module 2: Conflict Management, Resolution, and Mentoring 

    • Communication and Conflict Management Module 3: Balancing Your Life and Managing Your Stress

• International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society

  • Leadership Classes

    • Common Veterinary Leadership Failures and How to Avoid Them

    • Survival Guide to Critical Conversations

    • Leading with Humor

Continuing Education Lectures Given 2002 to Present

• American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Annual Symposium*

• American Animal Hospital Association Annual Conference*

• Carrington College of California Veterinary Technology Program – Guest Exotic Animal Medicine Speaker

• Conti Symposium – UC Irvine

• ContinuEd Anesthesia Lectures Series*

• CVC Kansas City Annual Conference*

• CVC San Diego Annual Conference*

• CVC Washington DC

• International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 

• Lafeber Vet Webinar – Exotic Small Mammal Anesthesia

• North American Veterinary Conference*

• OAVT Annual Veterinary Symposium

• Sage Veterinary Centers Annual Symposium

• Southwest Veterinary Symposium

• UC Davis Annual Back to School Veterinary Seminar*

• UC Davis Exotic Animal and Wildlife Symposium 

• UC Davis Fall Symposium

• UC Davis Spring Symposium

• UC Davis Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (SVECCS)

• UC Irvine Southern California Annual Back to School Veterinary Technician CE Seminar – On the Road

• Wild West Veterinary Conference

*Indicates multiple years

Lecture topics included the following:

• ABC's of Dental Disease in Exotic Small Mammals

• Advanced Anesthetic Techniques in Exotic Animals (includes birds, reptiles, and exotic small mammals)

• Advanced Anesthetic Techniques in Dogs and Cats

• Anesthesia for the Dental Patient

• Anesthesia for the Geriatric Patient

• Anesthesia for the Pediatric Patient

• Anesthetic Protocol Selection – What Would You Do? 

• Capnography 101 

• Management of the Critically Ill Exotic Small Mammal

• Management of the Critically Ill Reptile

• Management of the Critically Ill Exotic Pet

• Master Class – Anesthetic Protocol Selection of Exotics Animals

• Master Class – Anesthetic Protocol Selection for Dogs and Cats

• Master Class – Physical Examination and Venipuncture Techniques of Exotic Animals

• Monitoring Equipment – What We Should Really Be Using

• Performing Anesthesia in the Neurologic Patient

• Performing Quality Anesthesia on Companion Avian Patients

• Performing Quality Anesthesia on Exotic Small Mammals

• Performing Quality Anesthesia on Reptiles

• Physical Exam, Capture, Restraint, and Venipuncture Techniques of Exotic Small Mammals

• Physical Exam, Capture, Restraint, and Venipuncture Techniques of Reptiles

• Radiographic Techniques and Positioning of Exotic Animals (includes birds, reptiles, and exotic small mammals)

• Wet lab – Handling, Restraint, Physical Examination, Venipuncture, Catheterization Techniques in Exotic Animals 

Publications

• Critical Care Management of the Exotic Animal - Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care for Veterinary Technicians – 2020 Elsevier  

• Pain Management and Becoming a Patient Advocate – Today’s Veterinary Nurse March/April 2017

• Advanced Anesthetic and Analgesic Techniques NAVTA Journal Feb/March 2016

• Anesthetic Considerations for the Endoscopic Patient in Endoscopy for the Veterinary Technician – 2015 Wiley Blackwell

• Small Mammal Transfusion Medicine chapter in Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking - 2016 Wiley Blackwell

• Companion Exotic Animal Electrolyte and Acid-Base chapter in Acid-Base and Electrolyte Handbook for Veterinary Technicians – 2016 Wiley Blackwell

• Anesthesia and Exotics Animals chapters in Review Questions and Answers for Veterinary Technicians – 2016 Elsevier

• Anesthesia and Exotics Animals chapters in Review Questions and Answers for Veterinary Technicians – 2020 Elsevier

• Exotic Animal Anesthesia and Analgesia chapter in Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician -  2016 Wiley Blackwell

• Critical Care Management of the Exotic Animal - Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care for Veterinary Technicians – 2015 Elsevier

• Principles and Practice of Veterinary Technology, Third edition, Chapter 27 – Nursing Care of Companion Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians and Chapter 28 – Nursing Care of Orphaned and Injured Wild Animals

• Reptiles – Performing a Physical Examination, Veterinary Technician Journal, Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2005

• Basic Techniques in Rodent Medicine, Veterinary Technician Journal, Vol. 26, No. 11, November 2005

• Reptiles – Pre-Examination Considerations, Veterinary Technician Journal, Vol. 25, No. 12, December 2004

• Step by Step: Lizard Venipuncture – How to Successfully Obtain a Blood Sample, Veterinary Technician Journal, Vol. 25, No. 5, May 2004

• Lafeber.com articles include - Venipuncture in Small Mammals and Restraint and Handling of Exotic Small Mammals 

Special Acknowledgements

• Featured on the front cover the Veterinary Technician Journal May, 2004

• Served as a peer reviewer for exotic animal medicine topics for the Veterinary Technician Journal (Vetlearn.com) from 2004-2013

  • Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia

    • Currently serves on the credentials and nominations committees 

    • Current appeals committee chair

    • Member at Large 2014-2020

    • President Elect AVTAA

  • Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Clinical Practice

    • Founding member of the Companion Exotic Animal sub-group

    • Currently serves on the credentials and examination committees

    • Executive Secretary

    • Current appeals committee chair 

  • California Registered Veterinary Technicians Association

    • Board of Directors 2015-2017

*References Available Upon Request