OUR STAFF
One FANTASTIC staff!!!
(Valley View Shopping Frenzy - September 2007)
Bottom row: Bee Jay, Dr. Kroenlein, Heather, Holly, Aimee, Tamara, Valerie, Heather and Chelsea.
Second Row: Dr. Stewart, Beth, Ashley, Brandy, Kari, Carmen, Shirley, Dr. Jonen, Cindee, Kim, Sara, Amy, Rachel, Pam and Debbie.
Third Row: Dawn, Denise, Lynsey, Kristie, Judy, Wendy, Laurie, Soni, Camber, Brandi, Kelly and Angela.
Holding Leash: "Spirit" - VAH Goodwill Ambassador
Meet the Staff!
(Updated November 2007)
Pam Holdren has been our Office Manager for the past thirty years. She and her husband, Jerry, have "Summer", a Saluki and 4 cats, "Sunny", Josie", "Sprite" and "Nada". "Nada" is the latest addition and fetches her toys just like a dog, to the point her pet parents have to hide things just to get a little rest. She was named by Jerry when he saw her and said "Nada nother one"! Hmmmm....we'll see about that!
Denise Poage, the Assistant Office Manager, co-developed this web page and graphically made it a better place. She is married to Dr. Poage and has 2 wonderful children, a Whippet angel named "Amanda", an awesome Jack Russell rescue named "Spirit" (see her story on "The Spirit Fund" page), a Fox Terrier mix named "Amber Grace" (a souvenir from a vacation to Belize - a stray with big pitiful eyes who knew how to use them:) and 2 Miniature Horses named Dinky and Sugar. She absolutely loves her job and believes her co-workers are THE BEST...especially her boss!
Dawn Roberts joined our staff in May 2002. She has worked in the veterinary field for 20 years and we feel very blessed to have her as part of our team! She loves all types of animals and she has multiple pets, one husband and 2 children! She says she is happy to be part of the Valley Animal Family and loves meeting all of the wonderful pet lovers in Roanoke!
Shirley Paxton is our groomer - another long timer (>20 years). Shirley has 4 cats, 2 dogs, 2 goats and a partridge in a pear tree. She enjoys playing pool and bingo, especially when she wins.
Judy Powell worked at Valley VAH since August of 1994. She lives in Roanoke County with her husband, John. She has three grown sons, one granddaughter and one daughter-in-law. In her spare time, she loves to garden and sew.
Carmen Thomas has worked at VAH since 1998 (except for a 1-year gap that she lived in San Diego, CA ). She has 2 great cats, a wonderful new husband and is currently in school working on her Medical Assistant degree.
Heather Byrd has been a member of the VAH family since 2003, and became Dr. Poage's and Denise's daughter-in-law in 2006! She is married to Matthew and they have an African Gray Parrot named "Jake", a Catalina Macaw named "Mr. Cuddles", a Whippet named "Chelsea", and the newest member of the family is a precious new baby boy named Travia!
Chelsea Denson has been part of the VAH family since March of 2005. She is the proud "mother" of Pebbles, a precious Yorkshire Terrier, and Tigger and Raya, her two lovable kitty cats! Chelsea attends Virginia Western and will soon be entering Nursing School. She and her special guy Ryan, plan to tie the knot next year! She enjoys volunteering in her Bible Ministry work, mountain biking and playing ultimate Frisbee. She loves working a VAH and says that everyday is a new learning experience!
Beth Lysnkey joined the VAH family in September '04. She has worked in both the human and veterinary field, but says she prefers the veterinary field...at least animals usually give a warning before they snap! :) She and her husband, James, live in Roanoke with their handsome boys named Adam and David. Her 2 dogs are "Samson" and "Bear", her 2 cats are "Teka" and "Gracie" and she also has a Leopard Gecko named "Mike". She enjoys camping, fishing, shopping and hanging out with her family and says she feels very blessed to be at Valley!
One of our wonderful hostesses is Barbara (Bee Jay) Johnson. Bee Jay was born in Roanoke, but spent many years in the D. C. Metropolitan area. She worked with the police department there, and retired 5 years ago. She is a "people person", and loves animals as well. She has a cat named Chester and a little Chihuahua named Webster who keep her hopping!. She also enjoys golf, bowling, football and reading. She joined our family in September of 2000, and says she enjoys her job thoroughly.
Brandi Walters has been a member of the Valley Animal Hospital family for 4 years (2005). She has 2 cats, "Merlin" and "Elric", a Ferret named "Turkish" and a hamster named "Beatrice". She will be attending Blue Ridge Community College through V.W.C.C. in August of 2006 - (hopefully:)
Mary Mountcastle is also one of our wonderful hostesses, and has been with VAH since July 2003! Mary was born in Virginia, but lived in Cleveland, Ohio for thirty years. In Cleveland, she bred and groomed Poodles for eight years. Now she shares her life with one special Poodle named "Precious" and three birds. Her two African Greys are named "Bailey" and "Sugar" and her Amazon is named "Chico". She loves her job and thinks Dr. Poage is super!
Cindee Sheffey has been a VAH family member since July 2003. She lives with her husband of 10 years and their 8 year old daughter, Devin, in rural Bedford County. They have an energetic one year old German Shepherd named Bo, and four cats to keep them company.
Valerie Gray is new to the Roanoke area from Baltimore where she taught middle school for six years. Valerie and her fiancée, Aaron, who was born and raised in Roanoke, are planning to be married in Las Vegas on July 20, 2008! She has had a love for people and animals all of her life, and is currently a mom to two "furry children". Harley is her three year old Boxer and J.B. is a lucky six year old mixed breed (some think Dingo and Chow) that was rescued from the shelter. She also has two scaly children brought in as rescues from her previous students - Charlie the Box Turtle and Chloe the Painted Turtle. She is eager to learn about and meet everyone in Roanoke! We welcome Valerie to the VAH family!
Lynsey Crantz has been at VAH for 3 years. She is a history major at Roanoke College and is graduating in May 2008. She loves reading and going out with her friends. She has a 10 year-old Cock-a-Poo named "Prissy" that she loves very much and thinks that Dr. Poage is the best boss ever!!!
Angela Dalton (LVT) has several pets to keep her busy when she's not at work. Malachi, a very sweet Lab mix, is a "trouble maker" who chews up everything...even needles! She also has 2 cats named China and Mercedes who enjoy making fun of Malachi! Angela spends her free time with teenagers at the Straight Street Ministries teaching them about Jesus and letting them know how much they are loved. She also enjoys reading, spending time with friends and outdoor activities.
Kristie Frank (LVT) obtained her degree at Johnson College in Scranton PA. She became part of the VAH family in the spring of 2000. She has a big interest in Exotic animal medicine with reptiles being her favorite. She met a VAH client who shared her love for reptiles, and they had a Valley Animal Hospital wedding. They currently share their home with 3 cats, a herd of guinea pigs, a variety of snakes, a bearded dragon and a dog named "Frisky", and their newest family member is a precious little girl named Addison!. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to reptile shows with her husband and road cruising for snakes....and oh yes, changing diapers :)
Soni Mills is our most recent college graduate, completing her degree to become a LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician). Congratulations, Soni! She joined us in August 2004, with much interest in avian & exotic animal medicine. Soni is married, has 4 beautiful children and a grandbaby named Cora! Her extended family includes, but is never limited to: a pack, a flock, a pride and several small furbabies. She thinks "Dr. Poage is the best boss ever and feels blessed to be here"! (We think we are the lucky ones...she chose us!)
Laurie Spangler, Animal Care Team Leader, joined VAH in 2006. She has 20+ years of experience from zoos (Mill Mountain and North Carolina Zoos) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She is a Hokie with a BS degree in Forestry/Wildlife Management from VA Tech + graduate studies in zoo management. She is currently attending evening classes pursuing an interest in health information management. Laurie has one husband, Scott, (who she met in a zoo) and one cat, Christmas. Laurie's leisure interests include reading medical thrillers and quilting. Her spare time is spent outdoors gardening, backpacking with her group of girlfriends, canoeing and bicycling with Scott, and searching for and ice skating rink so she can put her skates back in use. (We are so happy that Laurie became part of our family and she is a "most excellent" Team Leader!!!)
More to follow...
From the moment you walk into the lobby, we will do our best to make you feel at home! These wonderful ladies will greet you and your pet and help you check-in. They will even serve you cookies and coffee if you desire!
(2000) The newest furry members of our staff are Fancy and Tucker, two fortunate felines that were "rescued" from a garbage bag found in the woods of a local golf course. (Thank goodness our rescuer couldn't hit straight!) They spend their days relaxing in the play room, giving physical therapy to one of our favorite little "Dusty" dogs, and sometimes they even donate their blood to help other patients. We love our new friends and thank God that in this case...EVIL DID NOT WIN!
"TRIBUTE TO WHISKERS"
Note: Our friend "Whiskers", one of our favorite staff members, passed away on August 18, 1999, after bravely fighting a chronic illness. We all enjoy remembering him and his antics, and will always hold him in our hearts. Here is an example of why we loved him so much...his zany personality!
"Once again I was left out...so I'll write my own bio. I'm Whiskers, the 3 legged hospital cat. My hobbies are playing with my girlfriend, Tina, following everyone around after my medicine until someone finally gives me a can of Friskies (I prefer the turkey giblets flavor, just so you know), smacking puppies and aggravating dogs. That's me...I love all who feed me!"
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