OUR STAFF
"Thank you for a job well done!!!"
Valley View Shopping Frenzy - September 2010
1st Row (Sitting & Kneeling): Bee Jay, Holly, Kami, Amy, Caitlin, Angela, Amber, Denise, Dr. Poage and "Spirit" (VAH Goodwill Ambassador)
2nd Row (Kneeling): Judy, Kelsey, April, Katie, Ashley, Elizabeth, Kristie (Standing): Dawn, Soni & Beverly
3rd Row: Megan, Jessica, Mary, Sara, Shirley, Laura, Carmen, Wendy, Brandi, Debbie, Pam & David - (Karie was unable to come)
4th Row: Dr. Staley, Dr. Jonen, Dr. Gallagher & Dr. Kroenlein
Fun at Texas Steakhouse!
Meet some of our great Staff!
(Doctors have their own page:)
Pam Holdren has been our Office Manager for the past thirty years. She and her husband, Jerry, have "Summer", a Saluki and 4 cats, Josie", "Sprite" and "Nada" and "Griffen".
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 terrier mix rescue named "Spirit" (see her story on "The Spirit Fund" page), a Wire Hair 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 a Miniature Horse named Dinky. Even though she's not old enough to be a grandmother (ha, ha), her grandson is the light of her life She absolutely loves her job and believes her co-workers are THE BEST...especially her handsome boss!
Dawn Roberts joined our staff in May 2002. She has worked in the veterinary field for 25 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 enjoys meeting all of the wonderful pet lovers & their pets!
Shirley Paxton is our groomer - another long timer (30 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 two daughters-in-law. In her spare time, she loves to garden and sew.
Carmen Thomas has worked at VAH since 1998. She has a wonderful husband named Brian, a beautiful little boy named Connor, and 2 mischievous kitties named "Akasha" and "Lestat". Carmen says she "loves working with us" and "thinks we are the best vet around"!
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 retired from the D.C. Police Department there, and now "polices" our lobby! She makes sure everyone who walks through the door feels WELCOME - 2 and 4 legged! She is definitely 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, football and reading. She joined our family in September of 2000, and says she has "loved every minute of it"!
Brandi Walters has been a member of the Valley Animal Hospital family since 2001. She has 2 cats, "Merlin" and "Elric". She will graduate from Blue Ridge Community College in May '09 with a degree in Veterinary Technology.
Mary Mountcastle is also one of our wonderful hostesses, and has been with VAH since July 2003! She shares her life with three birds. Her two African Greys are named "Bailey" and "Sugar" and her Blue Front Amazon is named "Chico". Bailey and Chico are great talkers and she says that they keep her "in line"!
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! She recently acquired a new Lab mix puppy named "Trinity". 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, and in November '08 will begin enjoying her new adventure as Mrs. Jack Richards!
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 2 cats, a bearded dragon and a dog named "Frisky", and their two little girls named Addison and Gracie!. 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, LVT joined us in August 2004, with much interest in avian & exotic animal medicine. She has 4 beautiful children and 2 grandchildren! Her extended family includes, (but is never limited:) to a handful of snakes, "Malakai" the lap Rotti, "Killa" the Pit Bull mix, "Chica" the Chihuahua and "Spook" the cat. 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!)
Sara Buchanan joined us in July, 2007 after retiring from Norfolk Southern Railway's Accounting Department. She has five Irish Setters that are show dogs, and with the exception of the newest puppy, "Liam", they have all finished their championship in the show ring! Except for "Josh" who is still competing in the Best of Breed competitions, they now expend their show energy relaxing on the couch. :) Sara loves horses, UVA football and basketball, but competing at dog shows is her greatest passion!
Karie MacMackin has also been a part of our VAH family since July 2007. She enjoys her job and "loves her co-workers"! Her family includes her husband, Greg, and two boys, JT and Liam, an elderly Rat named "Freckles" and "Diego" the snake.
Wendy Harman, LVT started working at VAH in August, 2004 as a kennel attendant and graduated with her licensed veterinary technician degree in June, 2009. She is married to her best friend and high school sweetheart. Their "children" consists of a Golden Retriever mix named "Shadow" and a cool cat named "D.J". She drives to work from Rocky Mount everyday because "Valley Animal Hospital is the BEST"!
Kami Meador is a senior at Lord Botetourt High School and joined the VAH family in July of 2009. She is very enthusiastic about her job and hopes to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine. Working at VAH is the perfect place to get started with this goal! In addition to work, Kami enjoys playing soccer, swimming and just being a teenager. She says she "loves the family atmosphere at VAH and hopes to remain a part of it for a long time"! We hope so too, Kami...You are a ray of sunshine!
Amber Dickerson joined the VAH team in June 2008. She has one beloved pet, a Yorkshire Terrier name "Icky" who keeps her on her toes! Amber says the best part of working at VAH is "the sense of family". Outside of work, Amber enjoys swimming and art.
April Canterberry moved to Roanoke in late March 2010 and joined VAH in April 1, 2010. She is very passionate about her career and aspires to become an LVT. April also has a love for horses and hopes to include them in her career one day. Outside of work, she enjoys acrylic painting and watching horror films. She feels very blessed for her "extended family" she has found at VAH.
Katie Prinz joined the staff of VAH in June of 2010. Although she hasn't been here as long as some of our "family", she loves taking care of all the dogs, cats and exotics as a kennel attendant (TLC provider:) and it shows in her work. She is aspiring to be a licensed vet tech in a few years and "loves the experience she get in this job". In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her two cats, "Spooky", a sunbathing nature lover and "Calvin", the crazy indoor spaz. :)
Ashley Metz came to VAH in July of 2009 with 4 years of veterinary experience and a lot of love for people and animals! She is married to Boo and has two beautiful boys named Auston and Gavin, a Boston Terrier named "Max". She says she "loves working at Valley Animal Hospital" and we sure love having her on our team!
David Jobe comes to VAH with 25 years experience in animal care (Yay!), having worked for both the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Mill Mountain Zoo. He shares his home with three dogs, a cat and a number of birds, snakes and lizards. In his spare time, he is active with a number of animal organizations and loves to travel.
Meghan Lively has been with Valley Animal Hospital since 2005. She left in 2007 to work full time at the roanoke city Police Department, but realized after a few months how much she missed us and re-joined our team as a part-time receptionist in 2008! Currently, she has one fur-family member, a cat named "Smokey". In her free time, she enjoys reading and is a New York Yankees fanatic!
Holly Harnsberger joined the VAH staff in January of 2006. She currently attends Virginia Western Community College and lives at home with her parents, one sister and an amazing Schnauzer named Tori.
Jessica Kessler joined our team in 2010, and is a busy mother of three - daughters Allyson and Olivia, and a son Jonathan...all toddlers! She also attends Virginia Western Community College in her spare time (ha,ha). She has two cats, "Bianca" and "Sammy", four 2 year old dogs, "Taylor", "Sandy", "Lizzie" and "Callie". She adores doing fun things with her children most of all and enjoys painting (home improvement and art) as well as travel.
More to follow........page still under construction :)
From the moment you walk into the lobby, we will do our best to make you feel at home! Our wonderful greeters will greet you and your pet and help you check-in. They will even serve you popcorn, cookies and coffee if you desire! Warm mulled cider is available in the colder months.....yum!
Our Friendly 4-legged Staff:)
"Spirit", our Goodwill Ambassador and Canine Therapist, enjoys visiting schools, churches and retirement/nursing homes.
(For her story, click on "The Spirit Fund")
"Spirit" Visits Edinburgh Square
_Edinburgh%20Square.jpg)
_Edinburgh%20Square.jpg)
_Edinburgh%20Square.jpg)
_Edinburgh%20Square.jpg)
"Fancy" & "Tucker"
Two furry members of our staff are "Fancy" and "Tucker", two fortunate felines that were "rescued" in 2000 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.
"Whiskers" - A Tribute
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!"
SITE MAP Main_Entrance Home What's_New Our_Doctors Our_Staff Our_Services Virtual_Tour Cool_Links FYI Laser Contact_Us Wellness WebCam Gallery Whiskers'_Page Guestbook Web_Special Accolades
