HOPEAMC.COM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Registered Veterinary Technician
Amy has been around animals all of her life, and her passion and dedication flourished with her work through multiple rescue agencies starting at the age of 15. Amy decided from then she wanted to become a technician, completing her degree in Veterinary Technology in 2011, shortly after becoming registered within the state of Georgia. Amy is married to Scotty, her high school sweetheart, and has one son, Sheldon. Sheldon is the highlight of her life, and she enjoys teaching Cub Scouts among other activities with him. They enjoy spending time outdoors fishing, hiking, and exploring. Amy spends her "free time" continuing her rescue efforts, where she fosters animals through multiple agencies. Amy brings to us 17 years of veterinary experience, 10 of them as a licensed technician. Amy resides in Madison county, with her "zoo" as most people call it. She shares her home with a bearded dragon, two aquatic turtles, 4 dogs, a bunny, and 13 kitties. Pictured with her is her beloved dog, Ruger. He can be found most of the time right along her side.
Originally from the Washington DC area, this southern-improved Yankee graduated from the University of Georgia in 2017 with a bachelors of science degree in Biology. Before working with Hope AMC, Ari worked for a mixed practice rural clinic and for the Athens Area Humane Society. One of Ari's favorite moments from his veterinary career was the opportunity to work with wildlife rehab, including raccoons, bobcats and birds of prey. When not working, he loves spending time hiking, kayaking and exploring with his pup, Dexter, or playing ice hockey. Ari is currently waiting to hear back from vet schools, with the hopes of specializing in anesthesia and analgesia.
To Autumn being a kennel tech at Hope means she takes care of all the wonderful animals that board with us like they were part of her own four-legged family! She moved here from Illinois to go to school to become a veterinarian as her love for animals started at a very young age. Autumn adopted a kitten from Hope and which she named Gobi. She also has a dog name Baylee, who loves to hang out on the couch watching movies and going for long walks.
Dr. Nicole Duncan was born and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She attended Newberry College in Newberry, SC, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. After graduation in 2015, she and her husband moved to Athens, GA, where she worked as a Veterinary Assistant at the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital. During her time there, she worked in many specialty services but spent most of her time with the Ophthalmology Service. One of her favorite memories is participating in free eye exam screenings for service animals.
Dr. Duncan's love for animals started at an early age, and she always dreamed of being a veterinarian. In 2017 that dream turned into reality when she was accepted into the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2021. While attending veterinary school, she was a mixed animal emphasis, completing classes and clinical rotations with both small and large animals. She enjoyed the opportunity to work with a variety of species. Dr. Duncan's special interests within the veterinary field are client education, dermatology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, and surgery.
In her spare time, Dr. Duncan enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking up new recipes, being outdoors, and caring for her animals. She has a border collie mix named Vinci, a kitty cat named Stanley, a pig named Ziggy, and 11 chickens. She and her husband plan to add more critters to their family in the future.
Dr. Duncan is excited to be a part of the team and looks forward to building life-long relationships with clients and their four-legged family members.
Dr. Sarah Clifton was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in Blythewood, South Carolina. She attended University of South Carolina and received her Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. Following graduation, Sarah moved to Atlanta, GA where she entered a vigorous management training program at the prestigious Atlanta Athletic Club. During this time, she managed over 30 employees in planning and executing business and personal events.
After several years within the hospitality industry, Sarah had excelled within her position but felt that passion was lacking from her career. After careful consideration, she decided to make a drastic career change. Sarah had always had both a love for animals and medicine. Veterinary medicine instantly intrigued her and she set off to pursue this new career.
Dr. Clifton was accepted into the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2016. While attending veterinary school, she excelled in all of her studies and received yearly scholarships for her stellar GPA. She wore many hats during her studies including the title of Student Ambassador, Small Ruminant Club Treasurer, Large Animal Research Technician, Oconee Regional Humane Society Volunteer, wife, and mother. During her final year, she was inducted into Phi Zeta Honor Society. After 4 years of hard work, Sarah graduated magna cum laude and also received a certificate of proficiency in clinical pathology.
Although she enjoys all facets of veterinary medicine, she most enjoys ultrasonography, cardiology, dermatology, and complex internal medicine cases. Dr. Clifton focuses her annual continuing education on improving her ultrasound abilities of the chest and abdomen. She impresses upon her clients the importance of screening ultrasounds as a form of preventative medicine along with thorough yearly wellness examinations and complete blood work analysis.
As most veterinarians do, Dr. Clifton has a big spot in her heart for animals. She provides a loving home to 7 dogs, 4 cats, and 2 chickens. When she is not working up a challenging case at Hope Animal Medical Center, she enjoys spending time at home with her husband and children.
Dr. Hope, owner of HOPE Animal Medical Center, graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania with a BS degree in Geology. She was commissioned in the Army and served in the Corps of Engineers. Upon completing her military obligation she graduated with honors from West Virginia University with a BS degree in Animal Science. She graduated from UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. She enjoyed working in multiple practices and emergency hospitals and in April 1999 fulfilled her dream of building Hope Animal Medical Center.
For over 20 years, HOPE Animal Medical Center's philosophy of "Providing Exceptional Care For Exceptional Pets" has been a goal of Dr. Hope. Her primary interest is in surgery and she has over 25 years experience in laser surgery and endoscopic procedures.
In 2008 she joined the US Army reserves and proudly serves in the Veterinary Corps. She has been activated to serve on several missions and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Jenna started at Hope in June 2021 as a Veterinary Technician Assistant. Before working here, she worked at Hahira Veterinary Clinic as a Veterinary Technician Assistant for 3 years. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science degree with a Major in Biology at Valdosta State University in May 2021, then moved to Athens at the beginning of June. With her degree, she plans to attend Veterinary School in the future. When she's not working, she loves to paint, travel, spend time with family and friends, eat tacos, and hang out with her rescued pup, Buddy.
Job Titles:
- JTF - Bravo Veterinary Officer
Julie has been with Hope since September 2016. Born and raised in Georgia and Julie has been in Athens on and off since she was 8yrs old. She has been married to her wonderful husband Thomas for 12 yrs and has two children, Caden and Rylee. Julie has always loved animals since she was a child and even has the nickname Ellie Mae from her parents because she was always rescuing something and bringing it home. Julie gets her love of animals from her dad and knows that he would be very proud of her and the difference she has made in many animals lives. Julie currently has a Great Pyrenees, Badger, and Chihuahua named Foxy and two tabbies named Baby Cat and Bunny. In her free time, she enjoys saving animals, caring for the elderly and spending time with her family. She has learned a lot from all of the wonderful staff at Hope and is genuinely grateful for the opportunity.
Our bubbliest addition the Hope family is Kathryn Kidwell, but everyone calls her Kat. She is a born and bred Georgia peach and joined Hope in January 2019. When Kat saw the receptionist position come open, she knew it was for her because of her love for animals and people. She has been married to her best friend, Cody, for nine years and is a proud fur mom to 4 dogs, 3 pigs, and a cat. When Kat is not at work, she enjoys crafting, working on her home projects and spending time with friends and family.
Macy joined Hope in January of 2021. Before moving to Athens in January, she worked as a veterinary technician assistant in Savannah at a mixed animal practice for 3 years. She was born and raised in a small town right outside of Savannah. She is currently in school at the University of Georgia finishing her undergrad degree in animal science with plans on attending veterinary school for small and large animal. When she's not at work or in class, you can find her at the beach, riding horses, or playing with her dogs. She has 2 dogs, a schnoodle named Molly Mae (pictured) and a 7 month old Labrador puppy named Remi Kate.
McKenna was born in Kennesaw, GA and moved to Athens for school in 2019.Veterinary Medicine has always had a special place in her heart. That little girl's dream of being a vet still hangs around. McKenna has worked in Veterinary Hospital's since she was 15 years old and still loves it. She has volunteered at horse rescues around the state regularly since long before she could drive. Trinity Rescue Inc. in Rome, GA will always be her safe haven. McKenna graduated high school with a degree in graphic design from Chattahoochee Technical College in 2018 and is now in school at UGA following a pre-med track, hoping to be a human doctor one of these days. Growing up a teacher's kid and a mechanic's daughter, McKenna can do or fix just about anything. Her long-term partner Neil is an AEMT in John's Creek, GA and they have the sweetest 7 yo female Golden Retriever named Dixie. McKenna's childhood dog is a sassy 7 yo male Shih Tzu named Dooley, who is the love in her heart even with his cute little head tilt, and is lovingly named after Vince Dooley- former football head-coach of the Dawgs. If you can't find McKenna, she is at the farm nine times out of ten. Being out at the farm with the dogs and the horses is her happy place. The beach makes a very close second place.
Meagan comes to Hope from a mixed animal practice near Savannah where she worked as a technician assistant for a year. She was born and raised in a small town near Savannah before moving to Athens to pursue an undergraduate degree in Applied Biotechnology with an emphasis on animal science. Meagan plans to use her degree to achieve her lifelong dream of being a large animal veterinarian. She has two cats, named Peter Parker and Mary Jane, that she had to leave at home to pursue her education. When not working Meagan enjoys hiking, reading, binge-watching StarTrek, and teaching her cats tricks.
Nicole started working at HAMC in 2018 as a Veterinary Technic ian Assistant. She has moved around a lot growing up, but loves Georgia and ultimately wanted to be back in the peach state. Nicole went to military school and became certified as an Animal Care Specialist in 2017 and went to Animal Behavior College and received her Veterinary Assistant Certification in 2018. Her passion for animals is what drives her every day to continue learning and be the best that she can. She loves the outdoors (when it's warm), trying new things outside of her norm, and new adventures! She has one dog, Stella, and the sweetest kitty named Mr. Mango.
Ryanne moved to Athens in 2020 to pursue a degree in Animal Science at the University of Georgia. Ryanne grew up in Newnan, Ga with a house full of animals including dogs, cats, and a rabbit. She has always been a lover of animals big and small and plans to be a small and large animal Veterinarian. Ryanne has a horse named Lauren and two rescue dogs named Annie and Alfred. If she's not at the barn on the weekends, then she enjoys camping and traveling with the dogs!
Sydney joined the Hope family in May 2021. She graduated in December 2021 from UGA with her B.S.A. in Animal Science. Sydney is mom to her beautiful Pitt/Catahoula mix named Bentley, who absolutely rules her world, and a handsome kitty, Baxter. She always knew she wanted to work with animals and is in the process of applying to vet schools! Sydney is an extremely bubbly person who loves caring for both patients and clients. In her free time, you can catch her riding horses and going on hikes with her dog and friends!
Teri Jordan, our Practice Manager, joined Hope in 2011. She makes it her goal to make sure the Doctors and Staff provide every client and patient the best possible care every time they walk through the clinic doors. Teri is a proud member of the Uncharted Veterinary Community. In 2018, Teri obtained her Certification from the VMC School of Veterinary Practice Management. She came to us from the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital where she was a Small Animal Referral Coordinator for over five years. Teri graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications: Radio/TV/Film. Teri and her husband, Jeremy, relocated to Georgia in 2006 when Jeremy started as a Lineman for Jackson EMC. They have a 19-year-old son, Cale, who is a Sophomore at Georgia Military College and a member of the Bulldog Football team and a 10-year-old daughter, Finley, who is a stellar softball player! In Teri's spare time you can find her cheering on kids at their sporting events or at a car show with her Husband and their show truck. Teri has two dogs, Digger, a black lab mix and Wrigley, a Yellow Lab.