MISSION VETERINARY PARTNERS - Key Persons
After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1986, Barbara worked as an associate veterinarian in a few private practices and an emergency clinic before starting her own practice. While in private practice, she also became involved in shelter medicine and construction projects for a new clinic, an emergency clinic, and a shelter. After 25 years of private practice, she sold to a corporate entity and began the journey as a relief veterinarian and working for the park service while living full-time in an RV.
Barbara currently resides in Northern Michigan with her husband, golden retriever, and Chihuahua. She has one son and enjoys the outdoors and traveling. Barbara joined MVP while working for a clinic that partnered with them in 2017, and currently fills the role of placing externs in clinics that offer a mentorship experience for them.
Cale Werder - Chief Strategy Officer
As the Chief Strategy Officer for Mission Veterinary Partners, Cale is responsible for leading business development strategy, organic growth initiatives, guiding corporate strategy analysis, and de novo hospital development. Cale comes to MVP with extensive experience leading data and technology-based business solutions and a broad background across sales, marketing, and operations.
Prior to joining MVP in August of 2018, Cale previously served as the Vice President of Marketing for a global leader in golf manufacturing. Prior to that, he was the Director of Sales and Marketing for a Detroit-based manufacturer part of the Dan Gilbert portfolio of companies and spent eight years with New Balance and its subsidiaries in various marketing, sales, operations, and data analysis roles.
Cale is a Michigan native and lives in Royal Oak with his wife (Katie), their daughters (Sofia & Amelia), and a chocolate lab pit mix named Eddie.
As the General Counsel for Mission Veterinary Partners and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Charles leads all operational and strategic legal issues, and oversees the legal, regulatory and compliance activities.
Prior to joining MVP, Charles served as Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operating Officer for an asset management firm. Prior to that he was a transactional attorney at Bodman PLC and Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton.
Charles holds a bachelor's degree from Albion College and completed his law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Outside of work Charles is involved with the Gift of Life Michigan, Grosse Pointe Crisis, St. John Hospital Men's Guild, and the Annual Capuchin Souper Summer Celebration for the benefit of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.
Charles lives in a suburb of Detroit with his wife, three kids and their border collie-springer spaniel.
Courtney joined MVP in August 2019 and serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Courtney has spent her career in animal health, building vast and dynamic experience in the areas of manufacturing, distribution, capital equipment and compliance. Passionate about collaborating with hospitals to run a better business, she has extensive experience developing and implementing revenue generating strategies, inventory management processes and staff development.
Courtney is a southeast Michigan native and Michigan State alumni. Aside from spending time with her husband, Jeff, two sons and Ridgebacks, Courtney enjoys down time on the lake and downhill skiing.
Job Titles:
- Director of Clinical Mentorship
Dr. Blevins received his undergraduate training in Biomedical Science at Texas A&M University. He continued his studies at Texas A&M to earn a Master of Science in Veterinary Reproductive Endocrinology in 2000 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.
Dr. Blevins has a passion for mentorship and leadership development at the clinical level. He also believes in the power of a strong team culture and advises practice leaders on the subject. Dr. Blevins is an avid saltwater fly fisherman and enjoys hunting, hiking, tennis, and golf.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Veterinary Acquisition and Development
Dr. Adam Conroy graduated from the University of Illinois in 2005 where he completed both his undergraduate and veterinary education. Upon graduation his goals were focused on becoming a proficient surgeon, practice owner and becoming a strong leader. To help accomplish these goals, Dr. Conroy went to work for Dr. Dan Markwalder at Animal Care Clinic in Algonquin, IL. After 2 years of working closely with his mentor, Adam became a partner and went on to open 5 more locations over the next 15 years. Over that time, he developed a strong passion for mentorship and leadership development.
In 2020, Adam and his partners at Animal Care Clinic, strategically decided to partner their group of hospitals with Mission Veterinary Partners. This partnership has provided Adam a national platform to carry out his mission of creating the ideal mentorship, leadership, and goal-oriented experience for veterinarians.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Learning & Leadership Development
Dr. Betsy Charles holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine with advanced residency training in diagnostic imaging as well as a master's degree in organizational leadership. She has been the Executive Director of the Veterinary Leadership Institute since 2011. She uses that expertise to help veterinary professionals understand how servant leaders can facilitate the development of high functioning organizations. Betsy has worked in general practice, specialty practice, and was a faculty member at Western University of Health Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine for over 8 years. She's been privileged to present at over 75% of the veterinary colleges in the U.S., numerous state veterinary medical associations, the American Association of Equine Practitioners National Convention for several years, and the American Veterinary Medical Association's Veterinary Leadership Conference for multiple years.
Betsy has been a keynote speaker for both veterinary audiences as well as non-veterinary audiences and she has even been a commencement speaker! She believes we all have the capacity to be exceptional people of influence by living into our true identities and learning the skills necessary to become emotionally intelligent and effective communicators, relationship builders, and boundary setters.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Medical Excellence
Dr. Brian Hamm was born and raised in central Illinois. He attended Iowa State University for undergraduate work and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. He worked in general practice for three years before returning to do a general rotating internship and internal medicine residency. He became boarded diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2012. He practiced specialty referral medicine until 2017 at which time he purchased a small animal general practice in his hometown. He worked here until he sold this clinic to Mission Veterinary Partners in 2020 at which time he joined the senior leadership team. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Medical Excellence. When he is not working he enjoys spending time with his three children as well as gardening, fishing, camping and raising reindeer.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President for the Southeast
- Regional Vice President, Southeast
As Regional Vice President for the Southeast, Dr. Brian Stewart leads operational and medical support for the hospitals in the Southeast region of the US. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Dr. Stewart attended the University of Illinois where he received his BS, BA and later his DVM with high honors. He went on to complete a small animal rotating internship at The Ohio State University. He worked in a variety of settings including private and corporate general practices along with ER and specialty medicine. He is skilled in ultrasonography, dentistry, surgery, and emergency procedures and really enjoys mentoring new doctors. He discovered his passion for developing veterinary leaders when he entered his first field leadership role in 2015. He has since worked in field medical and operational leadership for several larger corporations which landed him at MVP in June 2022.
Dr. Stewart lives in Raleigh, NC with his fiancé, two kids, two cats and a golden retriever. He enjoys working with his hands spending most of his free time working on house rehabilitation projects. Any leftover time gets spent covering shifts at the local ER clinic, exploring nature with his family, and playing tennis or music such as guitar and piano. He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys breaking down communication barriers so people and their pets can get the care they need.
As Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Dan Markwalder will be leading MVP vision and strategy for training, mentorship, and clinical recruiting. Dr. Dan is a graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and has been a practicing veterinarian for 26 years. He established Animal Care Clinic in Algonquin in March 1994 to provide an environment of high-quality care for his patients. Dr. Dan has a passion to partner with clients in providing the best care for their pets. He attends over 80 hours of continuing education each year; skydived on his 50th birthday, is a die-hard Cubs fan, grew up in Indiana and has an extensive baseball card collection.
Dr. Dan married his college sweetheart. They have four sons and a daughter, along with a Mini Goldendoodle named Maggie, a parakeet and one bearded dragon.
Job Titles:
- Director of University Engagement
Dr. Dan Phillips is a 2011 graduate from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation he completed a rotating small animal internship at Tufts prior to moving to the Chicago area where he has been ever since.
In the fall of 2016, Dr. Dan met two mentors that forever changed that course of his life and career: Drs. Dan Markwalder and Adam Conroy. Drs. Markwalder and Conroy were the first true mentors to not only ask about his professional goals but demonstrate a supportive path to help him get there. With their guidance and support Dr. Phillips worked as the medical director for Barrington Square Animal Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Il for 5 years.
During that time, he found his true passion for mentorship and training of new graduate veterinarians. In the fall of 2020, Dr. Phillips joined MVP as the Director of University Engagement. He now focuses exclusively on aligning top veterinary students with hospitals and clinical mentors that can help new graduate veterinarians achieve and surpass their goals.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President, Midwest
Dr. Jay Peters is a Wisconsin native and completed his veterinary training at the University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1997 he joined a team of doctors at CountrySide Veterinary Service where he focused on the development of their veterinary teams and hospital efficiency. Dr. Peters joined MVP in 2020 and served as Senior Regional Director of the Great Lakes Region. Dr. Peters now serves as Regional Vice President of the Midwest Region overseeing and leading 50+ hospitals in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. As the leader of this region, Dr. Peters and his team work together to create operational efficiencies, improve the quality of life for our veterinary teams, and enhance veterinary care and the client experience.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Mission Leadership Groups
Dr. Jerry Busselman's passion is helping individuals grow both personally and professionally through the facilitation of small groups. Dr. Jerry graduated from Kansas State University in 1995 and practiced as an emergency veterinarian before owning his own small animal practice for 17 years. He values authenticity and has helped develop groups for people to be their true selves and pursue personal growth.
After selling his practice, he was given the opportunity to work at MVP and develop leadership groups that also promote growth and development. Jerry also has a passion for overseas veterinary trips and has traveled to Africa several times to work in remote areas serving the local herdsmen. Jerry and his wife, Jill, enjoy adventurous travel and cuisine.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President, Northeast & Southwest
Dr. Larry Hawk has more than forty years of experience in veterinary practice and veterinary management. He began his career at Michigan State University, where he received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1978. After graduation, he joined a small animal practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he helped to design and build an award-winning animal hospital. He further developed his medical and management skills when he continued his career as Director of Marketing at Hill's Pet Nutrition, President of PetSmart Veterinary Services and PetSmart Charities, President and CEO of the ASPCA in New York, and finally the President and CEO of the MSPCA-Angell in Boston. In 2007, he brought all of his unique skills and career history to fruition as the owner of Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital where he brought digital radiography, advanced dentistry, endoscopy, and stem cell therapy to CVH.
Larry's professional interests include oral surgery, oral healthcare, laser surgery, laser light therapy, and senior patient advocacy and care. He has served on numerous boards, including the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and has an MBA from Northeastern University. In his free time, he enjoys flying airplanes and spending time with his grandchildren and extended family.
Job Titles:
- Director of Mentorship
- Director of Veterinary Mentorship
Dr. Lindsey Hedges is the Director of Veterinary Mentorship at Mission Veterinary Partners. A 2011 graduate of Purdue University CVM, she worked as an associate veterinarian for three years before opening her own denovo small animal clinic. In creating her practice, she was guided by her passions for fostering leadership in all employees, promoting Fear Free practices, and forming strong bonds in the community.
She has facilitated the Indiana VMA Power of 10 Leadership program since 2015 and currently sits on the IVMA Executive Board. Lindsey is an avid board game geek and hosts monthly Dungeons and Dragons sessions with her friends. She lives in Lebanon, IN with her husband, two cats, and two dogs.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President, West
Emily attended Oregon State's College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating first in her class in 2008. An emergency and critical care internship in Los Angeles rounded out her training. Emily worked for 8 years in private practice as an associate veterinarian, mostly in emergency and critical care. In 2017 she partnered with a former OSU classmate to purchase the 12 doctor, 24/7/365 Willamette Veterinary Hospital ("Wilvet") that she worked at. A couple years later, she partnered to purchase two other local, primary care practices - Eastgate Veterinary Hospital in Corvallis and Ark Animal Hospital in Philomath, Oregon. During that time Emily developed and implemented a Veterinary Intern Program, which satiated her interests as a lifelong learner and teacher.
Emily and her business associates partnered with MVP in the spring of 2021. Post-sale, she continued as a clinic Medical Director and Associate Veterinarian at Wilvet. Since then, she has partnered to design, recruit, and execute the startup of two other 24/7/365 emergency clinics. While she continues to occasionally work shifts as an emergency veterinarian, Emily is excited for her new role at MVP as Regional Vice President of the West!
As a longtime Pacific Northwest resident, Emily enjoys an active, outdoors lifestyle. After running collegiate cross country in Santa Barbara while completing degrees in Biology and Chemistry, she has since naturally gravitated towards trail ultramarathons and mountaineering. Calling Corvallis, Oregon home, she now enjoys backpacking and hiking with her two daughters and husband, and skiing in the winter.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Business Development
Evan was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and obtained his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Prior to joining MVP, Evan worked as an investment professional for Shore Capital Partners in Chicago, IL. He also worked as a transaction advisor for Covington Associates, a Boston-based acquisition advisor before joining Shore.
Evan's experience provides a variety of acquisition expertise, financial analysis, and business valuation advisory. With his role at MVP, he is excited to get out of the office and engage with entrepreneurial business owners who want to join a great, growing company.
Away from work, Evan enjoys playing hockey, spending time with his family, water sports, skiing, and playing golf.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
As the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Rokke is responsible for helping implement positive change throughout the organization. With 20 years of veterinary experience, Dr. Rokke offers operational expertise in multi-site management and wide-ranging hospital policy reform across all business functions. As a prior consultant for veterinary hospitals, she also has significant experience with improving operational efficiencies, profitability, medical documentation, and the development of standards of care.
Dr. Rokke Grew up in NJ and earned her BA in Zoology at Miami University before graduating from Colorado State Veterinary School. As current board member for Bowling Green State University Pre-Professional Advisory, she mentors aspiring veterinary students. Dr. Rokke lives in Dexter, MI with her husband and three kids. As an avid outdoorswoman, she enjoys the mountains, hiking and fly fishing. None of which she gets to do enough!
Dr. Jen Rokke joined MVP in March 2019.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Talent & Performance Management
Jennifer Smiles has a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan and over 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, Process Improvement, and IT Change Management. Jen is currently completing the requirements to become a certified professional coach and is passionate about creating programs that facilitate breakthroughs in performance and positively impact the culture.
Jennifer currently oversees talent, performance management, coaching, and has recently taken responsibility for internal communications at Mission Veterinary Partners (MVP). Jen is married to Todd and is the busy mom to 3 teenagers; Gavin, Gabriella, and Gracyn.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Wellness
As Vice President of Wellness, Karlene is passionate about working with groups to improve culture, communication and wellbeing in the workplace. She is a certified Everything DiSC trainer and speaks nationally to groups on behavioral styles, generational differences, body language, creating positive work cultures, leadership, wellness, work/life integration and brain training. Prior to her position as Chief Culture Officer of MVP, Karlene was CEO of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association for 15 years and has more than 30 years of experience in management. She has an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from Michigan State University, so she can cheer for whoever is winning. For fun, she sings and plays keyboards for a band called Rear View Mirror.
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President of MVP 's Great Lakes Region
- Regional Vice President, Great Lakes
As a Regional Vice President of MVP's Great Lakes Region, Dr. Long will be leading this region and its hospital teams in the growth and development of their hospitals. Dr. Long is a graduate of Michigan State University School of Veterinary Medicine and has been a practicing veterinarian for over 13 years. She has a passion for the veterinary profession and is devoted to mentorship, leadership development, medical excellence, and client relationships. She is a Spartan through and through and is frequently caught wearing her beloved green and white.
Dr. Long is married to the love of her life whom she shares two beautiful children with, Carter and Elizabeth. Her family is a driving force and support system in her life. She is also a lover of French Bulldogs and has three (Holly, Ruby, and Mini) and is a collector of all things Frenchie-inspired. If she is not found in a hospital or at an MVP recruiting event she can be found in the barn with her horse, one of her kids sporting events or various outdoor activities!
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President - Integrations & Implementation
Lisa Love joined MVP in August 2019 as the Vice President of Integrations. Lisa brings 30+ years of leadership experience in multi-site healthcare management and continuous improvement initiatives. As a Lean Leader with a Six Sigma Green Belt, Lisa specializes in identifying efficiencies and driving organization growth.
Most recently, Lisa was the VP of Quality and Continuous Improvement for Solis Mammography, where she was responsible for the development and implementation of their Quality Assurance Program. Prior to joining Solis, Lisa held multiple VP roles with Concentra, leading Field Support and Operations.
Lisa received her B.S. from Michigan State University and is a registered nurse in the State of Michigan. She and her husband, Jim, live in Oakland County, MI. They have two grown sons and relish being new grandparents. Lisa is enthusiastic about health and wellness, enjoys yoga, running, hiking, and is generally up for any adventure!
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- CFO With
As CFO with Mission Veterinary Partners, Mr. Davis will be financially guiding MVP towards better automated systems and financial streamlining. Mr. Davis was previously engaged as Chief Administrative Officer for the Stepping Stones Group (SSG), a nationally-recognized leader in school-based therapy and behavioral health services. SSG operates in more than 20 states across the U.S. through several brands, including Cumberland Therapy Services, MyTherapyCompany, AlphaVista Services, and Staffing Options & Solutions. Prior to joining SSG, Mr. Davis was the CFO for Fast Pace Urgent Care, a Shore Capital portfolio company dedicated to providing walk-in and urgent care services to rural communities across Tennessee and Kentucky. Mr. Davis was actively involved with the growth of Fast Pace and its successful sale to Revelstoke Capital Partners in August 2016. Mr. Davis initially joined the Shore Capital team in 2012 through Shore's investment in Michigan Rehabilitation Specialists (MRS), where Matt was serving as CFO prior to Shore's investment. MRS grew rapidly through multiple acquisitions and new clinic openings and was sold to ATI Physical Therapy in 2013. Mr. Davis also has experience working with physician practice management organizations, real estate investment groups and property management service providers through a number of entities where he held senior leadership positions. Mr. Davis obtained a B.S. in Aviation Management and General Business from Eastern Michigan University. He also received an MBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Michigan, Stephen Ross School of Business.
Matt enjoys spending time with his wife Stacy, their four children and their two dogs.
Michael joined Mission Veterinary Partners as the Chief Executive Officer in October 2018 after serving on the Board of Directors of Mission Veterinary Partners since the company's inception. Michael is a co-founder of MD Holdings, an entrepreneur-owned holding company formed to acquire and grow a limited number of businesses with significant growth potential. From 2015-2017, Mr. Aubrey was Chief Executive Officer of StatLab Medical Products and successfully led the company through its sale to Cressey & Company. Prior to being appointed CEO, Michael served as Co-President of StatLab Medical Products from 2009 to 2015, where he had oversight of the company's sales, marketing, product development, and technical support capabilities. Under Michael's leadership, StatLab's equity value increased 10x, and the company established itself as the premier anatomic pathology supplier in the United States. Prior to acquiring StatLab Medical Products, Michael was CEO of a parking lot facility management company where he grew revenues 7x and team member 5x in less than five years. Michael also sits on the boards of StatLab Medical Products, MedCerts, LLC., Delasco Dermatological Supply Company, Golden Bear Physical Therapy, and Crestlight Capital.
Michael graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Talent Acquisition
As Vice President of Talent Acquisition, Robin is responsible for leading full cycle recruiting teams, developing hiring strategies and driving efficiencies through technological optimization in the talent space company wide. She has an extensive background in the specialized professional staffing and consulting industry. She is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of experience building and leading teams. Throughout her career, Robin has been recognized as an expert in her field and has received multiple awards for her performance and leadership. In addition, she has been a media spokesperson conducting countless radio and television interviews on a local and national level sharing information on current market trends for employers, employees, and job seekers.
Robin received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Central Michigan University. She is truly passionate about building relationships, developing people, and driving results. Robin is a native Michigander and lives in Southeast Michigan with her husband, son, and pit bull rescue. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, traveling (ideally anywhere warm with a beach or pool nearby) and almost any physical activity, especially power walking, swimming, and volleyball.
As Chief People Officer, Ted is responsible for building and maintaining MVP's culture to ensure our people have what they need to do their jobs well in an environment where they can thrive. The People Solutions team serves employee relations and communications, payroll and benefits, learning and leadership development, as well as performance and talent management. A former CPA and small business owner, Ted graduated from Washington & Lee University and earned his Juris Doctor and MBA from SMU. Ted and his wife Jamye have two sons and an adorable peekapoo named Murphy.