APEX - Key Persons

Ms. Spelts is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. Her early career was with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in support of the Galileo mission to Jupiter. Kim made career transitions to project management and then to veterinary technology, earning her Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology and becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician in Colorado in 1999. Her early role and interests were in veterinary emergency medicine. Later, she joined the clinical staff in the Anesthesia Department of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine to focus her career

Ramona is a dual-major graduate of the University of California at Berkeley in History and Political Science. Following a long ‘first' career in corporate retail management she graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at the College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas. Ramona is a licensed Veterinary Technician in Nevada and a Certified Veterinary Technician in Colorado.

Dr. Crane is a graduate of the University of California at Davis and fulfilled extensive post-graduate clinical training in veterinary surgery and critical care. He became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1976. He has had a diverse career in veterinary medicine including private practice, teaching soft tissue surgery to veterinary students at three major universities, academic department development and administration and exited academia as Professor of Surgery and founding Head of the Department of Companion Animal and Special Species Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. He also spent a decade in pet food research and development, and served for eleven years as the Executive Director of the Western Veterinary Conference with CEO responsibilities for one of the world's two largest continuing professional education conferences for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants and veterinary business managers.

Vanessa Gemignani was raised in Colorado Springs, and returned home after earning her degree in English and a minor in Elementary Education. She spent 2 years of her undergrad at Long Island University where she dabbled in areas of business, education, journalism, and broadcasting, and finished her final 2 years of school at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Throughout her 4 years of higher education, she competed for her respective universities in collegiate volleyball, and helped her team to 3 NCAA appearances.