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Summer Conference Speakers

Live & In-Person
/
Ocean city, MD
/
June 22-24, 2023
Nick Archambault
DVM, DACVIM
Thursday, June 22
Small Animal
  • Vertebral Fracture & Luxation: There is Hope
  • Breed Associated Neurological Disease
  • Meningoencephalitis in Dogs and Cats

Originally a native Rhode Islander, Dr. Archambault moved to Michigan to complete his doctorate (DVM) at Michigan State University. He then entered a 1-year small animal rotating internship at Texas A&M University and continued his tour of the country with a residency in neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Missouri. He achieved his board certification in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Neurology Specialty in 2015.

Dr. Archambault has been practicing as a neurologist & neurosurgeon at the CVRC-Annapolis location since 2018. His areas of clinical interest include advanced neurosurgical procedures (craniotomy, spinal stabilization, neuro-oncologic surgery) and advanced imaging (MRI, CT) novel techniques.

Marlin Blough
CVT, RVT
Saturday, June 24
Veterinary Technology
  • Weight Watching - Let Them Join for Free
  • Training Required
  • Just Try It, You Might Like It
Marlin started his veterinary career in 2004. After 10 years of on the job training he went back to school for his associates and then passed the national board exam to become a credentialed veterinary technician in Pennsylvania. In 2022 he moved to Maryland and completed the requirements to have a license issued in this state as well. During his career he has worked in general practice, emergency medicine, and has also taught in the same program he graduated from. He enjoys all aspects of the veterinary field, but especially enjoys client education and teaching. Outside of work Marlin enjoys spending time with his fiance who is also an RVT, spoiling their furry kids, and reading. He has a personal library of over a thousand books in a variety of genres and topics.
Kelly Cronin
DVM, DACVECC
Friday, June 23
Practice Management & Veterinary Technology
  • Marketing - Budgeting to Implementation
  • Learn to Lead in your Clinic
  • Creating and Implementing a Training Program
  • “Go with the Flo” Triage for the Way Too Busy
  • Anesthesia Angst
  • Creating and Implementing a Training Program
Kelly Cronin started in veterinary medicine by volunteering. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a BS in Animal Sciences, she became licensed as a veterinary technician in Alaska in 2001, New Mexico in 2006, and Wisconsin in 2016. Kelly became Certified as a Professional in Human Resources in 2010, completing her Masters of Business Administration from Mississippi State University in 2012, and became a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2013.  Kelly wrote and published “In the Middle”, a book for veterinary technicians in management.  She is a national and international speaker presenting on leadership, management, and emergency and critical care medicine.  She serves as an instructor for VSPN, is the CEO of Success Strategies Veterinary Consulting, and most recently was the Director of Denovo Operations for the Mission Veterinary Partners (36 + hospital group) and currently is Operation Support Manager to a group of specialty and emergency hospitals on the east coast.  Kelly is an organizer of the VetTechLife CE on the Sea events.  She offers short courses online in management, technical topics, marketing, presenting, resume review, professional growth and financial fitness through Success Strategies University.
Bobbi Conner
DVM, DACVECC
Thursday, June 22
Small Animal
  • The Latest and Greatest in Fluid Therapy
  • Urgent Care Vs. Emergency…Where’s the Line?
  • A Specialist’s Perspective: The Do’s and Don’t’s of Referring a Case
Dr. Conner obtained her DVM from Michigan State University in 2007, after which she completed a rotating internship at University of Illinois in 2008, followed by her residency in Emergency & Critical Care at NC State in 2011, when she became a diplomate of ACVECC. She worked at the vet school at University of Pretoria in South Africa for a short while in 2011-2012, then joined the faculty at University of Florida from 2012-2020. Since the summer of 2020, she has been developing the emergency & critical care program at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She is passionate about teaching and learning and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Educational Psychology. Most of her current research involves identifying best practices in education and communication.
Kelly Cyr
DVM, MS
Friday, June 23
Small Animal
  • Topics in Shelter Medicine:  Providing Quality Care on a Budget
  • High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter: Part 1
  • High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter: Part 2
Kelly Cyr is a Maryland native who completed her veterinary education at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Her love of shelter medicine started when she was an undergraduate volunteering at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS). After graduating from veterinary school, she briefly worked in private practice before starting a career in shelter medicine at BARCS. She is currently enrolled in the Shelter Medicine Master’s Program at the University of Florida. In her free time she enjoys live music, practicing aerial silks, cooking, and spending time with her husband and their four cats and six rescue ferrets. 
George Elane
DVM, DACVS-LA
Saturday, June 24
Equine
  • Colic Predictability Modeling
  • Under Pressure: Diseases of the Equine Skull and Sinuses
  • 3D Printing Techniques in the Treatment of Equine Diseases
Dr. Elane was born in Laurel, Maryland where he fell in love with racehorses at an early age. He attended vet school at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in equine surgery. He completed two internships in equine medicine and surgery, first at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida, and second at Marion du Pont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia. He then went on to complete a combined Master of Veterinary Science degree during his Residency in Large Animal Surgery at the University of Florida. He is currently completing a Doctorate in Philosophy at North Carolina State University, researching changes in the intestinal epithelial transcriptome in healthy and ischemic disease states across species.
Coleen Ellis
CT, CPLP
Saturday, June 24
Small Animal
  • Setting the Stage for a Memorable Death Experience: Anticipatory Grief Techniques
  • Death Should Not Be the End: Helping Your Staff Help Them
  • Speed Learning: Children and Pet Loss, Pets and Pet Loss, and Reimagining Your Comfort Room

In 2004, the death of her dog, Mico, guided Coleen Ellis to start Pet Angel Memorial Center. In 2009 Coleen founded Two Hearts Pet Loss Center, assisting others in providing meaningful pet death care services, as well to be an educational resource in the pet grief discipline. She is Certified in Thanatology, a Certified Pet Loss Professional, and is a recognized international speaker, blogger and mentor/coach for others looking to elevate their end-of-life skills. She also teaches Pet Loss & Grief Certification courses. In 2011, Coleen released her first book Pet Parents: A Journey Through Unconditional Love and Grief and in 2022 she co-authored with Dr. Mary Gardner two children’s books focused on dog and cat loss, Forever Friend. In 2014, she helped found The Pet Loss Center, now a Gateway operation.

She is a founder and past co-chair of the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance, past president and current Executive Director of the IAAHPC, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and her alma mater Fort Hays State University’s Board where she was also the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award recipient. She lives in Dallas with her rockstar husband, Chris Burke, and the owners of the house the three animals, Rudy, Beulah and Albert.

Galya Fedderly
DVM
Friday, June 23
Exotics
  • Bird is the Word: An Introduction to Avian Veterinary Medicine
  • No More Ruts for That Slow Going Gut: How to Manage Rabbit/Rodent GI Stasis
  • Expecting the Unexpected: Exotics Emergencies 101

Galya Fedderly received her bachelor’s degree in zoology at Colorado State University in 2015. During her undergraduate years, she studied abroad in Tasmania Australia where she was able to work with the diverse endemic species there. She also volunteered for several years at the Milwaukee County Zoo and worked in a research lab studying biofilm and antimicrobial resistance in veterinary species.

During her clinical year of veterinary medical school, she participated in externships at the National Wildlife Health Center, New England Wildlife Center, Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium (Melbourne Australia), and Avian and Exotic Clinic of Indianapolis. She received her doctorate of veterinary medicine with a business management association certificate from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2019.

Since graduation, she has been an associate veterinarian at Pender Veterinary Centre in Fairfax, VA. There she has been seeing exclusively exotic animals at Pender Exotics since 2020. She has a special passion for exotic mammals but manages medical and surgical cases in most mammal, avian, reptilian, amphibian, and aquatic species. In her spare time, she enjoys scuba diving, knitting, reading, and watching anime. She has two guinea pigs named Petrichor and ROUS (Rodent of Usual Size) and a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Boxer mix named Kaito.

Alison Gardner
DVM, MS, DACVS-LA, DACVECC-LA
Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24
Equine
  • Colic: Predicting Outcome Based on Admission Variables
  • Colic: Correlating Pre-Surgical Diagnostic Techniques to Surgical Findings
  • Colic: Pre- and Post-Operative Strategies for Improved Prognosis
  • Severe Lacerations: Saved by the Referring
  • A Review of the Phases of Wound Healing
  • Exuberant Granulation Tissue and Non-Healing Wounds
Currently an associate professor of equine emergency and critical care at The Ohio State University, Dr. Gardner is a native Coloradoan who went to Colorado State for a Bachelor’s and Master’s before getting accepted to the CSU DVM class of 2011. An internship at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center was followed by a surgical residency and emergency and critical care fellowship at The Ohio State University, which led to a faulty appointment. Her main role at OSU is as an attending on the equine and critical care service, with additional roles in teaching and curriculum development. Her research interests are clinical and collaborative with an emphasis on prognostication of severe abdominal disease.
DJ Haeussler
DVM, DACVO
Friday, June 23
Small Animal
  • All Ulcers Are Not Created Equal: Understanding the Nuances of Canine
    Ulcerative Keratitis: Part 1
  • All Ulcers Are Not Created Equal: Understanding the Nuances of Canine
    Ulcerative Keratitis: Part 2
  • Retina and Optic Nerve Diseases in Dogs and Cats: The Magic and Mystery
    of Posterior Segment Disease
Dr. DJ Haeussler grew up in the Cincinnati area. He finished his undergraduate work at The Ohio State University and then received his doctorate in 2006. He then went to New Jersey where he finished two internships at Garden State Veterinary Specialists and then returned to his alma mater, The Ohio State University to complete his residency. While at Ohio State University for his residency, he completed a Master of Science degree and earned the top award for professional student research at Ohio State as well as the top resident award for professional research at the annual American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) in 2010. Dr. DJ Haeussler has been published in Veterinary Ophthalmology, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Clinician’s Brief, and others. His publications have been referenced in the gold standard textbook, Veterinary Ophthalmology. Dr. Haeussler has also published a photographic atlas to help better help veterinarians and veterinary technicians identify ophthalmic disease in dogs and is entitled Recognition of Canine Ocular Disease: A Photo Atlas, Volume 1. Dr. Haeussler’s photographs of ophthalmic disease are found in textbooks and lectures worldwide. Dr. Haeussler has also served as a part-time ophthalmology consultant and clinician at Garden State Veterinary Specialists, in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Dr. Haeussler is a board certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO). Dr. Haeussler has also served on the ACVO Public Relations committee as the committee chair, president of the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association, and was a member of the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association Board of Trustees.
India Howard
DVM
Saturday, June 24
Small Animal
  • NVAP Module 2: Role of Agencies and Animal Movement Forms
  • NVAP Module 19: Animal Health Emergency Response

Dr. India Howard is native of Mobile, Alabama where she developed her love for seafood.

While focusing on ruminant health and sustainable options for small-scale farmer in my Master’s program, India explored feed and land management alternatives.

Dr. Howard began her career in regulatory medicine through an internship awarded to the time her doctoral program. Her education and tactical experience has helped her develop capabilities to coalesce private veterinary practice and policy regulations established for animal disease traceability and surveillance.

India serves as a Veterinary Medical Officer in northern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware facilitating a multitude of tasks missioned to safeguard our global agriculture and economy in support of live animal health.

Some of Dr. Howard’s hobbies include gardening, cooking southern cuisine and spending quality time with her family.

Camilla Jamieson
DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS
Thursday, June 22 and Friday, June 23
Equine
  • Assessing and Stabilizing the Critical Foal
  • Acid-Base  Made Easy in Equine Emergency Medicine
  • Fluid Therapy in Foals
  • Multimodal Analgesia and Field Anesthesia in Horses
  • Basics of Equine Cardiology
  • Colitis in the Adult Horse 

Dr Jamieson was born in rural Vermont, but traveled and moved with her family, living in the UK and Portugal and then Oklahoma, Texas, and Qatar to pursue her career in equine medicine.

Dr Jamieson graduated from the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science in 2011 as one of the flagship graduating class. She began to specialize in equine practice from her first externships after her first year of vet school, and went on to complete her internship at Lingfield Equine Vets in Surrey, where she had spent much time as a student. She stayed at LEV as an associate before moving back stateside to complete her specialist training. 

Dr Jamieson’s passion for medicine, especially high risk and critical care foals, drew her to specialize in internal medicine, completing a fellowship and residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Oklahoma State University. She obtained board certification with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2018. During this period, she worked with the a number of infectious disease researchers in the region, and developed a passion for research, with a focus on critical care modalities that improve the outcomes of the equine patient.

Dr Jamieson then spent a year in private practice in Houston Texas, working with various disciplines of horses including top rodeo and ranch horses, elite jumpers, and dressage horses, which increased her skills in sports medicine and lameness, however, her love for foals, and equine research drew her to the opportunities at the EVMC in Doha, where she spent 4 years establishing the internal medicine and anesthesia services. However, after 4 years in the Middle East, missing home and missing the world of academia, as well as her growing passion for emergency medicine, brought Dr. Jamieson back to the states where she did a 4-month locum as an emergency clinician at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute before joining the faculty at Purdue as an Assistant Professor of Large Animal Emergency and Critical Care.

In her spare time, Dr Camilla enjoys training her KWPN gelding Architect and is looking forward to exploring the Indiana dressage circuit this summer. She also enjoys yoga, rock climbing, and she has recently discovered a love for SUP and SUP yoga. If she’s not at the clinic, the barn, or the gym, you can find Dr. Camilla out to dinner with friends! 

Amy Polkes
DVM
Thursday, June 22
Equine
Sponsored by:
antech
  • Cardiac Evaluation for the Performance Horse
  • Cardiac Cases 
  • Updates on Equine Endocrine Disease

Dr. Amy Polkes is a board certified Equine Internal Medicine specialist. Dr. Polkes received her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and her degree in Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University. She continued her training at the University of Florida to become board certified in Large Animal Internal Medicine in 2000.

She established an Equine internal medicine mobile consulting practice, Equine IMED, in 2002 that services Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Dr. Polkes has also been working with Antech Diagnostics for 20 year and currently holds the position of Equine Internal Medicine Diagnostic Specialist advising on diagnostic testing for the equine division.

Dr. Polkes resides in Maryland with her husband (also a veterinarian specializing in small animal internal medicine), two children and four dogs. She enjoys hiking, biking and skiing and spending time with her family.

Kyle Renaldo
DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
Saturday, June 24
Small Animal
  • Thyroid Gland Neoplasia
  • Pancreatic Neoplasia
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasia

Dr. Renaldo received his DVM from Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. He obtained his Master of Science degree and medical Oncology residency at The Ohio State University. He received his diplomat status in 2021 after completing publication of his residency research project on canine and human diffuse large B cell lymphoma. He received additional training during his rotating internship at the University of Georgia and during his oncology internship at Blue Pearl in Florida. Dr. Renaldo’s decision to pursue veterinary medicine in college was prompted by an externship he did with his family pet’s general practitioner. Seeing the clients’ gratefulness and experiencing the challenges of the fast-advancing cancer medicine field influenced his decision to then pursue a residency in oncology. He also has a strong interest in translational medicine using veterinary medical oncology and veterinary clinical trials to provide advancement in human medical oncology. This interest has been strengthened with the recent diagnosis of his mother with Stage III pulmonary adenocarcinoma in 2021.

One of the most rewarding aspects of working in veterinary medicine and oncology for Dr. Renaldo is helping people through difficult decisions on behalf of their pet, and experiencing the joy of watching them see their pet survive or at least have a significantly prolonged life after treatment. His ability to communicate with clients and demonstrate empathy in difficult situations is a key strength in medical oncology. Dr. Renaldo has significant interest in canine lymphoma, histiocytic sarcoma, and osteosarcoma. He does not currently have pets but is looking to get a Bernese Mountain Dog in due time. A Florida native, he loves the beach and living near water, and is also an avid Tampa Bay sports fan (Tampa Bay Rays baseball and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey). Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his extended Italian-American family from the New York/New Jersey region. He also enjoys extensive travel and hopes to return to international travel as the pandemic improves over time.

Renee Rucinsky
mS, DVM
Saturday, June 24
Small Animal
  • Sometimes They Aren’t Old and Skinny - The Hyperthyroid Cat of the 21st Century
  • That Cat is Diabetic - Now What? More Than Just Insulin, and What the Heck Am I Supposed to Do With SGLT2 Inhibitors?
  • Feline Endocrinology Weirdness, More Common Than You Think?  - Hyperaldosteronism, Hypothyroidism, and Hypersomatotropism

Dr. Rucinsky is a graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and has been a board certified feline specialist for over 20 years. She has authored multiple guidelines and book chapters, with a heavy emphasis on feline endocrinology. She is the owner of Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital as well as Mid Atlantic Feline Thyroid Center in Queenstown, Maryland. She is also the current President of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

Despite being a frequent speaker on all things cat, Dr. Rucinsky assures everyone that she loves dogs, and is not a crazy cat lady. When not working, she is usually outside hiking or biking, and generally being the typical introverted veterinarian.

Nathaniel Tablante
DVM, MPVM, MS, DACPV
Friday, June 23
Poultry
  • Common Poultry Diseases and Their Prevention
  • Backyard Poultry Flocks: Biosecurity and Public Health Issues
  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Updates
Dr. Nathaniel Tablante is a Professor and Extension Poultry Health Specialist at the University of Maryland campus of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in College Park, Maryland. He has spent a large part of his career as a field veterinarian in the Philippines, Canada, and the United States and has more than 30 years of experience in poultry health management, epidemiology, and biosecurity. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles and educational materials on poultry health, biosecurity, and disease prevention. He has also served as a consultant on poultry biosecurity and avian influenza preparedness and response in the United States, Canada, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, and the Republic of Georgia. In addition to his D.V.M. degree from the University of the Philippines, Dr. Tablante completed a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis and a Master of Science at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada). He is also a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. He served as President of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) from 2011-2012 and the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) from 2018-2019. Since assuming a faculty position at the University of Maryland in 1997, Dr. Tablante has implemented an Extension and applied research program that focuses on improving poultry health and production through biosecurity and disease prevention. He has taught courses on economically important poultry diseases, catastrophic disease outbreaks in animals and humans, and animal health policy. Dr. Tablante served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013-2014 under the sponsorship of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Kelli Wilson
AS, RVT
Saturday, June 24
Veterinary Technology
  • Cultivating & Maintaining Positivity: Part 1
  • Cultivating & Maintaining Positivity: Part 2
  • Creating Growth Opportunities

Kelli Wilson, a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience in the veterinary field, is passionate about her job. She has worked as a vet tech in various settings, including a lab, a zoo, a general practice, specialty surgery, and currently manages an emergency department. Kelli completed the Penn Foster program and holds a license as a technician in both Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Residing in a rural part of Pennsylvania, Kelli proudly identifies herself as a farmer’s wife. Alongside her husband, she is raising their 11-year-old son and a variety of four-legged children. Their household includes a yellow lab, two miniature dachshunds, and a Himalayan cat, as well as a sulcata tortoise and a Columbian red tail boa. In addition to her hands-on work with animals, Kelli has developed a new passion for managing and cultivating her team. She enjoys discussing their growth and providing guidance to help them achieve their goals. Her aspiration is to inspire more passion for veterinary care throughout the field.

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