Craig has spent his entire career working in human and veterinary healthcare services companies with high growth profiles, serving in a variety of roles including finance, operations, and executive leadership. These experiences have continually reinforced his view of the importance of placing clinical excellence and patient interaction at the forefront of daily operations and development efforts. Most recently, Craig helped expand a veterinary services provider from operations in six states generating $9 million in annual revenues, to operations in 34 states across the United States and nearly $70 million in revenue over a six-year period. Craig spends his free time with his wife and the busy schedules of twin daughters.

Jim has worked in the Animal Health Industry since 1974 for manufacturers, distributors, and also owned his own veterinary distribution company during this time frame. He worked in many leadership roles throughout the years, including Sales Representative, Branch Manager, Regional Sales Director, Vice President of Sales and, most recently, Vice President of Business Development. Jim helped build Webster Veterinary Supply from a regional distributor to the largest animal health company in the world (Patterson Animal Health). He also developed the Patterson University educational program in order to help the veterinary profession manage their practices more effectively, now and in the future.

Jim and his wife, Carletta, have three children and six grandchildren that keep him busy when he is not working.

Dr. Christopher Smith obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Agribusiness degree from the University of Florida and has worked in the veterinary profession for over 20 years. Dr. Smith’s clinic practice focuses on small animal medicine and surgery, with a special interest in exotic species. His style of clinic practice aims to provide excellent patient care while meeting the unique needs of individual clients. During his spare time, Dr. Smith volunteers with several state agencies as a consultant on wildlife issues unique to Florida. This includes monitoring the health of the threatened American crocodile population, as well as ongoing research on the invasive Burmese Python and Argentine Tegu. Dr. Smith and his wife, also a veterinarian, share their home with multiple rescue animals: three dogs, two cats, a sulfur-crested cockatoo, rabbit, guinea pigs, leopard tortoises, iguana, and turtles.

Dr. Jim Dobies brings more than 20 years of clinical experience to the AVG team. He graduated from The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. After graduation, he worked as an associate at a multi-location, multi-doctor general practice outside Charlotte, NC. In 2005, Dr. Dobies started his own primary care practice in Belmont, NC. Over the next ten years, he served on the executive board of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association and on a number of local non-profit boards of directors. He’s also an active Ohio State alum and sits on the Advisory Board for the Gaston College Veterinary Technology Program. Dr. Dobies founded UrgentVet, the first dedicated urgent care for pets, in 2015. He merged his practices with AVG in 2018 and assumed the role of president of the UrgentVet division.

Dr. Dobies lives in Charlotte with his wife, Judy, their three sons, two dogs, two cats, and a hamster.

Fred Weidig, the Chief Financial Officer of American Veterinary Group, is an accomplished executive leader who has partnered with CEOs and other corporate leaders in fast-paced, high growth environments working for companies that are backed by private equity or publicly listed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Fred brings over 20 years’ experience in both public and industry accounting and finance roles, including 10 years at NeoGenomics, Inc. (NYSE:NEO) where he served as Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer.

Fred earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Merrimack College, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and has an active CPA license with the state of Massachusetts.

Fred and his wife share their home with a dog, three cats, and an amazon parrot and in their spare time are competitive Hobie Cat sailboat racers, racing in local and national regattas. In addition, Fred volunteers as the Treasurer of the Hobie Class Association of North America.

Laurie has over 25 years of marketing experience and a highly successful track record of brand development and growth for well-known consumer brands in the veterinary, pet retail, travel, and automotive industries. Excelling in digital, she has helped companies grow from launching their first website to developing omnichannel strategies designed to drive revenue growth and improve customer experience. She has helped re-engineer business processes to increase customer satisfaction, retention and improve life-time value.

She actively volunteers with animal rescue and rehabilitation groups and when she does have free time, she enjoys being outdoors, gardening and hiking with her husband and two dogs Mellow and Shamus.

Laura Rust believes that one of the most essential elements to any successful organization is its people. As the Vice President of Talent Relations for the American Veterinary Group, she focuses on attracting the best veterinary talent to hospital teams. Prior to joining AVG, she spent over a decade working in people-centric roles in recruiting, event planning, and secondary education and has recruited general practice and emergency veterinarians for some of the largest veterinary acquisition companies in the country. Her accomplishments include spearheading a nationwide campus recruiting strategy to support over 500 hospitals and create a pipeline of top talent to the company.

With her background in education, she enjoys partnering with the colleges of veterinary medicine to offer educational programs to students to guide them through the seemingly overwhelming job search process. She also enjoys the fulfillment that comes with hiring the perfect team member for practice and watching them flourish in their new role.

Laura holds a Master’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Simmons University in Boston, MA as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. In her spare time, Laura loves to spend time with her husband and their Labrador retrievers.

Chuck began his Animal Health career in January 1987, with concentrations in sales and sales management roles in both the manufacturer and distribution business channels. He spent the last 19 plus years at Patterson Animal Health and was involved in the development and implementation of key company initiatives and served in leadership roles, most recently as Central Region President – Companion Animal. In his career, Chuck had geographical responsibilities at a territory, district, region and national level working closely with internal and external partners to mutually grow the practice client-patient experience.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University in Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business. Chuck and his wife Norma live in Hoover, AL, and have one daughter, Meredith. The family enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, college sports, and their pet Sheltie, Ellie.

Chris has been in the Animal Health Industry since 1991 representing both the manufacturer and distribution segments of the business. He has spent the past 26 years at Patterson Veterinary in various sales and leadership roles including territory sales, sales management, and executive roles. Most recently, Chris spent the last six years at Patterson as the President of the East Region – the largest Companion Animal division at Patterson. He has also served on the Advisory Board for the Gaston Veterinary Technology Program for the past several years.

Chris, his wife, and two children reside in Greenville, SC.

Dr. Jon-Paul Carew gained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Biology in 1997 at FAU, before graduating from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.

Dr. Carew completed his clinical year at The University of Georgia. He has been practicing veterinary medicine in Florida since October 2001. He enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine including surgery and exotic medicine. He has a special interest in pain management and anesthesia. 

In his free time, Dr. Carew enjoys exploring north Florida’s springs and hiking with his two terriers, Finn and Calypso.

Carolina has over 10 years’ experience in accounting and financial services across several industries. Prior to joining the American Veterinary Group team, she was a Senior Financial Analyst at a Florida based forensic accounting firm assisting clients in various stages of family law, commercial litigation, and other complex business consulting matters. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting degree from the University of Tampa. Carolina works with prospective partners, their legal teams, and associates during the diligence and transition process. She serves as a key player in the transition process in conjunction with our Integrations and Development teams. Carolina enjoys living in Florida and spends her free time biking, hiking, canoeing, and otherwise enjoying the great outdoors.

Stacey brings over 20 years of operations leadership and management experience to the American Veterinary Group team, with 15 of those years in veterinary medicine. She started in the kennel and quickly realized she wanted to make this industry her life’s work. She has served in all positions of the veterinary hospital, working with exotics, zoo animals and farm animals, as well as cats and dogs. As she progressed in her career into regional operations management positions, Stacey realized she loves the animals (of course!), but her true passion lies in developing people and helping them achieve their goals.

Mom to two grown children and grandma to 5 pups, Stacey and her husband live in Dallas, Georgia. They have recently completed the renovation of a 200+ year-old farmhouse, performing 95% of the work themselves. They serve at the pleasure of 2 amazing dogs, 2 entitled cats, 4 aquatic turtles, 8 chickens, and approximately 750,000 honeybees.

Kevin has spent over 15 years in learning and development for several companies across a variety of industries. He has a passion for driving employee performance and cultivating organizational talent to develop future leaders. By leveraging adult learning principles and a comprehensive and interactive blended learning approach, he has demonstrated a proven record of elevating employee performance through engagement and application. Kevin’s main objective is to equip associates with the tools necessary to foster positive, memorable interactions for our clients that exceeds or is commensurate with their expectations.

Kevin spends his free time with his wife and four children. He coaches two soccer teams and loves watching sports!

Al has worked in the veterinary healthcare industry for over 20 years, working in all support roles inside a hospital. After working as a Practice Manager, Al has worked in multi-site operations for 13 years across 10 states. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Florida and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

In his spare time, Al loves to travel, read, spend time with family, and is an avid sports fan (football, basketball, baseball). He has a deep passion for animals, currently has three dogs, fish, and reptiles.

Lou, a veteran of the restaurant industry, has over 20 years experience in strategic growth of companies.  He excels at process development and project management which has enabled him to open over 200 restaurants in his career.  He has extensive knowledge and experience in development, construction, training and operations and believes that collaboration between all departments is essential for strategic growth of an organization.

In his spare time, Lou loves watching sports, building furniture & cooking, but most of all loves to travel and see the world with his wife Amanda.

Melanie brings over 12 years of experience in the veterinary industry to her role at AVG. During that time, she’s traversed the ranks in general practice hospitals from reception and client service to her role as a multi-unit practice manager for a large veterinary group. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Indiana University. As a Puerto Rico native, in her time away from work she enjoys all things Puerto Rican, including food and the occasional vacation back home.

Dr. Stephanie Smith is a small animal veterinarian that strives to provide a stress-free visit to the patient and a positive experience to the client. She graduated in 2003 from the University of Florida and has practiced both emergency medicine and preventive health during her career. While her focus is cats and dogs, she will help any species in need, and has even performed surgery underwater on a goldfish.

Dr. Smith has an interest in behavioral medicine and is a Certified Fear Free veterinarian. This additional training helps her make the veterinary visit less stressful for both the patient and the owner. Her interest in behavior started at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Elephants, mandrills, rhinos, and flamingos were the species studied during her projects. The first flamingo born at Animal Kingdom was named Stephanie in her honor.

Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys travel adventures with her son. The next international trip will be to Australia. In the meantime, you can find them camping at a National Park. Live music is also a hobby and she has been known to travel across the country for a concert. She has a soft spot for opossums and can often be found bottle feeding one in the spring. Her other travel companion and hiking buddy is her black and white dog named Orca.

Dr. Mark Lee graduated from Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine and moved to the great state of North Carolina in June 2016. Dr. Lee loves being a general practitioner because he is able to do a little bit of everything; however, he does have special interests in surgery, dermatology, and internal medicine.

Dr. Lee enjoys spending time with his wife, Amanda, two crazy dogs, Ace and Otter & soon-to-be two children. In his spare time, Dr. Lee enjoys bass fishing, playing sports, and having fun with family and friends.

Dr. Dawn Dateno is a 2006 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary medicine is her second career as she was an officer in the US Navy with 11 years active duty and 10 years in the reserves. She has traveled all over the world with the Navy and retired as a CDR (O-5).

She and her family relocated to the area from Raleigh, North Carolina, approximately 8 years ago. Her professional interests include preventative medicine (she enjoys educating owners about how to best care for their pets), dermatology, and surgery, including dentistry.

Dr. Dateno lives in the Tampa area and enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends, at the beach, traveling, biking, kayaking and most outdoor activities. She currently shares her home with two dogs and three cats, and occasionally rehabilitates racoons and opossums.

Dr. Morrison is a 2012 graduate from University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. He has a wide range of interests in vet med, ranging from small animal surgery to ambulatory large animal practice.

In his spare time, Dr. Morrison enjoys hanging out with his twin 7 year old daughters, Eliza and Lilly. You can also catch him cheering on UGA football and the Atlanta Braves.

Omar has over 18 years of experience in the Technology industry. Prior to joining the AVG team, he worked 16 years as a Director of Information Technology for a Hospitality Corporation in Florida. During this time, he led the modernization of the hotel’s technology infrastructure, security, and applications. Being part of the Hospitality industry helped him strengthen his ability to prioritize, problem-solve, and multitask. It taught him valuable lessons in becoming a good leader. He understands that leadership is not a rank, it is a responsibility to see the people around us rise. Omar enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and their dog Nica. He makes sure to create time for cooking, kayaking, and restoring old trucks.

Dana has worked in various roles in the veterinary healthcare field for over 30 years. Her passion for the veterinary healthcare field began when she started working during middle school as a kennel attendant in her local veterinary hospital. From there, her career included working in all facets of the veterinary clinic, including the opportunity to be a practice manager of multi-doctor veterinary clinics. In addition to her work directly in hospitals, Dana has served as a territory manager for both a national pharmaceutical manufacturer and a national pharmaceutical distributor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With her deep love of pets and commitment to the veterinary industry, Dana enjoys working closely with veterinary hospitals to empower their staff to provide top-quality veterinary care, exceptional customer service, and efficient operations. In her free time, Dana enjoys spending time with her husband, teenage daughter and son, and four dogs.

Raul has worked in the veterinary healthcare industry for 9 years, serving as Practice Manager and Field Trainer for multiple locations. He has supported the opening of 25 locations throughout the Southeast and was Brand Ambassador for MARS in Puerto Rico. Previously, Raul gained experience in the hospitality industry, where he learned the importance of service and people. Understanding leadership dynamics, keeping a team engaged and motivated, integrating functional strategies to reach financial and operational objectives, and looking onward in growing the business are key factors on Raul’s daily agenda.

Outside of work, if Raul is not talking about sports, he’s playing sports! His two kids and boxer, Papo, also keep him busy.

Micah started her career as a veterinary receptionist 20 years ago for an established general practice in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. After 12 years in a high-volume practice, she decide to step away from Veterinary Medicine and worked as a Project Manager for an up and coming software development company. She quickly realized this wasn’t her path and leapt back into one of the second largest specialty and emergency hospitals in the Kansas City area. Here, Micah’s focus was geared towards veterinary relations and client service management. Later, Micah was presented with an opportunity to join one of the fastest growing National networks of Specialty and Emergency hospitals. This opportunity provided Micah with multi-site experience and developed her business acumen. Micah has also spent time in the non-profit sector as the Director of Operations for the Kansas City Area Humane Society. She was more than thrilled when the opportunity presented itself to join the AVG family. She ran as fast as she could to the sunny state of Florida and plans on living her best life listening to the waves and being a part of an amazing team of colleagues.

Micah likes to spend her spare time traveling and relaxing poolside with her family. She also looks forward to any time she can spend with her grown, ambitious, and busy best friend, who also happens to be her daughter.

Sallie began her animal care path at an early age, growing up in a Texas family that instilled in her a culture of caring for all living beings great and small. During college, Sallie worked as a dog groomer, eventually switching gears to the veterinary field where she spent time working in a variety of roles, making her way to hospital manager where she excelled at problem solving, coaching and client service. Outside of work, Sallie enjoys spending time with her family, her pets and all the horses and cattle she can squeeze into a barn and pasture.

Jacob has been in the veterinary industry for over 10 years. Starting in private practice and worked his way up from receptionist, technician, and manager. He ultimately found his calling in regional operations. Having worked at multiple consolidators he has seen multi-site operations of both GP, Specialty, Large Animal and Urgent Care. Originally from England, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Greenwich University and in his previous life was a competitive equestrian.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family which consists of 4 rescue dogs, 3 cats, 3 ponies, a wife and 3 boys. He is an avid showjumper and loves anything outdoors. You can catch him fishing on the weekends or attending his sons’ many youth sports.

Tamlyn has had the opportunity to hold multiple positions within the veterinary industry since 2015. She graduated from the University of Oregon, earning a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies with a minor in Philosophy. Her career with AVG started in 2019 as a practice manager, and in 2021 she joined AVG’s UrgentVet development team, leading the openings of 14 UrgentVet locations. Now being a part of the UrgentVet Operations team as one of our Regional Directors, she is excited to help grow the UrgentVet brand operationally.

Tamlyn resides in Tampa, Florida, with her fiancé, dog, two cats, and one bird. You can find Tamlyn traveling, reading, paddle boarding, or exploring Disney in her free time.

Brooke was born and raised in sunny South Florida, she entered veterinary medicine in 2015 and has since then worked in various roles within the veterinary healthcare field. Her passion for veterinary medicine started at a young age when she would spend summers on her grandparent’s farm in Naples, FL, surrounded by all sorts of animals. Brooke holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management with a concentration in Human Resources.

Brooke’s hobbies include traveling, tending to her butterfly garden, and spending time with her family, friends, and 2 dogs – Odin and Yuki.

Sarah brings over a decade of veterinary leadership experience to her role with American Veterinary Group. After earning her BA in Equine Management, she quickly began working her way up the ranks in clinics and into hospital management. Sarah managed a very successful practice in North Central Florida for seven years before making the transition to AVG in early 2020. From managing hospital flow issues, to coaching new associates and training staff, Sarah has been “in the trenches” supporting veterinary teams for the better part of her career. She is very excited to continue that calling by helping to support our GP hospitals in the southeast.

Chad comes to AVG after spending time in multiple leadership roles across different industries in operations and services. He has a retail franchise and corporate background from his start in Western Pennsylvania where he grew up and most states in the Southeastern US.

Chad’s most recent animal health industry experience was at Veterinary Practice Partners as a field operations leader and at PetIQ in the veterinary services division on the field operations leadership team for the last seven years. Prior to his most recent experience he was at PetSmart for eleven years working in multiple field leadership roles.

He has a passion for developing high performing teams that value the bond between pet and pet parent. He found his niche in the veterinary services space that complimented his business operations acumen after the exceptional care his dog Daisy received once she hit her teenage years.

When he is not working, Chad enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and their two Shar-Peis. They enjoy hosting family on special occasions and being outdoors building their future multi-purpose farm in Wagener, SC. In the fall it is all about Pittsburgh Steelers football cheering the team on as black and gold fanatics!

Priscilla brings over 10 years of experience in the accounting field to her role at AVG. Priscilla is from New York City; after high school she spent ten years in the service and obtained a dual bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Forensic Accounting.

In 2014, her family had a wonderful opportunity to move down to Florida from Columbus, Ohio. She has been with AVG since January 2019. When Priscilla is not busy working you can find her on the soccer fields where she volunteers as her son’s team manager, traveling with her family to every beach from coast to coast, and enjoying entertainment in the area whether it be sports or music concerts.

Ally brings over 8 years of experience in the accounting field to her role at AVG. Ally is a North Carolina native but right after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Accounting, she moved down to Florida for a change of scenery. She has been down here in FL for almost 7 years and with AVG for since February 2020. Her and her husband can always be found out boating, at the beach, catching a good football game on TV (Go Pack Go!), or traveling all around the country.

Kaylie is a native Floridian and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After graduating with a bachelor’s in accounting, she continued to study and obtain her CPA. She has been in the accounting field for 12 years and with AVG since the Summer of 2019. In her free time, Kaylie enjoys spending time with her family and friends. On the weekends you will see her running around with her two young boys.

Amy brings 24 years of experience in the payroll field starting out at ADP as a data entry clerk. Amy is a Pittsburgh (Go Steelers) native but moved to Florida in 2004 to enjoy Florida’s sunny weather and the vast array of fun things to do. On the weekends Amy loves to spend time with her husband, son, a chocolate lab, Charlie, and her 3 cats.

Christina started working in the veterinary industry 17 years ago, and her passion for pets and people flourished the moment she walked in the door at her first veterinary job. She enjoyed the daily routine of working in the kennel, assisting clients and pets, working at the front desk, managing inventory, and managing staff at her local veterinary hospital. After learning multiple veterinary software systems, Christina started to consult and work with other veterinary hospitals to teach them how to properly set up and use their systems. Christina started with American Veterinary Group in May 2016 and has quickly developed bonds with each hospital, working hand in hand with each team. It is difficult to learn a new software system, but Christina makes sure each staff is confident in their training and their ability to provide excellent customer service in the process.

Steven started his career in the veterinary healthcare industry in 2003. As a strong leader with a passion for people, Steven is a firm believer in empowering others to empower themselves. Prior to joining the team at American Veterinary Group Steven served as both a practice manager & ambassador for some of the largest veterinary healthcare companies in the country. With a deep commitment to developing talent in the veterinary community Steven has also dedicated his time to serving on an internship committee as well as a peer development initiative.

On his downtime, Steven enjoys hiking, photography & exploring new cuisines.

Katelyn believes the most important organizational strength is having the right people in the right roles. She prides herself on her ability to connect, build genuine relationships, and achieve exceptional results. Katelyn has over 10 years of experience working in recruiting, veterinary medicine, career counseling, and in the non-profit sector serving individuals with disabilities. In her previous roles, Katelyn led the career department at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and operated her own private practice career coaching business.

She is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. She enjoys fostering dogs, outdoor activities, and all sports (specifically cheering for The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oakland Raiders). She has two wonderful, spunky children and a low-rider rescue dog.

Originally from Minnesota, Wendy is a marketing expert with over 25 years of experience. She has worked in a variety of industries including education, software, training, home services, human health care, and now pet health care. She brings a wide-ranging talent stack to her roles with special attention to strategy, digital marketing, events, SEO, brand refinement, and storytelling. Wendy is a solutions engineer – always prepared to troubleshoot a challenge, develop an action plan, and manage its implementation. She is a champion of capturing best practices and turning them into standard operating procedure.

When Wendy isn’t at work, you can find her enjoying some of her personal interests including: kayaking, beach combing, cryptocurrency, microfinancing, blogging, and napping. She resides in Tampa with her family — including the head of the household, Lucy – a Yorkshire terrier.

Jared is a Florida native and has over 20 years of design and marketing experience in various industries. Starting off young as a freelance designer, Jared quickly became a recommended “go-to” for all things Marketing and Advertising as his passion and understanding for the psychology behind the design. Jared uses the concepts of story to bring about the right journey for both consumers and clients.

Jared enjoys outdoor activities especially the beach and is actively involved with his local Church. His heart is with spending lots of time with his wife and two boys.

Abbie joined American Veterinary Group in February of 2021. Abbie has a passion for providing Executive support, engaging with our employees, and planning all of the events at American Veterinary Group. She also manages the day-to-day operations of our Support Office in Tampa. When Abbie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two pups, Rosie and Molly. In her free time, you can find Abbie making homemade treats for her pups or spending time outdoors.

Lori currently lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia where she has been in the real estate industry for over 25 years. She most recently worked with Cracker Barrel/Maple Street Biscuit Company as a Senior Real Estate Manager and previously was a Director of Real Estate for Dollar Tree Stores for 16 years. When Lori is not scoping out real estate, she enjoys traveling, cooking, skiing and spending time with her family (13 year old daughter, Alexa and partner Ben) and friends.

Lori’s passion and love for animals started at a young age. She currently has a 2-year-old Mini (more like a Medium) Golden-Doodle Cooper and a cat Coco. Lori also volunteers her time at local animal shelters, which has been very rewarding and has taught her about true compassion.