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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Andrew Schreiner, the VP of Finance of American Veterinary Group, is an accomplished leader who has partnered with CEOs and other corporate leaders in fast-paced, high growth environments working for both private equity backed or public companies.

Andrew brings over 23 years’ experience in both public and industry accounting and finance roles, most recently was head of finance for a start- up at a HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical roll-up which he helped sell to Gridiron Capital Partners.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from University of Florida and a Master of Accounting and Financial Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and has an active CPA license with the state of New York.

In his spare time, Andrew enjoys hanging out with his daughter, Madison, and son Drew. You can also catch him cheering on UF football or at CrossFit.

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.

Robin Kraemer has over 30 years of experience in the HR profession. Throughout her years, she has taken on the role of a strategic business partner through supporting the execution of business results through periods of start-up, growth, and transformation. Robin is a hands-on leader who has built her brand around being a thought leader and trusted advisor. Robin’s expertise has revolved around on the lifecycle of an employee including recruitment, compensation and benefits administration, employee relations, however her passion includes talent initiatives such as leadership development, succession planning, career pathing and engagement efforts. Robin has spent a considerable amount of time coaching and mentoring students, employees, and executives with the goal of making a positive impact on their career and the organization. She helps build a culture where people are happy and productive.

Robin served on the Board of Directors for Dawning Family Services, an organization helping homeless families in the Tampa community, for several years. She is a member of the Minaret Society, Charity Chicks, and coaches MBA students at the University of Tampa. She earned her bachelor’s degree at USF in Public Relations and holds a certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).”

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!

Dawn Azzarito is a marketing leader who thrives on innovation and creating meaningful connections both internally with team members and externally with clients. As the Vice President of Marketing for General Practice, she brings her expertise in brand reputation, technology, data sciences and guest journey optimization to the table, helping craft powerful marketing strategies that truly resonate with clients. Whether it’s building multi-media marketing campaigns, developing retention programs, or designing cutting edge Martech solutions, Dawn loves the challenge of creating seamless, integrated systems that drive real results.

Dawn resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with her husband and their three children along with their lovable pet dog, Brody. Dawn is a big believer in balancing work with family, and when she’s not leading marketing initiatives, she enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones, traveling, going to concerts, relaxing on the beach, or indulging at a great restaurant.

Justin brings over 15 years of marketing experience with concentration in restaurants and health care. He has expertise leveraging digital, creative advertising and media planning to position companies for revenue growth and expansion. With a strong understanding of the customer journey and the impact on digital experience and marketing campaigns, he has guided strategic marketing planning to benefit customers and business stakeholders alike.

Justin is also a naval aviator and active member of the US Navy Reserves with a combined 26 years of active and reserve military leadership experience. He currently serves as a Captain with the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center at the Naval War College.

When not working he enjoys spending time with his wife Megan and their three boys. In their spare time they can be found at their sons’ youth sporting events in Tampa with their family dog Mille along for the ride.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.