LVTs & Primaries

As Alaska's largest privately owned veterinary hospital, we employ an incredible team of veterinary professionals.

As a hospital, we recognize that without these individuals, we would not be able to provide the exceptional level of care that we hold ourselves to as Doctors of Veterinary Medicine.

Our team of veterinary professionals are fiercely educated, eager for new challenges, open to diverse working conditions, and dedicated to the community that they serve.

These individuals, through exemplary work ethic and commitment, make us all strive to practice better medicine, find more answers, embrace a solution-oriented approach and BE BETTER.

We are honored to highlight those who have been in our service for more than 1-year here.

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Tina

Licensed Veterinary Technician | Ultrasonographer

Tina brings a wealth of expertise and value to Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center. With over 20 years in the veterinary field, she has extensive understanding of what it means working for general practitioners, emergency hospitals, and specialty clinics.

Her experience as an ultrasound technician, having taught ultrasound to many veterinarians at the Academy of Veterinary Imaging, and traveled the country teaching classes at various venues including Disney's Animal Kingdom and the CDC, has been indispensable to Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Tina moved from Atlantic Beach, Florida, strictly to work at Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center. When she's not working, you can find her in her RV or curl up with a good book.

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Emmy

Focus on Emergency & Critical Care | Licensed Veterinary Technician

Emmy is an LVT with an interest in transfusion medicine, dentistry, & emergency medicine.  

She currently has three dogs, a cat, & three birds. When not working Emmy participates in agility with her blue heeler, Pistol and loves watching the Alabama Crimson Tide football games.

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Julia

Licensed Primary Veterinary Technician

Julia grew up in North Carolina and has always loved wild places. A love of the outdoors led her north, west, and, eventually, to Alaska. Her background includes experiential education, conservation ecology, and backcountry wilderness dog sledding trips. Animal husbandry drew her to veterinary medicine, and she has been a licensed technician since 2014.

She is currently working towards her VTS in Emergency and Critical Care. She enjoys volunteering as a technician on trips to offer spay/neuter services to rural Alaska. She lives with her husband and 3 pet dogs.

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Darlene

Licensed Primary Veterinary Technician | Lead Technician

Darlene was born and raised in Elizabeth City, NC. She graduated from Central Carolina Community College in May 1998 and then worked as an LVT in NC for 25 years at a general practice. After a few months with another general practice in VA, she found out about Tier 1 VMC. She decided to pick up stakes and move to Alaska with her husband, Nathan. Darlene and Nathan brought their six cats and two dogs, Alice and Tyler, in March 2021.
Licensed Veterinary Technician at Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center.

Megan

Primary Veterinary Technician | Focus on Anesthesia | Licensed Veterinary Technician

Megan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician. She went to college at the University of Colorado, Denver and Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology. She obtained her degree in Veterinary Technology from Bel Rea Institute. Megan has been working in the veterinary field since 2013, gaining experience and developing special interests in anesthesia and emergency medicine. She has a passion for learning and strives to offer gold standard care whenever possible.
During her free time, she loves to travel and adventure outdoors. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
Licensed Veterinary Technician at Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center.

Meredith

Primary Veterinary Technician | Licensed Veterinary Technician

Meredith is a licensed technician at Tier 1, having started working here the day they opened. Previously Meredith worked as a sled dog tour guide for 8 years, managing Seavey’s IdidaRide Sled Dog Tours in Seward. She has a BA in theatre and dance from UAA, and is currently pursuing a BS in Biology. Meredith passed the VTNE and became licensed in October 2020.

Meredith is also an Iditarod dog musher, owning and operating Fun On The Run Kennel in Knik, Alaska, which is composed of approximately 30 sled dogs, and her four pet dogs (Charlie the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Sierra the Dutch Shepherd, Neal the Borzoi, and McKinley the 3-legged sled dog) and her cat, Archie, who is chief mouser at the kennel.

In her spare time Meredith can usually be found hiking, kayaking, camping, dog mushing, or training in various dog sports with her dogs.

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Lindsey

Primary Veterinary Technician | Focus on Internal Medicine | Licensed Veterinary Technician

Lindsey Owen, LVT, has been with Tier 1 since June 2018. She joined the team because of her passion for advanced veterinary care and to experience growing with a hospital since inception. After obtaining a BS in Organizational Leadership, she found her calling in Veterinary Medicine in an effort to learn about the best practices in animal husbandry and nursing care for her recreational sled dog team. She obtained her small animal technician certificate from Cedar Valley College and obtained her license. Currently, she works as an Advanced Imaging, Internal Medicine, and Oncology technician. She is also preparing to apply for her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Small Animal Internal Medicine.

When not working, she enjoys all things outdoors, especially mushing. 

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April

Primary Veterinary Technician

April always had a love for animals. She was always bringing home stray/lost pets or hurt animals. She would try and find the owners or get the pet help and use her babysitting money to pay for the animal medical bills. One day in junior high for her career day she got to volunteer at Chester Valley it was life-changing. That’s when she knew what she wanted to do. April took online classes for her Veterinarian Technician Assistant degree and graduated with honors. Then she started as a kennel assistant in 2009, and worked all the way up to primary technician in 2 years then went on to become the hospital manager five years later. When Tier 1 became available, she was excited to return her focus back to doing what she loves most...taking care of animals. April is continuing her education and studying to become a Licensed Veterinarian Technician (LVT). In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, fishing, hunting, basically anything outdoors.
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Kim

Primary Veterinary Technician | Focused on Surgery | Licensed Veterinary Technician

Born in Texas, Kim moved to Alaska with her family during the oil boom of the 1970’s and has spent her life between Texas and Alaska ever since, making Alaska her home once again in 2013. A graduate from Texas A&M University with a BS in Animal Science, Kim continued her education with an AAS in Veterinary Technology and has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2002. 
 
 
With a special interest in surgery, Kim has worked as a surgical technician at veterinary specialty hospitals in Houston,Texas and Anchorage, Alaska since 2004. When hearing about Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center opening in the Mat-Su Valley, Kim was excited for the opportunity to “get in on the ground floor” and be a part of the Tier 1 team from the beginning.
 
 
In her spare time, Kim enjoys outdoor adventures and the dog sport of Barn Hunt.
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Ana-Merry

Primary Veterinary Technician

Ana-Merrey been working as a Primary Technician with Tier 1 since October of 2018. She has an associate's degree in Veterinary Technology from Pima Medical Institute and worked at veterinary clinics in Colorado and Minnesota before moving to Alaska. She has a particular interest in felines and exotic pets. Before turning to the Veterinary profession, she studied music at Colorado State University and currently plays clarinet and banjo part-time with the 67th Army Band.

In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, yoga, playing music, and spending time with her cats, ducks, chickens, and reptiles.

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Rebecca

Lead Technician | VTS in Clinical Practice | Licensed Technician

Alaskan grown from Kodiak Island, Rebecca joined the Tier 1 family fall of 2018. Rebecca has worked primarily in small animal facilities in her fifteen years of experience. She obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Clinical Practice Canine/Feline in 2017 but has her eye on more certifications, including rehabilitation and pain management. Bachelor of Science in Project Management (2015) through UAA.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys being outdoors with her husband, barbecues with family, mounted archery, or snuggling with her doodle-mutt Beaker or sassy feline Bonsai.

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Mercedes

Primary Veterinary Technician

Mercedes has always loved animals and has wanted to work in veterinary medicine since she was 8 years old. Since she was 15 years old, she has worked with animals and has been in the veterinary field since 2018. When she is not working, Mercedes loves to go hiking, fishing, and on long road trips with her two pups, Jake and Macey. 

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Meghan

Primary Veterinary Technician

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Jeannie 

Licensed Lead Veterinary Technician | Lead Technician

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Kelli

Primary Veterinary Technician

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Cheliesa

Licensed Primary Veterinary Technician

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Jennifer

Primary Veterinary Technician