Certification & Membership Coordinator

Jen Steckline, CVT

Jen Steckline has been a member of the CACVT since 2002 and has worked in general practice, emergency and critical care, surgery, and also works as a Veterinary Information Specialist for the Pet Poison Helpline.

Currently, the fuzzy part of Jen’s family consists of her golden retriever Tinker, her pug Bug, and Sprite her mean cat she adopted during her Bel-Rea internship 18 years ago! Jen has a 2-legged family as well that consists of her husband and two crazy boys. She enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, and most things Colorado.

Jen is here to help, so if you have any questions or concerns, she can be reached in the office at 303-318-0652 or by email at [email protected]

Board of Directors

Past President: Emily Edmonds

Industry Sector: Private or Corporate Clinical Practice
Location: Castle Rock, CO

Emily Edmonds moved to Colorado and served in the Army as a medical specialist at Fort Carson until 1999. After a few years in human medicine, she decided to pursue a career in the animal medical field and attended Bel-Rea Animal Institute of Veterinary Technology, earning an AAS degree and became a CVT in 2002.

Emily began her career at a small mixed animal practice attaining basic technical skills, learning and understanding the value of the responsibilities of being a technician. She purposed to focus on how to apply what she had learned, honing her technical skills and becoming familiar with the variety of responsibilities this career has to offer.

Shortly after a year of experience, Emily developed an interest in anesthesia and deviated her focus to advancing her knowledge and skill in this area. Her endeavor began with the transition to a specialty practice, working for the surgical department alongside an incredible team of board-certified surgeons and a well-renowned anesthesiologist. The goal she had achieved during this time of her career was years of invaluable experience gaining knowledge and technical skills; creating opportunities to advance in a variety of avenues.

Emily was provided an opportunity to step into a supervisory role at a general practice, leading a small team into an exponential growth in hospital size and services provided to the community.  Realizing the hard balance of being a technician supervisor and working as a technician, she decided to take more of a specific role within the practice and became their surgical department supervisor, which allowed her to combine her passion of anesthesia and continue to lead the team. Emily became aware of how much she enjoyed taking veterinary assistant/technician interns under her wing and giving them the experience they were seeking in their internship.

Once Emily became a part of the VCA family, her goal was to focus on building and developing her hospitals’ surgical department. She soon became their technician supervisor and shortly thereafter, was given the privilege to be VCA’s Regional Technician Career Development Coordinator for Colorado. Her primary focus is on helping others develop a career path, offering training and resources VCA provides.

Emily has always pursued advancing in her career with education and experience. She very much appreciates and values what every person has to offer within the team. Emily enjoys teaching and leading others to achieve what they aspire for their career.

Whenever Emily is not focused on her career, she spends time with her family watching movies, enjoying life in the outdoors hiking, biking or snow shoeing and scrapbooking all the pictures taken on her adventures!

President: Leslie Neidermyer

Sector: Veterinary Industry
Location: Golden, CO

Leslie's interest in being on the board for the CACVT involves having a larger involvement in advocating for veterinary technicians in the state and also having a bigger impact in the veterinary community.It is Leslie's hope that she can share her experience to help the association provide the best benefits to members.

Originally from Wisconsin, Leslie attended Madison Area Technical College for her veterinary technology degree and then became credentialed in 2009. After working in large animal for a short time, she completed a bachelor's degree in animal science at UW-River Falls. Leslie moved to Colorado in 2017 with her husband and started working a relief position with VSS in general practice, ER/CC, and shelter medicine. Leslie is currently an account manager with VSS, teaches in the veterinary technician program at CCD, and works part-time at Soul Dog Rescue. She also enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, downhill skiing and hiking with her dog.

Coming from Wisconsin, Leslie was shocked that veterinary technicians did not have to be credentialed to practice in Colorado. In Wisconsin, licensing is legally required by the state to work as a veterinary technician. With this knowledge, she joined the CACVT Advocacy Force and is proud and excited to be involved in the effort to bring title protection and licensing requirements to the industry in Colorado. With 10 years of being on the floor as a VT and with experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue, feel assured that Leslie's first concern is on supporting you and your career.

Vice President: Samantha Walker

Sector: Private or Corporate Clinical Practice
Location: Fort Collins, CO

Samantha grew up in rural Pennsylvania, knowing all along that she would pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Since the start of her career, she developed a passion for lifelong learning and veterinary technician empowerment. Samantha earned a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medical Technology from Wilson College in 2014, then joined her husband in Virginia to begin her adventure as a licensed veterinary technician in a small animal surgical specialty practice. Working for three years in the specialty practice, Samantha’s passion for anesthesia and pain management led to her desire to become a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Anesthesia and Analgesia. After four years of private practice employment, Samantha sought academia and eventually accepted a position within the anesthesia department at Colorado State University Teaching Hospital. With this opportunity, she knew she had the resources to keep growing and help the future of veterinary medicine. 

Samantha wants to contribute to the community by using her education and experience to ignite the fire and prepare others for long, successful careers in veterinary medicine. She believes that a fulfilled and educated technician promotes patient safety, consumer protection, professionalism, and excellence in care. Think of all the advances in veterinary medicine with technicians only staying in the field for five years. Now think of all the possibilities if the community held lifelong members; the possibilities are endless. 

Board Member: Heather Allman

Industry Sector: Private or Corporate Clinical Practice
Location: Parker, CO

Heather graduated with Honors from Bel-Rea in 2004 with an Associates of Applied Science degree. After graduating, she started out in general practice and after a few years, obtained a research position at Colorado Health Sciences center as a VT. She eventually transitioned into non-profit, working at Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital as a VT and Inventory Manager, where she got the opportunity to volunteer with the CVMA helping with various projects as well as with SART (Colorado State Animal Response Team). During this time, Heather quickly realized that her interest lied in the operations, leadership, and business side of the industry, leading her back to school and obtaining an Associates of Science in Business. From there, she worked in a large general practice as a VT and then as the Practice Manager for several years. Concurrently, Heather obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing as she discovered her passion for effectively and creatively showcasing the incredible, dedicated individuals of our profession, the work we all do and educating the community about veterinary medicine.

Heather went on to work with a pet insurance company, educating veterinary professionals throughout the state of Colorado on the ins and outs of insurance and how to use it in their practice. Currently, Heather works as a veterinary marketing manager and enjoys teaching others about marketing and how it truly can take their practice to the next level. She runs a blog titled The Tachy Tech which is dedicated to providing veterinary professionals the tools and resources to navigate their career and finding the path that makes them happy while nurturing their mental health. In her spare time, you can find her all over Colorado paddle boarding with her son Hunter and her pup Paisley, curled up with a good book, learning a new craft or watching Harry Potter.

Board Member: Amy Edwards

Industry Sector: Private or Corporate Clinical Practice
Location: Parker, CO

Amy graduated from Bel-Rea in 2001 and has a passion for helping critically ill and senior pets. Amy has worked both in Colorado and Florida in general practice and emergency medicine and had the unique opportunity to work for a non-profit organization, Southeastern Guide Dogs, as the Director of Veterinary Services.

Over the last 19 years, Amy has fulfilled many roles and has a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of the hospital and operations. Amy knows what it's like to be both a staff member and a manager. She is well prepared to support the field and CACVT, and has the experience to make positive contributions to continue to improve our field and support other VTs in their careers. Amy is committed to the veterinary field and would love to make a positive impact on those around her.

Board Member: Angelika Sherman

Sector: Veterinary Industry
Region: 

As a credentialed member of CACVT since 2004, Angelika is excited to be part of the CACVT Board of Directors because she sees the veterinary medicine field changing rather quickly and growing vastly. She has the flexibility to be involved and wants to be an active part of the change and growth.

Angelika's parents were non-active civil service and her mother a German citizen. She grew up exposed to much culture and traveled a lot. She has a close extended family all over the globe. Settling stateside, Angelika came to Colorado for one reason: to be a vet tech. She fell in love with her career and remains as passionate today as she was going into Bel-Rea. Angelika has a son who is graduating from high school this year and is excited to see where his path will take him. She is passionate about being kind to the earth and making the most of her outside time. She is very private and most giving of time.

Board Member: Elizabeth Steele

Sector: Clinical Practice
Location: Aurora, CO

Elizabeth is excited about the opportunity to be on the CACVT Board of Directors because she is inspired by the mission statement of the Association: advocating for and empowering VTs, which are her passions in our industry. Her goal as a CACVT Board Director is to use her position as a platform to engage with VTs to reinforce a sense of pride in our work, as well as to promote recognition of our skill set. Furthermore, she is interested in collaborating on topics and ideas that are important for the advancement of our careers. As a VT for over 5 years, she is eager to take on a position where she can advocate for her peers in the field and encourage in others the passion she feels for this field.

Elizabeth was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. In her mid-20's she moved to Jacksonville, NC and decided to follow her dream by enrolling in an online Veterinary Assistant program, igniting her love for this field. After working at a vet hospital in North Carolina for about a year, Elizabeth decided to take the next step and become a VT. She left East Coast life behind and moved to Colorado to attend Bel-Rea. After completing an internship at VCA Alameda East and graduation, she joined her current team at VCA Firehouse Animal Hospital. During her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys spending time outdoors, baking, going to comedy shows, and spending time with her cats Nymeria and Mini, as well as her mom Trish.

Elizabeth describes being a VT as her calling, which is evident not only while she's performing her duties, but also in the way she lives everyday life. She is a hard worker with strong leadership skills, very detail-oriented, and has the willingness to speak up, regardless of how difficult the situation. She is dedicated to serving her office and co-workers, her patients and their parents, and finding ways to improve processes. Elizabeth will be an asset to the Board by providing her relentless encouragement and innovative ideas. She believes this profession is one of the most noble callings one could answer, and looks forward to supporting individuals in realizing their dreams.

Board Member: Nadia Vincent

Sector: Clinical Practice
Location: Denver, CO

Nadia is a veterinary technology student at Bel-Rea, as well as working at Mountain Ridge Animal Hospital. Nadia will be a bridge for students transitioning into their career as a VT, as well as a representative for student interests. She wants all VTs to be in love with their professional choices and feel fulfilled enough to hold long successful careers in veterinary medicine.

Nadia is from a beautiful town in South Africa and has always been exposed to animals, wild and domestic, and has always felt the urge to help the less fortunate. Her experiences include being a special needs teacher, then later a preschool age Montessori teacher. She is an avid traveler and animal lover that has been to over 100 countries, and volunteered at shelters and sanctuaries the world over. Nadia is so proud to at last be following her heart and studying further to become a Credentialed Veterinary Technician, and wants to contribute to the veterinary community and the animal world at large.

Nadia is currently working as a client experience representative at Mountain Ridge Animal Hospital, where she is exposed to both clients and the practice of veterinary medicine. She adores animals and hence her career path, and will constantly strive to promote technician empowerment and satisfaction, as well as the relationship with veterinarians.

Board Member: Tricia Kaoihana

Sector: Clinical Practice
Region: Denver Metro

Tricia moved to Colorado in 1999 to pursue a degree in animal science at Bel-Rea Institute. After graduation, she spent time working in shelter medicine before taking a position as an Internal Medicine technician at VRCC. She passed the VTNE and became a VT that same year. In 2006, she was promoted to lead technician of the IM department and continued in that role until 2017. In 2010, she also became a VTS in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Her departure from VRCC took her to Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, where she was hired as Assistant Clinical Supervisor of the Blood Bank. In 2018, she was promoted to Hospital Service Manager at WRAH. She recently stepped down from her position to continue to work as a VT at WRAH while also participating in projects for the hospital and Ethos Veterinary Health.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing softball, trying new breweries, hiking, and spending time with her four legged kids (2 dogs and 2 cats)! 

Tricia hears the concerns and observes the work of VTs. The dedication of technicians to their craft is clear, and she acknowledges the changing needs of the profession, as well as the time it takes for meaningful and significant change to take place. With our demanding work and schedules, it can be difficult to take the time to advocate for ourselves. Tricia will listen to your experiences and ideas and bring them to the board for discussion. 

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Board Member: Miranda Schroeder

Sector: Clinical Practice
Region: Southwest 

Miranda enrolled in the Penn Foster veterinary technician program in 2009, before “online” or “distance learning” was cool, and with no experience or background in veterinary medicine. She started working in a small, one DVM practice in Eckert, Colorado. Subsequently, she was provided the opportunity to work at Redstone Veterinary Hospital in Grand Junction. After 3 years, she applied to the hospital that she remembered taking her dog to as a very little girl, where she worked while finishing her degree and obtained credentials in 2014. In 2016, the practice was sold to Banfield Pet Hospital, and she was promoted to Practice Manager. During her time as Practice Manager, she took care of two Banfield Pet Hospitals, before leaving corporate vet med. She partnered with previous Redstone Veterinary Hospital owner Dr. Mark Ryan and previous Banfield Pet Hospital owner Dr. Justin Seely to open Monument View Veterinary Hospital in 2020. Opening a new practice in the middle of a pandemic was quite the adventure! 

Miranda cares very deeply about mentoring and training. She loves teaching and celebrating achievements. She strives to be a positive influence in helping individuals realize their potential. Furthermore, she can assure you that her passion for caring for the people of veterinary medicine is genuine and open hearted!