President - Julie Legred

Home State: Minnesota
I graduated in 1985 from the University of Minnesota - Waseca with an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences in Animal Health Technology. I passed the certification exam for Minnesota that same year.

I am currently working part-time at Como Park Animal Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, which is a small animal/exotic practice and Cascade Animal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, which is also a small animal practice. My husband and I are co-owners of 3 swine breeding stock companies. I currently do some of the books, payroll, brochures/newsletters, and assist with the more modern procedures that we do in our surgical facility on our animals such as c-sections and embryo transfers. I am also doing some work as a Clinical Research Associate for a company called VetPharm. As a CRA I train and oversee clinics as they participate in clinical trials for new veterinary products for FDA approval. I have also this past summer star

I also do a lot of volunteer work for a few different organizations. I do dog health care talks to younger students and 4-H dog project kids. I have been Membership Chair for the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians for 7 years now, which currently consists of close to 1200 members. For the past 3 years I have been the Sponsorship Chair for this group also. Being the chair of these two committees has also made me very involved with our state technicians' convention. I have secured many speakers for these events. I also serve on an Advisory Committee for 2 of the newer vet tech programs here in Minnesota and have served on 2 site teams for AVMA for 2 more of the vet tech programs here in Minnesota.

One of the biggest achievements in my veterinary technician career of almost 20 years was receiving the 2002 Veterinary Technician of the Year award in Minnesota. It was a very big surprise and a very big honor to receive this award.

I live in extreme Southern Minnesota with my husband Brent and my 4 boys, Justin (18 yrs), Kaylan (6 yrs), Karson (4 yrs) and Kamron (2 yrs). We have a Pug named Ralphy, a Golden Retriever named Rindi and 3 cats (Hooter, a 20 yrs old diabetic, Peewee and Harriet).

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After graduation Amy worked as a Senior Surgical Technician for four years, before returning to Mount Ida in 1999 as a member of the faculty in the Veterinary Technology Program. Amy teaches Clinical Methods I, Clinical Methods II and Large Animal Medicine and Management. In addition to teaching, she is also the Animal Facility Director, Student Chapter Advisor and Assistant Coach of the Mount Ida College Equestrian Team. In 2003, Amy was awarded the Teaching Excellence award by the Alpha Chi Honor Society.

Amy has been involved in the Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association since at this time there is not a Veterinary Technician Association in her home state of Rhode Island. It is her hope that her efforts will result in the forming of the first ever Rhode Island Veterinary Technician Association within the next few years.

In her spare time, Amy is an avid horsewoman having won Regional Special Adult Hunter and Modified Adult Equitation in 2002; as well as qualifying for the Baystate Adult Medal Finals. She lives in the quiet countryside of Coventry, Rhode Island with her husband Jeff and two beautiful children. She has two Horses, a Border Collie, two Cats, five Chickens and a Red Tailed Boa Constrictor.

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Recording Secretary: Virginia Rud
Home State: Minnesota

After eleven years in Emergency Communications, Virginia Rud decided to turn her lifelong love of animals into a second career.
She received her Associate of Applied Science/Veterinary Technology from National American University, Rapid City, South Dakota in 2001.
After graduation, she took a position at a small animal practice in Rapid City, occasionally doing some part-time large animal medicine whenever possible.

While in school, Virginia served as a student tutor and anatomy lab assistant. She was awarded Student of the Quarter, the Cleo Schultz Memorial Scholarship and the Dana Award, for outstanding dedication to the Human-Animal Bond. An interest in pet loss and client bereavement led to an independent study, which she was honored to present at the South Dakota State Veterinary Technician meeting in 2000. She was then offered the opportunity to develop and teach “The Human-Animal Bond and Client Bereavement” as an elective course for other vet tech students at National American University, which she did for 3 quarters.

Better wages and an chance to be closer to family brought Virginia to the suburbs of Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, where she currently works in a small animal practice. She volunteers with a local organization called B.A.R.T. (“Basic Animal Rescue Training”, www.basicanimalrescuetraining.org ), which trains area firefighters and other emergency personnel in animal rescue and first aid, and she teaches Senior Pet Care in adult community education. In 2006, she enjoyed traveling several times as NAVTA booth representative, meeting technicians from all over the world.

Virginia Lives in Young America, MN with her mother, 3 Labrador mixes, (Cleo, Zeus and Jedi) and a 3 ½ pound Maltese she inherited when her brother died in January (Lia). She is a founding member of her church’s Prayer Shawl Ministry and is a Confirmation mentor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, knitting and playing with the dogs!

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President Elect: Gieseke.Cherylann, BA, CVT, LATG
Home State:Minnesota

My name is Cherylann Gieseke and I am a certified veterinary technician.
I live and work in Rochester, Minnesota. I have worked at the Mayo
Clinic since 1989. I worked in the department of Veterinary Medicine as
the lead veterinary technician until February of 2001 and then I became
the Coordinator of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. I
am AALAS certified at the Laboratory Animal Technologist Level.

I graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a B. A. degree in
Biology and the University of Minnesota, Waseca with an Associate in
Applied Science degree in Animal Health Technology. Through the years I
have been active in the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians,
the Minnesota Branch of AALAS, AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician
Education and Activities, and the Veterinary Technician Testing
Committee.

All of my children are of the four-legged variety and when I am not
meeting their demands I occasionally have time to sit down and read a
good book, which is one of my favorite ways to spend some time.

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Member at Large - Alison Noland-Arms, RVT
Home State: Oklahoma

(Bio Coming Soon!)

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Member at Large: Denise Mikita, MS, CVT

Home State: Colorado

While Denise has always been interested in the field of veterinary medicine, she didn't realize her dream until graduating from Front Range Community College's Veterinary Technology Program in 1997. Previously, she had been side tracked with a B.S. in biology (emphasis in physiology) in 1989 from Colorado State University, and an M.S. in Physiology in 1991 from Pennsylvania State University.

She worked in the environmental toxicology field in Fort Collins when she discovered the new technician program. She was in the 2nd graduating class consisting of 7 people!

From there she worked in a small animal clinic in Fort Collins and became involved with the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians (CACVT) as the Chair for the Northern Chapter.

Denise moved to Denver to be closer to her family. She stayed involved with CACVT and accepted the position as Administrator in April 2001. It wasn't until this time that she discovered the influence and support that associations bring to the profession. In 2006 she was promoted to Executive Director and a new Administrator was hired. The CACVT volunteers have been incredible and the Colorado animal welfare community in general is a great group to be around.

In addition to her work at CACVT, Denise has volunteered for many other nonprofit groups. The most recent ones include being secretary/treasurer for a religious group, Freedom Service Dogs (a group that trains dogs to work with the physically impaired), and is currently the financial secretary on her church council.

Her affiliations include CACVT, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), Colo. Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies (CFAWA), Colo. Society of Association Executives (CSAE), Colo. Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), Metro Denver Shelter Alliance (MDSA), Colo. Alliance for Cruelty Prevention (CACP), and of course, NAVTA.

This Colorado native also enjoys playing with her dogs, yard work, football games (go Broncos!), sports in general (both playing and watching), travel, hiking, movies, and general socialization with her friends and family.

Position Description

Past-President - vacant

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