Why did you want to join WVLDI?

I have been involved in organized veterinary medicine since I was a student and really encourage others to get involved. As a vet student, I worked with SAVMA and the AVMA, serving as the national president of SAVMA. I worked overseas for the Army after vet school but when I was done with that job, WVLDI was an organization that overlapped with my interest to see more women in leadership roles. The representation of women in veterinary leadership was not really where I thought it should be given the workforce. I was inspired by the mission to diversify our leadership and doing so through the lens of empowering women.

What is your day job?

I am the owner of Alma Vet Connection, purchased in March 2021, which practices integrated veterinary medicine including western medicine and acupuncture.

How has your job and life changed in the time of COVID?

Everything has changed! When COVID hit, I was doing independent contract work. With COVID, I was really worried about being a potential spreader of disease. Each practice had its own and varied policies, so I had to really have my own policies and boundaries. I got to see so many practices and how they operate. I could see how different practices reacted and the range of responses in trying to continue to take care of patients during COVID. It was really educational to see practices with employees that support each other – the practices that were able to flex and adapt and somehow be ok with being in beta test mode all the time really valued their support staff. When I had the opportunity to purchase a practice, it seemed crazy, but I took a chance to step into this new role and bring everything I have learned during COVID and in my time as an independent contractor to build my own practice.

This is a four-part series on Dr. Rebecca Steers!