OUR TEAM
Meet the people who thrive off of helping your hospital do the same.
Meet the people who thrive off of helping your hospital do the same.
Our Founders
Dr. Jasen Trautwein is one of the visionaries behind Veterinary Growth Partners. He has dedicated much of his career to building and creating veterinary industry business models that support practitioner growth in positive and fulfilling ways. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Jason has owned multiple successful veterinary practices in addition to founding Pathway Vet Alliance and Thrive Affordable Vet Care. He currently serves as a consulting veterinarian and board member of the Capital of Texas Zoo.
Rob Sigman has always believed in business with a big heart. As co-founder of Veterinary Growth Partners, Rob has leveraged his extensive business experience in the veterinary industry to turn the VGP vision into reality. This University of Texas at San Antonio graduate pulls from his expertise in management, strategic planning, team building and entrepreneurship to help shape veterinary practices across the United States. Rob continues to be an integral part of VGP’s growth and continued success.
Leadership
As a leader in the veterinary industry, Shawn McVey has spent the last 20 years transforming veterinary practices and the lives of people within them through his consulting and international speaking engagements. His expertise in emotional intelligence, leadership, conflict management and team communication have poised Shawn to be the trailblazer in veterinary management psychology. It is through this lens that Shawn developed Pathway Planning, which provides an accountable management structure to veterinary practices and fosters a more flexible, productive and team-oriented workplace.
Since 2015, Julia Behr has been indispensable in the development and growth of the practice coach team at Veterinary Growth Partners. She brings more than 25 years of veterinary industry experience to the table; 18 of which were spent in veterinary practice management. Being able to connect hundreds of veterinary hospitals and practice owners with business-transforming resources is one of Julia’s favorite parts of her job.
Not only was Heather Barrada one of the very first employees hired at Veterinary Growth Partners, she is also the architect behind many of VGP’s continuing education events, organized member conferences and virtual seminars. Heather’s distinctive combination of experience in human resources and veterinary medicine positioned her to create one of the premiere service-oriented teams in the GPO industry. Her sincere desire to help members reach their goals is reflected in her dedication to her work with and for them.
JD McCoy understands relationships are everything for a veterinary practice owner and in his work, which is why JD strives to bring the best business opportunities to their door. He does this by continuously bringing distinctive vendor partners to VGP members through his broad knowledge in product and service development and years of sales and veterinary experience. Before finding his professional niche, JD studied entrepreneurship and marketing in addition to business, graduating from Baylor University with a double major.
When it comes to keeping Veterinary Growth Partners connected, look no further than Ari Lit. As the CTO, Ari helps develop technology that is not only innovative but also intuitive for VGP’s members and their support team. Like much of the Leadership team, Ari has been with Veterinary Growth Partners since the beginning. From developing the company’s first website to growing and expanding the learning technologies we use, Ari continues to keep VGP well equipped with the latest technological advancements.
Business Development Team
James Swanson’s career in the veterinary industry began in 2003 as a veterinary technician. From there, James gained the experience and expertise that positioned him to accept a leadership role in the practice. As a hospital manager, James developed first-hand knowledge of the unique challenges veterinary practice leaders face, which has proven invaluable in his work supporting other practices on their journey to becoming a well-managed and profitable business.
Thanks to his military service and prize-winning Team Roping career, Ian Mathey learned early on that working hard and never giving up would be integral to his success. That mindset, coupled with his extensive background in sales and business management, has made Ian invaluable to VGP since he first started in 2015. Since then, Ian has focused on building lasting connections with vendors and practice owners—helping them not only define what success looks like for them but supporting them in achieving it.
It didn’t take 15 years in the veterinary industry with more than 10 of those being in veterinary practice management for Jessica Strohecker to understand the need practices have for help with their marketing efforts. Her background in studio art and experience starting out as a client relations specialist in 2006 led her to that realization rather quickly. Ever since then, Jessica has leveraged her belief in the power of creativity and her experience in the industry to help businesses find new ways to reach their financial, inventory and business goals.
Customer Service
Amanda Farrington has been heading up VGP’s customer service since 2016, but her ability to adapt, lead and keep her team connected while transitioning to a remote workplace has only highlighted the extent of those skills. In addition to helping team members succeed, Amanda excels at processing tasks and strategic planning as well as connecting with VGP members through the insights gleaned from her background in the veterinary field.
Since joining VGP in 2016, Karen Shepard has processed the enrollment of more than 4,000 VGP members. As the first to meet and greet new members when they begin their journey with Veterinary Growth Partners, Karen’s compassion and keen interest in people and their situations is apparent. Her dedication to supporting members as they take the first steps toward a more rewarding practice is rooted in her ability to connect with people on a personal level, which also happens to be the most fulfilling part of her job.
Jessica Volpe joined the VGP customer service team in 2016 and has been dedicated to the veterinary industry for over 14 years! Jessica has worked both as a client service representative and technician, so she understands the unique needs VGP members may face. As the Senior Customer Service Specialist, she is dedicated to creating positive customer experiences, ensuring memberships are being maximized and supporting multiple VGP teams with customer service inquiries. Members also get the chance to see Jessica in action, as she is in charge of taking the stage to kick off many of our VGP conferences.
Alicia Terre always knew she wanted to work in veterinary medicine despite the fact that her future aspirations didn’t include becoming a veterinarian. She started as a kennel assistant at a veterinary clinic before working her way up to vet technician. From there she moved into inventory management before being promoted to office manager, which is where Alicia discovered her passion for the business side of veterinary medicine. In addition to completing her CAS in Business Technology, Alicia holds a CTS in Paralegal Studies.
Christina has always enjoyed being a positive source for others. Christina has volunteered and worked within local animal rescues and shelters. During her time with the shelter, she worked with many families to educate them on animal behavior and helped to find the perfect fit for their newest furry member. Christina has also worked with Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and utilized her customer care skills and grief training to help families cope as time drew close to saying their final goodbyes. Ultimately, Christina was looking for a career path that she could settle into and retire with that still coincided with her passion and goals. She found that VGP combines the two grand passions in her life, helping animals and helping people.
Brittany’s passion for caring for animals began as a child and has carried her all over the country. She has served the vet community as a Receptionist, Vet Assistant, and a Hospital Manager at animal hospitals in Florida, Colorado, and Texas. Formerly the recipient of VGP Coaching, Brittany was so impressed with the experience that she wanted to join the VGP team.
Practice Coaches
Rachel Teichberg has a deep love for pets and a passion for the people who take care of them. Her experience in the veterinary industry is with both general and specialty practices, where she has held positions at all levels—including management in small animal/exotic and specialty practices. Rachel’s insatiable thirst for learning and knowledge along with her more than a decade of industry experience help her discover new ideas and innovative solutions to assist practice teams in communicating more effectively and running more efficiently.
Leather Brice’s love of animals came naturally and early. She began riding horses when she was just two and raced barrels well into her teens. After hanging up her stirrups for some time, Leather’s passion for horsemanship and rodeo won out, drawing her back to the sport. It’s that connection to animals that also pulled Leather away from her career as a paralegal to find her place in the veterinary world, where she’s worked as a receptionist, technician, inventory manager and practice manager. Leather’s experience in law and across the veterinary industry have made her an ideal practice coach, which she’s been at VGP since 2018.
Jamie Davis always knew she wanted to become a veterinarian, which is why she joined the field when she was still in high school. But after finishing her undergraduate degree, Jamie’s emerging passion for management took hold forcing her to rethink which side of the veterinary industry she wanted to pursue. Her cross-clinic experience and interest in management aligned to help her to find her niche as a veterinary practice coach. Over the last five years, Jamie’s focus has been building wellbeing-centered practice cultures and establishing healthy sustainable careers in the field.
Throughout her 14 years in the veterinary field, Jodi Johnson has held just about every position, from working as a customer service representative to a hospital administrator. Whether it’s a general practice, a specialty practice or emergency medicine, Jodi has spent time learning the ins and outs of all of them. This varied experience has equipped Jodi with the right mix of knowledge and skills to support practices throughout the country in reaching their goals and aspirations.
Lauren has held many roles in the veterinary field from veterinary assistant to Practice Manager. She has over 10 years of experience in the veterinary industry with a variety of practices from general mixed practice to large animal ambulatory. During her tenure as a Practice Manager she excelled in business management and realized her passion for transforming practice culture and improving the well-being of those working in the veterinary industry.
Stefanie's passion for veterinary medicine began shortly after high school, when she started her career at the Banfield teaching hospital of Western University College of Veterinary Medicine in Southern California. She gained experience in various roles, including customer service representative (CSR) and technician. Eventually, she worked her way up to hospital management. While on the leadership team, Stefanie explored essential skills such as emotional intelligence, effective communication, conflict resolution, positive culture, and overall well-being. These skills deeply resonated with her values and passions, and she looks forward to utilizing her many years of experience to assist others on their journey with VGP.
With a background in military logistics and a lifelong passion for aiding others and animals, Harmony embarked on a fulfilling career in veterinary medicine. Following her studies and local shelter volunteering, she secured a role at a veterinary specialty and emergency hospital, gaining extensive experience as a veterinary assistant, CSR, technician, supervisor, inventory manager, and client experience manager, across urgent care, specialty, and emergency settings. Witnessing the power of the human-animal bond firsthand, her passion deepened, motivating Harmony to delve into human behavior, social needs, and their connection to veterinary care. Driven by this pursuit, she returned to school, majoring in social work and human behavior with a business certification. Harmony’s ambition is to leverage their diverse knowledge to empower veterinary professionals and foster their growth and success.