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VMRCVM
Alumni Society Board of Directors
VMRCVM Alumni Society Constitution
Constitution (PDF), amended April 20, 2006
Dr. Sara Salmon '98 - President
Dr. Salmon’s roots trace back to Lynchurg,
Va from multiple family members, including both her parents and her husband’s family, and also to Blacksburg,
VA, where her great uncle and educator Henry Groseclose co-founded the Future Farmers of America at the
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI&SU) in 1928.
After earning her BA in English Literature from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in 1988, Dr. Salmon began planning her return to college in order to follow her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She was accepted into the VMRCVM and graduated in 1998, at which time she returned to central Virginia to work in emergency practice first in Lynchburg, and then in Charlottesville, where she still works today as the sole owner of the emergency clinic with 4 full-time veterinarians and a staff of 25.
Dr. Salmon joined the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association’s Board of Directors in 2003, and assumed co-directorship of the Disaster Animal Care and Control Committee for the state of Virginia. She was a recipient of the VVMA Young Achiever Award in 2004 while serving the VVMA. Since that time, the state has adopted a nationally recognized public-private organizational structure to meet the challenges of future natural or man-made disasters on our animal population. She volunteered for a month in New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, helping organize an emergency shelter in St. Bernard Parish, and was awarded the Virginia Veterinarian of the Year Award from the VVMA in 2006. During this time, she also joined the Board of Directors for the VMRCVM Alumni Society.
Upon completion of her tenure on the VVMA board, Dr Salmon decided to complete an internship in emergency and critical care at the Animal Emergency Center in Milwaukee to further her education and skills. Her education has continued in the form of a Master of Science degree in progress at the VMRCVM in the Biomedical Veterinary Sciences Department, and she intends to complete a residency leading to board certification in emergency and critical care in the coming years. Dr Salmon assumed presidency of the Alumni Society board in 2008, and is currently completing her term of office while working on her degree.
Dr. Salmon enjoys a busy life with her patient husband Stuart and their 3 dogs, 4 cats and single fearless cockatiel. Her passions include competitive triathaloning, juggling for fun (not exhibition!), and most all outdoor activities with her dogs. She loves learning and veterinary medicine, and thinks that the addiction may be lifelong.
Dr. Michael Watts '00 - President-Elect
Dr. Michael Watts grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland.
He graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Animal Science. Michael is a member of the VMRCVM
Class of 2000. He also holds a graduate certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration from Purdue University.
In 2005, Michael opened Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care in Culpeper County, Virginia. Prior to starting his own practice, Michael was Hospital Director of Centreville Animal Hospital in Fairfax County. Michael has been active with the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and the VMRCVM Alumni Society, where he currently serves as President-Elect. He also serves as President for the Advisory Council of Epiphany Catholic School in Culpeper.
Michael lives with his wife, Maureen, and three daughters. They share their home with two dogs, two cats, a snake, and a rotating array of smaller critters. Michael enjoys coaching his daughters’ softball teams and attending Terrapin games.
Dr. Scott Pleasant '84
Dr. Scott Pleasant is a 1980 graduate of Virginia
Tech and a member of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s charter class of 1984. Dr.
Pleasant spent the first four years of his career in private practice in eastern Virginia. He then went to the University
of Illinois where he completed a three year Large Animal Surgery Residency and Masters of Science degree program.
Following, in 1991, he returned to Virginia joining the faculty of the VMRCVM as an Assistant Professor and Equine Field
Service clinician. In 1993, he became a member of the college’s Large Animal Surgery section. He was promoted to
Associate Professor in 1997, and served as Chief of Large Animal Surgery from 1999 – 2005. In 2005, Dr. Pleasant rejoined
the college’s Equine Field Service Section and was appointed the college’s Equine Extension Specialist. In this position
he provides equine outreach throughout the state, teaches undergraduate and veterinary students, performs clinical
research, and participates as a clinician in the college’s Equine Field Service Section.
Dr. Pleasant is board certified in veterinary surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. His clinical and research interests include equine lameness, nutrition and podiatry. In 2005, he received the National Teaching Excellence Award – Clinical Sciences, from the American Veterinary Medical Association. He has authored or co-authored over 75 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. He has given more than 100 presentations to professional and lay groups in Virginia as well as other states and internationally.
Dr. Pleasant resides in Blacksburg, Virginia with his wife Kelly. They have two sons, Nash and Troy.
Dr. Elizabeth Kirby '84
Dr. Beth Kirby came to the VMRCVM as a Maryland
student from Berry College in Rome, Georgia. She graduated in the first class in 1984. She entered a mixed animal
practice north of Roanoke and then did relief work until starting at Companion Animal Clinic in 1986. She became
co-owner with another VMRCVM grad, Marta Downey ’86, in 1999.
Beth's primary interests are in feline medicine, behavior and geriatrics. She is currently actively participating in a local program D.A.W.G.S—Dogs Assisting With Grade Schoolers- which couples dogs with elementary school students to encourage reading. She also travels with her dog, Sherman, to the VA Hospital for pet therapy.
Beth lives in McCoy with her husband Tom, too many horses and cats, two dogs, and a duck. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, cooking and playing with all the critters. She can always be found tailgating at home Hokie football games.
Dr. Lisa Miller '87
Dr. Lisa Glasscock Miller was born and raised in
Chuckatuck, Virginia. She received her BS in Agriculture, Animal Science from the University of Georgia in 1983.
She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
at Virginia Tech in 1987.
Now in Staunton, Virginia, Lisa is a partner at Augusta/Valley Animal Hospital. AVAH is a four-doctor small animal general practice. Dr. Miller has a special interest in gastrointestinal diseases and does endoscopy for the hospital. She is a Past-President of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association and currently serves as the Virginia Delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s House of Delegates. Dr. Miller also was the recipient of the “2008 Virginia Distinguished Veterinarian” from the VVMA, and just recently began serving on the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Lisa enjoys music and currently plays guitar and sings for a local blues band. She has three dogs named Meg, E, and Chicane.
Dr. Brett VanLear '96
Dr. Brett VanLear is originally from Elon, VA which
is just outside of Lynchburg. He went to Virginia Tech for undergraduate studies prior to attending VMRCVM and
obtained his BS in Biology followed by his DVM upon graduation in 1996. He worked in mixed animal practice
for 2 years outside Roanoke and then moved to a family farm in Fishersville, VA where he has an Angus
cow/calf operation. He practiced small animal medicine for 3 years there prior to accepting a teaching
position with the Veterinary Technology program at Blue Ridge Community College. He currently does relief
work in addition to teaching.
Brett enjoys most anything outdoors including running, mountain biking, boating and of course VT athletics.
Dr. Wynne DiGrassie ‘96
Dr. Wynne DiGrassie is a native of the Shenandoah
Valley and earned her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She stayed on
at VMRCVM to complete her master’s degree and Theriogenology residency. From there she performed a one-year
instructorship at Oklahoma State University.
She and her husband, Dr. Reiners started construction on Mountain View Equine Hospital in 2003. Her special areas of interest include stallion management, semen freezing, and neonatal medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine her interests are competing in AQHA Halter, and competing in Hunter/Jumper events, hiking and biking.
Dr. Douglas Graham '98
Dr. Douglas Graham was born and raised in
Gaithersburg Maryland, where he attended Gaithersburg High School. His BS in Wildlife Management '94 and
his DVM '98 are both from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. He was president of the VMRCVM Class of 1998. After
ten years in Maryland working in companion animal private practice and emergency medicine, he has returned
to the VMRCVM working for the administration.
Dr. Graham is a founding member and also a past president of the Virginia-Maryland Veterinary Alumni Society, and previously served on the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is currently a Christiansburg-Blacksburg Rotary Club member and an avid Hokie sports fan. His interests include reading, hiking, weight training, golf, scuba diving, and skiing. He lives in Blacksburg with his wife Holly and two little girls Alexa and Emily, and a Sheltie, two cats, and a siamese fighting fish.
Dr. Matthew Nicholson ‘99
Dr. Matthew Nicholson received his Bachelor’s
degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia. Matt continued with his academic
studies completing a 1-year internship and a 3-year small animal surgical residency with the University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine. He achieved Diplomate status as a board certified surgeon with the American College of
Veterinary Surgeons in 2004.
Following his time with the University, he spent two years as an associate surgeon with a veterinary referral practice in New Jersey. A native of Northern Virginia, he joined the Veterinary Surgical Center in 2005. Matt and his wife live in Haymarket, Virginia.
Dr. Rob Johnson '00
Dr. Rob Johnson graduated from VMRCVM in
May 2000 with a concentration in companion animal medicine and surgery. For two years he was an associate at
Pulaski Animal Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland working with companion and exotic animals. During that same time
Dr. Johnson worked as a staff veterinarian at the Maryland Zoo in a part-time capacity. In 2003, Dr. Johnson became
partner of Bel Air Veterinary Hospital in Bel Air, Maryland. In addition to his daily clinical and management responsibilities,
he worked as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for the state of Maryland.
After volunteering as a disaster-relief veterinarian in New Orleans, Louisiana post-Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Johnson pursued a master’s degree in Veterinary Public Health to help bridge the gap between human and animal health. He completed the MPH program at the University of Maryland Baltimore in December 2007.
In 2008, Dr. Johnson served on the Prescott Grant Review committee for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and co-authored the 2007 Annual Maryland Rabies Report for the Maryland Department of Veterinary Public Health. In addition, for the past six years Dr. Johnson has been a volunteer for the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) and dive team member with the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Currently, Dr. Johnson works as a relief-veterinarian while pursuing a government-level position in the area of Veterinary Public Health.
Dr. Megan Giebel '05
Dr. Megan Giebel is from Darnestown Maryland.
She received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2001. She received her Doctorate in
Veterinary Medicine from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia in 2005.
Megan continued her studies as a small animal intern in surgery and emergency/critical care at VCA/Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland from 2005-2007. Following her internships, Megan worked at Seven Locks Animal Hospital in Potomac Maryland. Megan currently works with her father, Dr. Larry Giebel and two fellow VMRCVM alumni at Quince Orchard Veterinary Hospital in North Potomac, Maryland.
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