I am currently serving as a veterinarian with Heritage Veterinary Partners (HVP) and reside in central Missouri. My wife and I hail from a location approximately an hour and a half to the east of our present home, allowing us to maintain close ties with our families while also being strategically positioned for our professional commitments. My wife, who is also a veterinarian and a fellow graduate from veterinary school, and I have been married for eleven years and are proud parents to four children, all aged nine and younger. Our decision to settle in this rural area was influenced by the presence of a well-funded and high-quality educational institution, which we deemed essential for our children’s development.
While I do not possess a singular, defining memory that inspired my journey into veterinary medicine, I have always envisioned this path as my destiny. My mother worked as a registered veterinary technician, and my older sister is a practicing veterinarian, which undoubtedly shaped my early aspirations. Additionally, my hands-on experience in a veterinary clinic since the age of twelve further solidified my commitment to this profession. The combination of familial influence and practical exposure made it clear that becoming a veterinarian was the only career I could imagine for myself.
My academic journey began at the University of Missouri, where I was fortunate to participate in an early enrollment program that allowed me to enter veterinary school in 2007 without completing a bachelor’s degree. After earning my degree in 2011, I spent two years in mixed practice in west central Missouri, followed by six years specializing in beef practice in south central Nebraska. This experience deepened my interest in beef production management, prompting me to pursue various continuing education opportunities, including the inaugural Executive Veterinary Program in Beef, which I completed in 2018. It was during this program that I met Dr. Irons, whose influence ultimately led me to join Heritage Veterinary Partners. In 2019, I returned to Missouri to establish a beef consulting practice, which I subsequently merged with HVP in December 2022.
My current professional responsibilities encompass providing veterinary consultations for clients involved in cow/calf operations and stocker programs, in addition to offering guidance to dairy producers and those raising dairy/beef cross calves. Furthermore, I hold the position of market veterinarian for a prominent livestock market located in central Missouri. The absence of a physical office enables me to maintain flexibility in supporting various Heritage business units and collaborating with veterinarians who have established client bases in the surrounding region. My clientele spans across Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, and I am federally accredited and licensed in these four states. Additionally, I am an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Veterinary Conference (AVC), the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is the opportunity to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of diverse production systems and the health challenges they present. This allows me to provide my clients with timely and effective solutions, grounded in a real-time understanding of current production trends and issues. Moreover, the collaboration with fellow HVP veterinarians has significantly enhanced the value I can deliver to our clients.