Deborah B. Reeder, BA, AS, LVT, VTS-EVN

Deborah B. Reeder, BA, AS, LVT, VTS-EVN

I recently relocated to the Hill Country of Texas, Wimberley, and while I am loving being back in Texas – I do miss the beach and our family ranch. I was raised on a working cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley in California, and have ridden horses all my life. I attended U of Colorado for three years and finished at San Diego State receiving my Bachelor’s degree. I then became a flight attendant for Continental Airlines for the next ten years which was the best client service training ever! I found my second career after having my TB racehorse die of colic… I graduated from Cedar Valley College with honors in 1985 and took my State and National Boards, receiving my RVT designation that same year. I became very involved in the Veterinary Technician profession in Texas and served as President of the Association for three terms and worked to get the RVT acknowledged in the Texas Practice Act. As a technician my love was rehabilitation work with horses, equine anesthesia, and working the ICU with foals. I worked mainly in large Equine Referral Hospitals in Dallas area, spent a year working in research at Scottish Rite Hospital and was invited back to my alma mater, CVC, to be full time VT instructor for the next two years. I then accepted a position as Area Manager with National Pet Care overseeing 12 hospitals across the US. That position showed me how much was lacking on the management training and support in the equine practice and I started my own consulting company in 2001. I have spent the past 15 years working in practice management and consulting for equine practices, as well as in the Industry. I founded the AAEVT (American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians) in 2003, and after serving as the President for three years, I am now the Executive Director. We formed the Academy- Specialty in Equine Veterinary Nursing, which I helped to organize and now the Society for Equine Veterinary Anesthesia which I oversee. I also manage and oversee our AAEVT online Equine Certificate Academy, which I feel is so needed in our industry. My passion and my time is now mainly devoted to the AAEVT, mentoring, enhancing member benefits and learning and training, collaboration withour Industry partners, and encouraging the industry to utilize their technicians, and working to promote the equine veterinary technician profession. I also love wine !, cooking and travel ! I am married (husband, Jeff), and have two children: Brooke, a flight attendant for Continental/United, and Sam, who is working in the financial district in New York.