More about our staff & techs!
In case you wonder about all the people who really run the place... We've all written short bios. Or will be writing them soon!
Darth Vader
My name is Vader and I'm the clinic cat and feline blood donor. I can usually be found sleeping in various places, or laying on files they are trying to write in, or begging for my meals. The feline stomach can't tell time! All in all I have a good life, but prefer to act the long suffering forgotten mascot in hopes of getting an extra meal. It works amazingly well for me!
Brad Bender, Clinic Manager
I came to Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails in the fall of 2007 after working in the health club industry for 5 years both in Chicago and in Iowa City. I have a degree in health and business management from Truman St. University. I live in North Liberty with my dog, "Fitzpatrick" - a fiesty Jack Russell Terrier. I enjoy college sports, the Cubs, traveling, BBQ’ing and am a wine enthusiast.
Tina Dinsdale, Reception
Hi, my name is Tina and I’m the receptionist here at Bright Eyes. I started in late March of 2008 and instantly realized that I finally had the job I have always wanted. Up until then I had tried all sorts of different jobs looking for the right one; from my first job as a truck stop waitress, to being a 411 operator, to working with the troubled youth of the San Francisco Bay area, and a little of everything in between. Now that I am here I intend to stay, and along the way hope to eventually train to be a technician. I am also working very hard at becoming the crazy cat lady and currently have 5 of my own and am fostering another. My hobbies include reading, pottery, and reality television (one of my many guilty pleasures right behind pistachio ice cream).
Paula Kelly, Reception
I joined BEBT in April 2006 and am now a part time receptionist. I have a background in social work and human resources, but find working with the furry ones and their people the most rewarding job of my work career. I share my home with Melvin J. Kelly, a Jack Russell terrier and Edgar, an orange domestic shorthair. Both Edgar and Melvin were adopted from the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Amy Gerst, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
I'm a Registered Veterinary Technician, and graduated from Kirkwood Community College in 2001. After working in two other small animal practices, I came to Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails in October of 2006. I have a special interest in rehabilitation for animals and am working towards a certification as a canine rehabilitation practitioner. When not working, I enjoy spending time with friends and family including my two Bulldogs, Jonah Thomas and Julia Ann.
Gina Harrison, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
I am a Registered Veterinary Technician, and graduated from Kirkwood Community College vet tech program in 1992. I am currently working on a certification to become a Veterinary Technician Specialist in dentistry. I enjoy being the dental tech at BEBT and if I see your pet, I will look at their teeth. I currently have 2 cats, Simon and Earl and one dog Charlie. My husband Scot and I have 2 children, Sadie is 21 and Brice is 20. We enjoy boating and camping in our spare time.
Tricia Matheson, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
My name is Tricia Matheson. I am a Registered Veterinary Technican. I graduated from Ridgewater College with an applied associated degree in Veterinary Technology. I am originally from Armstrong, a little town in north central Iowa. I recently moved to Iowa City with my husband and our three cats.
Kayla Sivertsen, Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Hi, my name is Kayla Sivertsen. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician. I graduated from Kirkwood May 2009 and took my board exams in June. I worked at a veterinary clinic in Cedar Rapids for a year and a half while going to school. I also have an AAS in Horse Science Technology. I started at Bright Eyes in April of 2009. I share my home with 3 beautiful cats and a beagle named BeBe. In my free time I like to spend it riding and training my two horses.
Angela Bleeker, Veterinary Assistant (and new mom!)
Hi, My name is Angela Bleeker and I grew up in Iowa City and have been a vet tech for 4 years. I started at Kolder Pet Hospital in West Branch and decided to come along for the ride when BEBT and Kolder merged. I have a B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Go Cyclones!!! I worked at a wildlife rehab center in Chicago for 6 mos, then was offered a temporary position at the N.E.W. Zoo in Green Bay, WI. I loved working at a zoo so much that I moved to Dallas, TX to work at the Dallas Zoo for 3 years. My husband, Reed, was offered an Industrial Engineering position at Rockwell Collins in 2004 and we decided it was a good time to move back home. We live in Solon with our dog 'Cy', our cats 'Mojo' and 'Mousse', and our new daughter. I hope to return to BEBT soon and be a part of this great team for many years to come.
Amy C., Veterinary Assistant
Working on her bio.
Jesse Henderkott, Veterinary Assistant
I've been with Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails since late November of 2008. I currently share my home with two cats named Nigel and Marvin, a lab/beagle cross named Lucy, and a fat tail gecko named Felix. I grew up with almost every kind of animal as a pet, so my decision to work with animals was a no-brainer. I have a special interest in reptiles and other exotics, and spend quite a bit of time researching ways to build ideal reptile habitats. I'm kind of a big geek in that particular field :) Most of my spare time is spent reading, taking care of the pets, and dabbling in photography. If I had a even more spare time it would be spent hiking, backpacking, and traveling. I would one day like to pursue a career in wildlife rehabilitation and live on or near a national park.
Erin Jacks, Veterinary Assistant
Hi, I'm Erin Jacks. My husband, Tommy, and I moved to Iowa from Alabama in the Spring of 2006 - boy are the winters different. I started attending the first Veterinary Techinican program offered at Muscatine Community College in the fall of 2008 and have been working at Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails since December. I have one dog, Scrappy, a miniature Dachshund.
Rachelle Lemburg, Veterinary Assistant
My name is Rachelle Lemburg and I have worked as an assistant for 9 years, three of which have been for BEBT. I am married to my husband Trent for 5 years now and we have 1 daughter Bree, who is 3 and a small black dog named Cody. We live in a small town outside of Tipton along the river.
The staff at BEBT is great to work with and loads of fun, patient care is our number one priority and I'm glad too be part of this team.
Kylie T., Veterinary Assistant
Working on her bio.
Tonya Walker, Veterinary Assistant
Working on her bio.
Amber Weiermann, Veterinary Assistant
I'm 25 and grew up in Williamsburg, IA. Currently I am in the vet tech program at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, and in the second semester of my first year. My hobbies include playing sports, listening to music, working out, mountain biking, playing board games, and hanging out with friends.
Laurie Whiting, Veterinary Assistant
My name is Laurie Whiting and I have worked at Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails since January 2008. In December 2007, I graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Ecology: Pre-Veterinary and Wildlife Care. My first professional experience with animals came when I worked at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA in 2007 and I loved every minute of it! Animals have always been a passion of mine so I've had a wide variety of animals as pets. Right now my pets include a German Shepherd named Stormie, a rabbit named BB, a cockatiel named Kitti and of course a fish.
Bekka Borg, Veterinary Assistant
Hi! My name is Bekka and I've worked part-time at BEBT since 2006 and full-time since March 09. In my previous life I did instructional design and web work at the U. I have 10 Aussies and a Border Collie and we do stockdog trials, agility, flyball, obedience, freestyle and anything else we can find to do. I also have a bazillion indoor cats, 5 barn cats, chickens, ducks, sheep, and a big green F350 that I love almost as much as my animals! When I used to have spare time I liked to read, now I just do chores and drive Hwy 218! Someday I hope to learn to knit socks. Nothing else, just socks. :)
Fun FAQs
Coming soon!