Meet the Team of North Seattle Veterinary Clinic

Lisa

Vet Assistant

Lisa was a dog walker in downtown Seattle for 4 years, and has been working in the veterinary field for 2 years. Her favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is being able to help animals have a happy and healthy life.

Lisa is a huge movie nerd and spends time watching movies at home when she is not at work. Lisa currently lives with her two cats “Una” and “Bruce”.

Ryan

Vet Assistant

Ryan has been working as a veterinary assistant since 2016 and is currently going to school to become a licensed veterinary technician. His favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is seeing the work and knowledge of his team pay off by healing a patient or safely seeing them through an anesthetic procedure.

One thing very few people know about Ryan is that he was once on the front page of the Seattle Times for saving a bunch of animals from a burning building! When not working, he enjoys the outdoors, volunteering, and hiking. Ryan lives with his two domestic shorthair kitties “Odin” and “Frigga.”

Ibby

Vet Assistant / Client Care

Ibby was born in Renton, Washington, and has resided in Seattle ever since. She started her career in the human world, working as an EST in an emergency department. She decided that she wanted to combine her love of medicine with her love of animals, so she changed paths and transitioned into animal care and rescue, eventually becoming a veterinary assistant.

Ibby joined the NSVC team in February 2023. Her favorite things about working in the veterinary field are working with the patients, the variety and scope of practice, and the teamwork.

Ibby has a black belt in Tai Kwon Do. In her spare time, she loves sleeping, hiking with her cats and dogs, eating with friends, and traveling. She has a Siberian Husky named Tchaicovsky “Chai” and three cats, Coachella, Mickey, and Nova.

Amy

Veterinary Assistant

Amy grew up on a small hobby farm near Steven’s Pass. She has worked with a wide variety of animals and discovered her love of birds and wildlife after spending a year working at the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, where she was trained to rescue and handle birds of prey. In her free time, she lives to go hiking, birding, play video games, read, and spend time with her animals — a cat, Fenris and two dogs, Zoey and Haru.

Kyanah

Veterinary Assistant

Kyanah’s favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is saving animals, doing blood draws, and seeing all the puppies and kittens. She is currently going to school for an Associate Degree in Biology. When she is not at work or studying, Kyanah enjoys relaxing, eating, going on hikes and beach walks. She enjoys life with her young daughter and beautiful rescue Doberman named Aris.

Maya

Veterinary Assistant

Maya is originally from Pennsylvania.  When it was time to make a change, she packed up and moved to her cousin’s house in Seattle.

Maya was working as a kennel assistant at a rescue organization and when they had an opening in the clinic, she jumped at the chance to expand her career in veterinary medicine.  Her favorite thing about the field is watching the animal heal and feel better after all the care she helps to provide them.

When Maya is not at work she enjoys catching up with friends.  She likes to join in on any activity they want to do, whether that be roller skating, going out to eat or just relaxing with their pets.

Maya has a 6 year old American Bulldog/Pitbull mix named Vino.

Lizz

Veterinary Assistant

Lizz is originally from Texas and then moved to Iowa where Lizz attended college on an acting scholarship.  Lizz moved to Seattle in 2020.  Lizz had experience in animal handling and wanted to turn that into a career helping pets.

Lizz started it’s career in veterinary medicine in 2021 and has done most of it’s learning on the job.  Lizz’s  favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is fostering trusting relationships with both pets and their people, providing comfort and security during difficult times.

When not at work, Lizz enjoys going on dates with it’s wonderful partners and going on outings with the beautiful community it has fostered in Seattle.

Lizz has a cute grey DSH tabby named “Sarge” and a pretty DLH grey tabby named “Avery”.  Lizz believes that family is ever growing and is made of the people who enter your life in all stages!

August

Veterinary Assistant

August is originally from Daphne, AL. After living in California for ten years, they moved to Seattle because they decided they missed the rain, trees, and seasons other than “summer.”

August joined our team in September 2022 and is brand new to the veterinary field. So far, their favorite thing about working here is meeting all kinds of furry friends. When they are not at work, August enjoys crochet, playing video games, and going thrifting.

Marissa

LVT / Fear Free Trained

Marissa is originally from California. She moved to Seattle to be close to her sister and to work with exotic animals. Marissa is the first born in America in her family. Her parents and two older sisters immigrated to the US from Peru.

Marissa started in veterinary medicine by volunteering at animal shelters working with rabbits, dogs, and cats. She also worked to help socialize rabbits after adopting her first two guinea pigs. Marissa has been working in the field since 2014 and became a Licensed Veterinary Technician in 2016. She attended Carrington College in San Jose, CA, with an associate’s Degree in Animal Sciences. Marissa’s favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is exotic animal husbandry and surgery.

Marissa enjoys spending time with her pets, friends, and family when she is not at work. She loves gardening and exploring new places by hiking and digging for fossils and crystals. She also loves video games and Cosplay at conventions.

Marissa has four guinea pigs (Kukili, Chaska, Qorianka, and Tuti) and one bearded dragon named Nagaalilargus. She shares a home with two roommates and their Catahoula Cattle Dog “Toph” and Flame Point Ragdoll “Appa.”

Brittany

Certified Veterinary Assistant / Fear Free Trained

Brittany attended Pima Medical Institute and graduated with a Veterinary Assistant degree. She worked for 2 years in veterinary medicine and joined our team in August of 2022. Her favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is healing someone’s animal family member as well as the amount of learning potential that the profession offers.

Outside of Brittany’s devotion to animals, she has also been involved in art since she was four years old when she started drawing and painting. Her two passions merged, and she has been specializing in pet portraits for several years.

When she is not painting or working with animals, Brittany also enjoys crafting and is into “nerd culture”. She loves comics, conventions, and video games. She also loves nature and enjoys camping, hiking, gardening, and foraging.

Brittany lives with her two cats Lune and Loki, and her Kenyan Sand Boa, Minerva. Her favorite holiday is Halloween, so her apartment is decorated year-round. Besides her fur and scale children, she also tries to keep as many indoor plants as possible and is always working on her green thumb!

Dr. Alicia Bruce, DVM

Dr. Bruce grew up in Sparks, Nevada, and attended the University of California, Davis for her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2013. She worked in small animal practice in Northern California for 2 years and has worked in the greater Seattle area since 2015. Dr. Bruce enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine and especially enjoys focusing on pet wellness and feline medicine.

Prior to veterinary school, Dr. Bruce worked in wildlife rehabilitation and zoonotic disease research. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, traveling, kayaking, finding live music and restaurants in Seattle, and spending time with her handsome orange cat, Walter.

Dr. Elizabeth Nordeen, DVM

Dr. Elizabeth Nordeen was raised in the city of Seattle before moving to the small town of Pullman, WA where she obtained her Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degrees from Washington State University in 2013. Several years in Pullman made her a die-hard WSU Cougar fan, which she is happy to proclaim even when the Huskies win the Apple Cup. In addition to cheering on the Cougs, Dr. Nordeen has a passion for helping and treating various animals internationally. She’s cleaned abscessed wounds for elephants in Thailand, amputated limbs for dogs in Nicaragua, performed acupuncture on donkeys in China, as well as performed numerous free spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats around Costa Rica and Mexico. Here in Seattle, her professional interests include soft tissue surgery, small animal oncology, preventative and feline medicine.

Dr. Nordeen lives in Seattle with her husband, son, two geriatric former street kitties, and one goofy rescued senior pit bull named Gilligan.

Dr. Jessica Allmendinger, DVM

Interests: geriatrics, gastrointenstinal diseases

Dr. Allmendinger lives in North Seattle with her husband, two young children, two ornery kitties and an exuberant little Chihuahua who is the king of the house. When not at the clinic, she is out hiking on the trails, taking her toddler to gymnastics, reading books or jogging.

Dr. Melissa Nathanson, DVM

Fear Free Trained
Interests: rabbits, pocket pets

After moving to Seattle, Dr. Nathanson joined our team in 1998. The next year, she became co-owner and business partner with Dr. Windom. Dr. Nathanson enjoys gardening, home projects and exploring Seattle’s restaurants with her husband and daughter. She and her family are entertained daily by their two goofy feline brothers who make sure the couch and beds are not left unattended when the rest of the family is not home.

Dr. Craig Meredith, DVM

Interests: surgery, geriatrics

Dr. Craig Meredith has a BA in biology from Whitman College and earned his DVM from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, he moved back to the Northwest where he practiced emergency and family medicine before joining us at NSV. Dr. Meredith especially enjoys soft tissue surgery and working with geriatric patients.

When he’s not at work Dr. Meredith enjoys running long distances, hiking, and playing soccer with his co-rec team. He lives in North Seattle with his wife, daughter, son, and two incredibly poorly behaved dogs.

Dr. Adawna Windom, DVM

Interests: surgery

Dr. Amy Neer, DVM

Dr. Neer lives in north Seattle in an all-boy household: husband, two sons, and cats Monty and Zipper. In her non-veterinary life, Dr. Neer plays and teaches handbells, and is a member of Bells of the Sound. She also enjoys knitting, reading, hiking, and exploring Seattle with friends and family.

Dr. Erika Bergstrom, DVM

Dr. Bergstom grew up in Tukwila and moved to Seattle after graduating from Vet school. She grew up with animals and was always trying to tame/care for the half feral field kittens. Vet school seemed like the natural progression and after doing a job shadow with a local veterinary clinic she was hooked!

Dr. Bergstromgraduated from WSU in 2007 (GO COUGS!) where she earned her DVM credentials as well as a BS in Zoology. Dr. Bergstromjoined our team in August 2021 and has spent the last 14 years in general practice. Prior to vet school she worked as an assistant in general practice and worked with wildlife. Her special interests are wellness care, managing multiple conditions and senior care.

When not working, she enjoys reading, crafting, gardening, hiking, and mushroom hunting. She has two senior cats that she adopted while in vet school. Avery is a tiny grey cat and Julien is a handsome black cat. They sleep all day and scream all night!

Delaney

Veterinary Assistant/Client Care

Delaney worked at a dog daycare for 2 years, and then officially began her career in the veterinary field as a receptionist in early 2022. She joined our team in July 2022 as a Vet Assistant and Client Care Coordinator. She loves learning about preventative care and hopes to work in the field of companion animal rehabilitation in the future.

One thing that people might be surprised to learn about Delaney is that she was deaf for the first 4 years of her life due to an ear infection! She enjoys playing the piano, singing jazz and doing puzzles in her spare time. She also loves visiting her family in Tacoma as often as she can!

Angelica

Kennel Manager/Vet Assistant

Angelica was born in New York, raised in Florida, and grew up in Seattle. I guess you could say that she is quite well rounded! While working at an animal shelter in Florida, she realized that helping animals was what she was supposed to do with her life.

Angelica joined our team in August of 2020, and was quickly adopted by Betty, one of our clinic cats. When she is not at work, she loves to do acrylic pour painting on old record albums.

Angelica has a 10lb chihuahua/terrier named Bruce Wayne Brady who joins us frequently at the clinic and loves to sleep in the cat beds. Wentworth does not approve.

AJ

LVT

AJ loves to see and hear about patients’ improvement after treatments. They think that there is nothing better than a sick pet perking up and feeling better (except maybe happy dog kisses and cat purrs)!

In their spare time, AJ likes to go on hikes, read and draw. They also run role playing games at conventions and online and has a rotating collection of enamel pins. AJ lives with two mischievous cats: Zen and Pippin.

Barbara

Lead Veterinary Assistant

Barbara is a former member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and a certified rescue diver! In her spare time, she likes to spend time with family, is a podcast junkie and an amateur woodworker. She has four furry kids: Bali (aka Princessa and Pigeon), a Siamese cat rescued from Singapore, two rescue dogs, Lucky (aka Mr. Handsome and Kind Sir) and Hank (aka Hanky Tanky and Goofball), and one fabulous hairless dog named Elvis.

Jo

Vet Assistant/Client Care

Jo studied at Seattle University where she received a degree in Forensic Science and was finding the job search in that field to be very frustrating. She had been bringing her cat to our clinic for a couple of years and when she saw that we were hiring she was excited by the opportunity to jump in and learn more!

Working at NSVC, Jo enjoys meeting different people and helping them to be more comfortable in the care that they are receiving. She also loves being surrounded by people that hold the same passion for animal care that she does.

When not at work, Jo enjoys playing games on her self-built computer with friends, taking her cat for walks and listening to true crime podcasts. Jo’s fiery tortoise shell kitty Aurora (Rori for short) rules the house where they live with two roommates and their Labradors.

Katie

Lead LVT – Fear Free Trained

In addition to working at NSVC she has completed several internships at emergency and orthopedic clinics. Her favorite niches of veterinary medicine are dentistry and pain management, and she can always be found giving additional comforts and cuddles to all her patients during their stays.

Katie lives in Seattle with her wife, their two spoiled pit-mixes Scully and Mulder, and a beloved Ragdoll cat named Stranger. In her spare time Katie enjoys hiking with Mulder (Scully can’t get his paws wet), tending to her vast indoor plant collection, and fishing at her family cabin at Lake Cavanaugh. People would be most surprised to know that Katie used to compete professionally and internationally in a bagpipe band as one of their snare drummers.

Katie Jo

LVT

Katie Jo’s mom started her own dog boarding business from their home when she was 8 years old. She learned how to take care of dogs, give them medication and recognize their body language towards other dogs and people. She also learned how loving dogs are and how they share a special bond with people.  They took care of dogs of all ages, but one dog named Barney had a cart since he couldn’t use his back legs very well and couldn’t stand on his own. They were not 100% sure how the cart worked or how it went on Barney. Katie Jo took one look at the cart and figured out how to put it on Barney without any help. She took care of him the entire time he was in their care and enjoyed every minute of it. She always enjoyed watching him run around in the cart and how happy he was to still be able to move around. From that point on she knew that she wanted a job to take care of animals every single day.

Katie Jo has worked at North Seattle Vet Clinic for 11 years. She started out as a kennel assistant and then worked her way up to a vet assistant.  She went to Pima Medical Institute community college in and graduated with honors, earning her Licensed Veterinary Technician in 2013.  Katie Jo is now known as a rabbit whisperer. They respond to her calm energy and relax around her even when they are nervous being at the vet.

Katie Jo is a HUGE SPORTS FAN.  She also loves playing softball, bowling, hiking, camping, travel, riding ATVs, working in the yard, watching horror movies and playing with Riley, her 7 year old German Shepherd.  Katie Jo is very close to her parents and credits them for teaching her to be a hard worker and introducing her to the love and compassion that animals bring to our lives.

Vera

Medical Team Manager

Vera enjoys working towards the health and wellbeing of animals. She started here in 2006 as a Receptionist and has worked her way up to being the Medical Team Manager! It is her goal to continue her education and to provide quality care to all our patients. Vera is currently in the Penn Foster Program to become a licensed veterinary technician.

The inspiration to provide service to animals came to Vera when her dog of 8 years passed away from lymphoma. She wanted to be an advocate to provide care for other people and their animals. 

In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, music, movies, reading, and just being outside, especially if it involves food! She also has some pretty mean dance moves and a great sense of humor that helps to keep us going on rough days!

Nikki

Senior LVT

Nikki has a special interest in animal dentistry, and her favorite thing about working in the field is improving pets’ quality of life.

When she is not at work, Nikki enjoys home design and projects. She studied interior design and still holds on to the dream of pursuing that someday. Nikki and her husband apparently enjoys chaos, sharing their world with a toddler and brand-new puppy named Truck as well as BiaBia, a senior teacup Chihuahua and a big orange cat named Queso.

Sara

Veterinary Assistant

Sara’s favorite thing about working here is getting to see, talk about, and help adorable pets every day. Some folks would be surprised to learn that she plays the trumpet and was in the UW Husky Marching Band! When not at work, Sara likes to binge-watch Netflix, hang out with friends and family, and spend time outdoors camping and exploring.

Sara recently graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Biology. She lives with Leo DiCatrio, her adorable black and white kitty.

Bethany

Client Care Coordinator

Brooke

Front Desk Lead

Brooke has been with us since 2017 when she started her career here as a Client Care Coordinator and has since been promoted to Front Desk Lead. Her favorite thing about working here is watching the puppies and kittens grow up.

When she is not at work, she enjoys contributing to her houseplant obsession and loves taking road trips to nurseries. She also enjoys watching television, photography, fishing, and winning at Bingo. Her cat Lumi (an American Bobtail) still lives in Georgia with her parents but stays in touch with daily photos from her mom, and the occasional Facetime “feline” chat.

Heather

Office Manager – Fear Free Trained

After working in Human Resources for many years, she decided it was time for a professional change and pursed a new career in veterinary medicine. In 1998 she started as a receptionist at a clinic on Whidbey Island, and then joined the NSVC team in 2015 where she manages our Client Care team and acts as an assistant to our Practice Manager, Natalie.

Heather’s favorite thing about working in veterinary medicine is bearing witness to the amazing strength of the human/animal bond, not to mention getting to watch the daily pet parade! When not at work, she enjoys drinking wine and watching scary movies. She lives with her husband, daughter and her senior Olde English Bulldogge, Alice.

Natalie

Practice Manager

Natalie started with us as a Vet Tech back in the 90s. After 8 years with us as a tech, she took a break from veterinary medicine to pursue accounting, administration, and project management. She missed working with us and our furry clients so she came back to North Seattle Veterinary clinic in 2010 with new skills to serve as our practice manager.

When away from work, Natalie’s passion is travel, especially to warm places. She has worked as a volunteer with elephants in Thailand, walked among Komodo dragons and wild orangutans, watched the sunset from the Taj Majal, visited Iceland when the sun never set, and floated down rivers on several continents in search of crocodiles. At home, she prefers her wildlife to be in the form of two sweet kitties. At the office, she is our clinic cat Wentworth’s chosen person, and he can be found most of the day on her lap helping her work.

Rachel

Licensed Veterinary Technician/Client Care

Rachel grew up in Ashland, Oregon. Her love of travel led her to explore living in several states and countries such as Switzerland and Canada.

Rachel studied to become a veterinary technician in Denver, CO where she received her Certified Veterinary Technician credentials in 2008. She has been working as a technician for 10 years, and then decided to try something a little different by joining the NSVC front desk team in 2020.

Nursing and nurturing animals gives Rachel the greatest and happiest pleasure. She also happens to be a great admirer of all rabbits and can often be found in the back making sure she meets every single one!

Rachel is a music fanatic of the highest order, and in normal times she loves to listen, play, and go see live music whenever she can. She lives with her husband and three furbabies; Ivan the DSH Wiley Russian spy, and her 2 New Zealand lagomorphs, Blanco and Javier Bardem.

Barbara

Veterinary Assistant

Barbara started working with animals in the aquarium world and worked as a Marine Mammal Trainor for 17 years! She very much wanted to continue working with animals but found it difficult to break into the zoo/aquarium world here in the states, so she set her eyes on working with the four-legged kind instead. She worked in a shelter for a year and joined our team in September 2020.

Barbara’s favorite part about working at the clinic is getting to spend time with happy people and their happy pets and loves seeing firsthand how much a human can care for their pet.

Barbara is a former member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a certified rescue diver! She likes to spend time with family in her spare time, is a podcast junkie, and is an amateur woodworker. She has four furry kids: Bali (aka Princessa and Pigeon), a Siamese cat rescued from Singapore, two rescue dogs, Lucky (aka Mr. Handsome and Kind Sir) and Hank (aka Hanky Tanky and Goofball), and one fabulous hairless dog named Elvis.

Sheri

Client Care Coordinator

Sheri has always cared for animals, from chickens to cats and dogs, to horses and goats. In fact, she learned how to milk a goat before she knew how to tie her shoes! Sheri has worked in animal welfare and veterinary medicine for over 20 years. She loves helping people just as much as animals and finds helping someone navigate the process of getting proper care very rewarding.

Sheri is an avid cook, and volunteers with Seattle Veterinary Outreach, homeless people advocacy groups and fosters kittens in her spare time. She has two rescue cats: Mars Potato and Puppy Hampaws.

Juniper

Client Care Lead

Juniper has been pet sitting their whole life, and even worked as a “dog nanny” for a few years. Their favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is trying to make friends with every cat they meet!

Juniper is an artist, loves to read and crochet, and getting dragged to shows by their partner. They share their home with their beautiful orange cat Crunchwrap Supreme.

Wentworth

Supreme Leader

Lauren

Vet Assistant/Client Care

Lauren is also a professional musician and has played in orchestras around the world. When she is not at work or rocking out on her viola, Lauren enjoys hiking, riding horses and making soap. Lauren enjoys her life with two Cornish Rex cats Nadia and Sofia, 2 hamsters Nugget and Bucket, assorted quail, chickens and one ancient duck.

Wendy

Vet Assistant/Client Care

Wendy’s favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is all the different animal personalities she gets to meet! When she is not at work, Wendy enjoys getting outside and enjoying the natural beauty. She also loves to paint, draw, and spend time with friends and family. She does not currently have a furry friend of her very own but hopes that will change soon!

Adriel

Client Care Coordinator

Adriel joined our team in January 2022 after being a client here for several years. Her favorite thing about working in the veterinary field is seeing all the various characteristics of the animals and seeing them get well.

One thing that people might be surprised to know about Adriel is that she once rode a mountain bike down the world’s most dangerous road in Bolivia! In her spare time, Adriel enjoys visiting local plant shops and swimming in lakes.