Pulse - February 2022 - 9

JIM BELL SCVMA PROFILE
2022 Award Recipients
E
laine Myers, winner
of the SCVMA
Veterinary Team
Members Award for 2022,
said that she was " very
surprised and shocked "
when she learned she had
been selected.
" I know some of the previous
winners and I don't think
I have done anything like they have done. I don't feel like I'm in
their league. But I'm really grateful and appreciative to be recognized
for what I have done. "
The honor was called the Para-Professional Award until this
year. After Elaine took over management of the Para-Professional
Group last year, the name was changed to the Veterinary Team
Members Group. A number of members believed that " paraprofessional "
did not reflect positively on them. The name of the
award now reflects the new name.
Melissa Tompkins, a former winner of the award and owner of
South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions, nominated Elaine.
" I nominated her because I have watched how much effort she
makes to create a positive culture at her hospital, " Melissa said.
" Elaine goes out of her way to make sure her team is taken care
of. She makes sure that they have the support and things they need
to do their jobs well. She is innovative and thorough and has done
terrific things for her hospital in the six years she has been the
administrator. "
Elaine recently led an effort by Vet Team Members to get donations
of petfood for the Grandpaws Foundation, a charitable group
started by Melissa Garcia, practice manager of Bloomfield Animal
Hospital in Lakewood. The foundation gives petfood to lowincome
seniors and helps them pay their veterinary bills.
Elaine has worked for the Emergency Clinics since 1995. Her
tenure included working remotely while she finished her master's
degree at the University of Missouri. After her graduation,
she served as practice manager until her promotion to administrator.
She is certified both as a veterinary technician and practice
manager.
She keeps " pretty normal " hours, she said. " I handle all the business
for the clinic, " she said. " But I can't be talking to the bank or
an insurance agent at 11 o'clock at night. "
The two clinics are in Garden Grove and Fullerton. They open
at 6 p.m. and are open until 8 a.m. the next morning. On weekends,
the clinics open at noon on Saturday and stay open until
Monday morning.
Elaine and her husband, Jerry, have a daughter, Bethany, who
is a practice manager in Texas, and a son, Sam, who is in his last
year of high school and hopes to become a registered veterinary
technician. P
PULSE
FEBRUARY 2022
9
D
SCVMA Veterinary Team Members Award + Cortese-Lippincott Award Winners
r. Jennifer Hawkins,
who became SCVMA's
executive
director
a few months
ago, will
receive the
association's 2022 Cortese-Lippincott
Award at
the Annual Celebration
April 30th. On receiving
this award, Dr. Hawkins
said, " I am profoundly honored to be considered in the
same company as those that have received this award
before me. "
The award is presented annually to someone who has gone
" above and beyond " to make the world a better place for
humans and animals, who excels in community service and
education in the veterinary community and who supports the
human-animal bond.
Dr. Hawkins took over as executive director October 1, succeeding
Dr. Peter Weinstein, who served in the post 14 years.
Dr. Hawkins served the Orange County Animal Care shelter
nearly eight years as chief veterinarian, adding the director's role
for three years (2015-18). She played a major role in seeing the
new shelter facility through to completion in 2018.
" I am grateful to have been part of the continuing progress of
the animal sheltering industry, " she said. " That's been a really gratifying
part of my career. "
Dr. Hawkins has played a prominent role in organized veterinary
medicine. After coming to Southern California in 2000, she
became an SCVMA member and held multiple leadership roles
in the association. She was a chapter president in 2006. She joined
the SCVMA Board of Trustees in 2009, became SCVMA treasurer
in 2011, vice president in 2012 and president in 2013.
She served in the CVMA House of Delegates from 2012 to
2018 and was House chair from 2016 to 2018. She moved to the
CVMA Board of Governors in 2019 and still serves there.
Dr. Hawkins grew up in Northern California and earned her
DVM degree at UC Davis in 2000. After graduating, she worked
10 years in Southern California as an associate or relief veterinarian,
then worked at the Riverside County Animal Shelter for four
years before moving full time to the Orange County shelter.
She is married to Scott Weisgerber, a graphic designer. The
couple's nine-year-old daughter, Audrey, shares her mother's love
for animals and dotes on their two orange tabby cats, Mac and
Cheddar. Scott was awarded the 2019 Ginny Grant Award for his
unselfish support of his wife's career. P
Pulse - February 2022

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