Rebecca Newman, PsyM, CVT, RVT

Rebecca Newman’s passion for wellbeing began when she was a college student working with adolescents with substance use disorders. While pursuing graduate work in clinical psychology, Newman worked as a therapist, primarily focusing on anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as eating disorders. She also worked at the Princeton Center for Leadership Training designing and implementing health-related peer leadership programs.

Always an enthusiastic animal lover, Newman became a credentialed veterinary technician in 2016 and combined her passions for wellbeing, education, and veterinary medicine in her role as Student Services Coordinator and then Student Affairs Director at Bel-Rea Institute. Newman served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians from 2018-2022 (including the role of President). She continues to volunteer in the veterinary community, with a focus on wellbeing, mental health, and advocacy. Newman and her husband live on a farm in rural Colorado with their 22 well-loved animals.

Jennifer Serling, CVT, RVT, VTES, BVSc, AAS

Jennifer Serling has been a credentialed veterinary technician since 1992. Her specialty is in large animal nursing however her vast experience encompasses all facets of veterinary medicine. She has been a veterinary technician educator since 2007. Jennifer has a bachelor’s in veterinary science from the University of Arizona and an associate of science from Penn Foster College’s Veterinary Technician Program. She is also currently working on her master’s in Veterinary Education from Lincoln Memorial University. She was the program director for a veterinary technician school in Tucson, Arizona for 11 years prior to joining the Appalachian State University Veterinary Technology program as its Assistant Director. Jennifer has written two veterinary technician textbooks for Bluedoor Publishing on pharmacology and large animal medicine and nursing and contributed to several others. In addition to teaching and writing, she is a firm believer in giving back to the community and serves on the board of directors for three animal welfare and rescue groups. Her passion is large animals and she absolutely loves sharing that excitement with her students. Jennifer is an internationally known speaker, delivering engaging talks on large animal medicine, pharmacology, as well as veterinary technology education. She has also published articles for Veterinary Practice News Plus and serves on their editorial board. Jennifer is the current President of the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE). She is also a founding member of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Specialists in Education (AVTSE) and holds the advanced certification of VTES (Veterinary Technician Education Specialist). She also serves as a veterinary technician liaison for AAVMC. She helped established the Arizona Veterinary Technicians Association and currently serves as their President-Elect. Jennifer currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with her dog and cat, as well as two grown human boys.

Leigha Wright, RVT, LVT, MBA, Elite FFCP

Leigha Wright has worked within Veterinary and Veterinary Technology education throughout her career and has been a credentialed veterinary technician since 2019. Leigha has an associate’s and bachelor’s in veterinary technology from Morehead State University and a master’s in business administration from Lincoln Memorial University. She has worked in state diagnostic laboratories for the University of Kentucky and Clemson University. She was previously the clinical coordinator for the Blinn College Veterinary Technology program prior to joining the Appalachian State University Veterinary Technology program as its Clinical Coordinator. Leigha has published articles for Veterinary Practice News Plus covering her passion for necropsy within the clinic and generational differences in veterinary medicine. She was awarded the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Licensed Veterinary Technician of the year award in 2021 for the work she puts towards elevating veterinary technicians in the field. She also works with the Texas Airedale Rescue Team helping to make a difference in the lives of pets in her state. Leigha currently resides in Garland, Texas with her two dogs and two cats.