The AVRA Directors & Council

I began my career in the Veterinary Industry  as the first and only receptionist for Snowy Vets in 2012. With no prior knowledge or skills in the industry I took on a steep learning curve to understand as much as possible about veterinary care.

Over the years my role developed into other areas of the business. Taking on extra responsibilities in client communications, admin and marketing. As the business grew my role changed and I spent less time on the desk and more time in a management position.

The knowledge I have gained  makes me want to do more for the industry as a whole. I do believe receptionists strengthen the relationship between a client and a clinic, they take the time to listen and build trust, reducing  some of the pressure on our veterinarians.

I am excited for the journey ahead with AVRA and the empowerment we can provide to Veterinary Receptionists  across Australia and New Zealand. The potential this association has for a positive impact in the wider Veterinary Industry is something I’ve always wanted to be a part of.

When I’m not at work I love spending time at home with my husband and 2 young kids, as well as our 2 Devon Rex cats. We love getting outdoors bush walking and enjoying sunshine.

I entered the animal care industry 15 years ago as I was just a girl who loved her dog – “Newman” a crazy and very personable Border Collie. Over the last 15 years I have worked in a variety of roles from research, Zoo’s, rural practice, tele triage and emergency and critical care nursing.

I have completed my Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and a Post Graduate Certificate in Captive Vertebrate Management through Charles Sturt University. Currently, I am studying a Certificate IV in Project Management as well as regular CPD to keep up my Veterinary Nurse registration.

My passion and main drive has always been to help people best care for their animals, educate them and be there to support them during the tough times. I am thrilled to be a part of the AVRA and cannot wait to connect with other like-minded people to provide support to our Veterinary Receptionists.

My name is Kate and I am currently the reception manager at Reedy Creek Vet Surgery on the beautiful Gold coast where I live with my husband, two children, two cats & our golden retriever Sunny!

Having grown up on acreage, since I was a small child, I have always had a love of all creatures great and small. I naturally found my way into veterinary nursing by starting out as a kennel hand at a clinic on the Gold Coast. I completed my Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in New South Wales in 2007 and never looked back!

I have worked in both the UK and the East and West coasts of Australia across several areas of nursing including general practice, emergency and specialist practice as well as volunteering as a nurse with Vets Beyond Borders in India.

I am passionate about using my knowledge and skills to deliver exceptional customer service to enrich the lives and the experience in clinic for pets and most importantly their owners. I believe veterinary receptionists need to have further training to be able to fulfill this role and I love being involved in upskilling our nurses to be the best receptionists they can be and are thrilled to be a part of the Australian Veterinary Reception Association.

Growing up I was always surrounded by animals. I was the one in the family with the dogs, cats, birds, ducks, mice, rats and even a goat so it’s not surprising I eventually found myself working in the veterinary industry even though it was after having many years of being a Primary School Teacher and a Private Instrumental Music Teacher.

Initially, I tiptoed into the Veterinary industry, whilst still maintaining my music teaching, in purely an administrative role. This led to answering phones, working at the reception desk and taking on more responsibilities. Over time I found myself in the clinic for most of my working hours! I was hooked and still am!

I am now the Office Coordinator at St Bernards Rd Veterinary Clinic in Magill South Australia which means I get to do various administration work but also spend time as a Veterinary Receptionist. I love being at the front desk as I get to have time with our fabulous patients, their families and building those relationships. I understand the importance and complexities of the Veterinary Receptionist’s role and am passionate about doing what I can to help and develop skills for receptionists in the industry.  It’s much, much more than picking up the phone and making appointments!

I recently joined the Australian Veterinary Receptionist Association founding Council as treasurer. I’m excited by the opportunity to be surrounded by an amazing ‘Brains Trust’ and to make a difference to receptionists in Australia and New Zealand.

Music still plays a special part in my life. I play flute in a Concert Band alongside my trumpeting husband and ‘fill-in’ as accompanist for Sing Australia Glenelg. I also love my regular babysitting day in which I get to spend time with my gorgeous little granddaughter.

My home is shared with my cat Koda, offsider Mia and my energetic dog Baylee.

I started working with animals when I was 17, where I volunteered at a Zoological Park for two years. I then took two years out and travelled Australia, before returning home to England in 2016. Once home I worked for a cats and dogs rescue centre, before moving on to my first job in the veterinary Industry as a veterinary receptionist.

This was a whole new world for me, I knew I wanted to work with animals but no one had warned me of the extent my role would actually take. I learnt very quickly that answering the phone and booking appointments was only a very small part of my role, which extended into kennel hand, care assistant, animal handling and practice tea maker! I became aware of the BVRA and crammed as many courses as I possibly could to improve my efficiency within my role, completing all levels of the BVRA training.

Because of it, I was promoted to the role of Head Receptionist in July 2020. In March 2021 I was invited to become a BVRA ambassador, which lead to me joining the BVRA team as Operations Manager in February 2022. Since then we evolved our ambassadors and created the first BVRA Council, of which I was voted in as the first BVRA President! Though this is a new role to both myself and the association, I am very excited to see where this leads and how I can help raise the status for veterinary receptionists within the industry across the country.