Speakers

• Melanie Parham, BAS, RVTg

  Melanie served in the United States Navy prior to graduating in the first class of the Athens Technical College Veterinary Technology program in 2003. Upon graduation she spent time working in private practice before making the move to work at UGA in Outpatient Services which is now the Pet Health Center. Melanie also served as faculty in the Athens Technical College Veterinary Technology program from 2007-2011. She completed her BAS in Veterinary Technology through St. Petersburg College in 2011. Melanie took on the role as the sponsored Hill’s Veterinary Nutrition Technician in 2012, where she was responsible for support in the teaching of key nutritional concepts to veterinary students rotating through the PHC. In 2019, Melanie moved full-time into the newly established Clinical Nutrition Service for UGA. Melanie’s professional goals include achieving her Veterinary Technician Specialty status in nutrition.

  Melanie is a member of GVTAA, NAVTA, and BSAVA. She served on the Executive Board of the GVTAA for numerous years. Outside of clinics, Melanie has two grown children, both serving in the military. She spends her free time with her husband spoiling their grandchildren and furkids, gardening, and reading.

• Amber Goldman, RVT

  Amber Goldman, RVT has been in veterinary medicine for 9 years and received her RVT through Cedar Valley College- an AAHA accredited online program. She is passionate about progressive, collaborative veterinary medicine and the engagement of all levels of veterinary team. Amber enjoys sharing how radiology, though one of the most physically demanding and possibly confusing duties a tech is responsible for, can also be the most rewarding. She has been lecturing in person and via zoom for 4 years and hopes to continue and grow her presence in the field of veterinary education.

• Kelli Gibbon, RVT, VTS

  Kelli has been in the veterinary field as a technician for over 25 years. During that time, she obtained her VTS certification in anesthesia and analgesia. 6 years ago she began servicing and repairing anesthesia machines and has taken over ownership of AMDEC, a veterinary anesthesia sales and service company. One of her passions is to help veterinary technicians and assistants become more comfortable with anesthesia and in her role as a service technician she is in a unique position to provide this support to the community. She enjoys relaxing, yoga, and hiking and lives in Atlanta with her 2 senior cats and her pitbull.

• Laura Smallwood, DVM

  Dr. Laura Smallwood’s professional experience includes over 30 years in the practice of veterinary medicine, the majority of that as a small animal internal medicine specialist and practice owner. Dr. Smallwood began her study of Mindfulness early in 2016 as part of a collaboration to develop a 6-week Mindfulness-based stress resilience program for Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists. Since that time, she has been committed to the intensive study and practice of Mindfulness as a methodology for cultivating emotional intelligence, stress resilience and leadership skills with an emphasis on the development of programs specific to the veterinary profession. Dr. Smallwood has lectured and taught workshops on Mindfulness for the Georgia VMA, the Alabama VMA, Chattahoochee Valley VMA, Pathway Vet Alliance, and Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency. She is studying to become a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher through the Mindfulness Center at Brown University School of Public Heath and has completed Fundamentals of MBSR Teacher Education. Dr. Smallwood is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and leads yoga practices and mindfulness trainings for workers at Saint Francis Veterinary Specialists and Emergency where she is the Medical Director. Dr. Smallwood chairs the GVMA Wellness Committee and serves on the Specialty Advisory Board for Pathway Vet Alliance as the Director of Mindfulness and Resilience.

• Damion Asselin, RVT, VTS

  Damion Asselin graduated from St. Petersburg College in 2010 with a BAS in veterinary technology and received his VTS accreditation from the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians and Nurses in 2017. He has worked in the Emergency & Critical Care unit at the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital since 2012.

• Amy Edwards, RVT, VTS

  Amy Edwards is originally from NC where she graduated from Central Carolina Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program in 1997. She relocated to GA in 1999 and has been employed with Atlanta Veterinary Dental Services since 2004. In 2011 she was awarded the title of Veterinary Technician Specialist in Dentistry after completing the 2 year process and passing the board exam in dentistry. She enjoys teaching others the value that dentistry has on the overall health of pets and how to implement dentistry into their clinics. She has helped and led numerous in-clinic dental trainings and national dental wet labs. She is a welcomed speaker at the annual Veterinary Dental Forum and the Georgia Veterinary Technician and Assistant Association. Outside of work Amy enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with her son Vincent. Her 4 legged furbaby is Tara Grace, a Boston Terrier.

• Rachel Reed, DVM, DACVAA

  Rachel Reed attended veterinary school at North Carolina State University graduating in 2011. After spending some time in mixed animal private practice, Dr. Reed completed an anesthesia residency at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, becoming board certified in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia in 2016. Since that time, Dr. Reed has been working as faculty in the anesthesia service at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.