Fetch shines the spotlight on 2025 Veterinary Heroes

There were cheers and tears in celebration of dvm360’s 2025 Veterinary Heroes. Fourteen peer-nominated award winners were recognized with a luncheon ceremony at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Veterinary Heroes program is celebrating its fifth year recognizing individuals who have excelled in their professional roles and influenced the broader veterinary community. These heroes are recognized for their unwavering commitment and extraordinary efforts within the veterinary profession, setting new standards and inspiring others to continue evolving the practice of veterinary care. The program also celebrates those who have positively affected animal care, demonstrating leadership, expertise, and a commitment to improving the health and well-being of animals.

“A veterinary hero is someone who shows up when no one’s watching. It’s a technician who whispers to the scared cat. It’s a CSR [who] takes a punch from a keyboard warrior and still picks up the next call with grace. It’s a surgeon who’s on their 14th hour gives every patient the same goal standard of care,” Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer of dvm360, the ceremony’s emcee, told the audience.

Photo: Kristen Coppock Crossley, MA/dvm360

Veterinary Heroes honored at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, included (from left) Craig A. Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology); Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Small Animal Medicine), DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Dottie Cimino Brown, MS, DVM, DACVS; Julie A. Churchill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition); Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC; Danielle DeCormier, LVT, VTS (Oncology), CFE; Leslie Bauer, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice); Ashley S. Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD; Colleen Lambo, DVM, PhD, MS; and Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA.

This year’s program is supported by category sponsors Blue Natural Veterinary Diet, Thrive Pet Healthcare, MedVet, VetriScience, Roo, and Elanco Animal Health. The winners were selected by an esteemed panel of judges, who chose to honor veterinary professionals in 14 categories.

The Veterinary Heroes Class of 2025 includes the following individuals:

• Behavior (sponsored by VetriScience): Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC
• Client Service Representative: Alyssa Israels-Blood
• Credentialed Veterinary Technician (sponsored by MedVet): Danielle DeCormier, LVT, VTS (Oncology), CFE
• Dentistry: Barden Greenfield, DVM, DAVDC
• Dermatology (sponsored by Elanco Animal Health): Ashley S. Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD
• Emergency Medicine: Leslie Bauer, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice)
• Feline Medicine: Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Small Animal Medicine), DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice)
• General Practitioner (sponsored by Roo): Colleen Lambo, DVM, PhD, MS
• Internal Medicine (Oncology): Craig A. Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
• Lifetime Achievement: Dottie Cimino Brown, MS, DVM, DACVS
• Nutrition (sponsored by Blue Natural): Julie A. Churchill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)
• Practice Manager: Nadine Wolfe, AS, BS
• Surgery (sponsored by Thrive Pet Healthcare): Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA
• Veterinary Paraprofessional (noncredentialled support staff): Hannah Marie Inman

At the awards ceremony, Christman introduced each of the 14 winners with a video listing their individual achievements. Christman, category sponsors, nominators and colleagues also spoke to a full ballroom of attendees, providing insights on the honorees’ characters, work ethics and the impact they’ve made on the industry.

Many of the award recipients were in attendance, and they each thanked mentors, colleagues, family and others that influenced their careers. They also shared heartfelt messages, which brought tears to those in the audience, at times.

In one instance, Christman called Clifford’s son up to the stage to hand his oncologist father his trophy. Clifford spoke during his acceptance speech about the ADHD diagnosis he shares with his son, how it forced him to overcome unique challenges for his career and how others helped him succeed.

Turning to his son, Clifford said, “I have ADHD, and so do you. And as you know, sometimes this can be a curse, but it can also be a blessing. But this [award] goes to show you that you can still succeed in spite of it. I wish you the best, and I know he's going to do amazing things in the future.”

The ceremony also took time to celebrate the profession. In his acceptance speech, Campbell noted the dedication and passion veterinary professionals are fueled by on a daily basis. “I truly believe at the core, veterinary medicine is composed of two ideals, the combination of science and empathy. And I think that with those two ideals, there's no limit to what we can accomplish,” he said.

For more coverage of the Fetch Kansas City conference, visit the dvm360 conference news page.