Veterinary Heroes: Adrianne Hiller, BS

Adrianne Hiller’s, BS, dedication to the veterinary profession began early in her life. In high school, she walked dogs and cleaned at her local animal clinic—helping where she could, gaining experience, and ultimately training to become a technician by the time she graduated. She began her career in the veterinary profession in 2001.

“My dad was always bringing home animals. [I] loved animals from a very young age. I wanted to go to vet school, so in high school, I just kind of really made it a point that I wanted to be a part of the veterinary industry in some capacity and learn and do as much as I can, so that's how I kind of ended up just kind of helping out at my local vet clinic in high school,” Hiller told dvm360 in an interview. “I ended up ultimately not going to vet school because I went down the management path of things, but always knew that I had a passion for the industry for sure.”

Hiller attended Texas A&M University in College Station, earning a bachelor of science degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences while also taking on weekend overnight shifts in the Small Animal Teaching Hospital at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, working with emergency care providers. She worked her way up in the profession, serving as a kennel technician, technician, and technician lead, and working emergency for some time. Eight years ago, Hiller decided to pursue practice management with CityVet.

As a natural “people person,” Hiller finds fulfillment in her role in practice management, where she can not only support her colleagues, but also to watch them grow and succeed. “I like to just kind of be a part of the discussions and what needs to happen, what works, what doesn't. [A] big thing in management is just being able to…work for everybody else. So, what do we need be the advocate for our coworkers? To figure out what would be best for them to be successful at their jobs and have good work life balances?” Hiller explained.

When she made the leap into practice management, Hiller had the opportunity to work alongside a doctor she respects, and together, they opened their own practice. The experience has been nothing short of fulfilling, Hiller shared.

"It's just been very fulfilling to get to see the business grow and be successful, and getting to hire and see our individual employees grow, you know, starting kind of at the beginning and working their way up to receptionist or technicians or vet school—different experiences,” she said. Through this journey, Hiller discovered that “being able to be the person that…supports the team” is what she truly enjoys.

Speaking about what winning the Veterinary Heroes award in practice management means to her, Hiller said “it feels good to be recognized.”

“Not just me, [but] many people I work with, we work very hard. We want to…do our best every single day. We want to make sure we’re making a difference. And…so many people get into the industry being so animal focused, but it’s really a people- focused industry [too], and it feels good to know that the hard work is maybe paying off some—that people are recognizing and seeing it,” she said.

In honor of Hiller and 11 other Veterinary Heroes inductees, an award ceremony will be held during the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Long Beach, California, where the winners will be recognized for their unwavering commitment and extraordinary efforts within the veterinary profession. The ceremony will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 11:30 AM PST. All Fetch Long Beach registrants are invited to attend the award ceremony for no additional fee.

The 2024 Veterinary Heroes program is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center