Board of Directors


Board of Directors

President Dr. Ann Brownlee
Past President - Dr. James Bennett
President-Elect - Dr. Rob Memmen
Vice President - Dr. Jessica Fox
Secretary/Treasurer - Dr. Heather Douglas
Director - Dr. Chris Anderson
Director Dr. Travis Anderson 
Director Dr. Ned Patterson
Director Dr. Holly Rudolf 

Ex-officio Members

AVMA Delegate - Dr. Teresa Hershey
AVMA Alt. Delegate - Dr. Scott Dee
MVMA Executive Director - Kelly Andrews 
MVMA GAC Chair - Dr. Trevor Ames
MVMA GAC Vice Chair - Dr. Jessica Fox
POTL Program Liaison - Dr. Ashley Smit 

MN Board of Animal Health - Dr. Brian Hoefs  
MN Board of Veterinary Medicine
 - Dr. Julia Wilson
MN Department of Health - Dr. Stacy Holzbauer
U of M CVM- Dr. Laura Molgaard
MVMA/MVMF Student Representative - Julia Hartmann, Kayla Sawchak & Bri Hotzler
SAVMA President - Alyssa Gathje 

 

 President

 


Ann Brownlee, DVM 
Retired

Dr. Ann Brownlee is a 1989 graduate from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She was committed to veterinary medicine as an owner and small animal veterinarian at Grand Avenue Veterinary Center in Saint Paul, MN. 2022 brought big changes for her: she retired, sold her practice to two long time associates, and unexpectedly and happily accepted a position with the MVMA. Dr. Brownlee spent her career working in the community she grew up in; she is a graduate of Macalester College and has deep ties to our capital city. She has lived in Stillwater Township for the past 30 years, raising a family and enjoying the hobby farm lifestyle with a multitude of animals both indoors and out. She has served on a number of boards and has been active as a volunteer, both veterinary and community-related over the past 25 years. "At this time, I am excited about this opportunity to serve a profession that I dearly love. I am looking at life with a sense of adventure and curiosity and looking forward to continuing making a difference. I would love to hear from any of you and hope that you will reach out so that I can serve you in my leadership."

 

Past President

 

James Bennett, DVM
Northern Valley Livestock Services
900 N. Wabasha
Plainview, MN 55964


Dr. Jim Bennett graduated from the U of MN College of Veterinary Medicine in 1981 after previously completing his undergraduate work at Saint John’s University. Since that time Dr. Bennett has been a practice owner of two clinics in southeastern MN, and has been actively practicing bovine medicine throughout his professional life. He recently sold his bovine practice in Plainview, although he is still practicing full time, and has retained his ownership stake in a small animal practice in Rochester. Throughout his career Dr. Bennett has continued to develop his professional acumen and, in the process with his business partner, built one of the most progressive dairy practices in the state offering a full range of clinical, consulting, and diagnostic services. The large animal clinic has hosted many, many students over the years as well. In addition to serving local livestock owners, he has been sought after for large herd consulting on a more regional basis as well as some international work. Dr. Bennett enjoys an excellent reputation not just among local colleagues, but he has also been drawn into instruction at conferences for national associations and at the U of MN CVM. He has lectured at the MVMA Convention as well. Additionally, some of his work has turned him into a published author in peer reviewed publications. Within MVMA, Dr. Bennett has been an active member of the Food Animal Issues Committee and is a regular volunteer at the Miracle of Birth Center.
   

President-Elect

 
 
Rob Memmen, DVM 
Gehrman Animal Hospital
12800 Wayzata Blvd.
Minnetonka, MN 55305


Dr. Rob Memmen graduated from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and served as the vice president of SCAVMA in his third year of veterinary school. After graduation he spent 3 years in Granger, IN. working a small animal practice and volunteering his time caring for patients and serving on the board of the St. Joseph County Animal Humane Society. Dr. Memmen co-owns Gehrman Animal Hospital, a small animal general practice in Minnetonka, Mn. where he has worked since 2013. He was involved as a participant in the MVMA Power of 10 Emerging Leaders group and then chaired the group for 3 years. Dr. Memmen was a director on the MVMA board from 2018-2020. He has been on the MVMA’s MOVE Task Force for four years and served as chair of the MVMA’s finance committee for three years. Dr. Rob and his wife Sara live in Minnetonka with their two children, Elizabeth and James, and their dog Annie.

 

 Vice President

 
 
Jessica Fox, DVM 
Fins Feathers Fur Fetlocks


Dr. Jessica Fox is a mixed animal veterinarian with specialized training and expertise in aquatic animal species including shrimp! She lives in Southwest Minnesota with her husband Mike and bullmastiff Dexter. Dr Fox has worked for over 20 years in research and development in the human food industry and animal feed nutrition and additives with her primary focus in the area of improving gut health in agriculture and aquaculture species through natural solutions. She has a consulting business “Fins Feathers Fur and Fetlocks” with aquaculture, aquarium, zoo and backyard poultry clients and is an associate veterinarian at Marshall Animal Clinic in Marshall, MN.  Dr. Fox has been an active member of the MVMA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) since 2015, serves as Vice Chair of GAC and is a graduate of the 2016 MVMA Power of 10 Leadership Program. She served two terms on the AVMA Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee and is currently serving on the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota and truly loves working with all creatures great and small. She is an animated public speaker and passionate educator. She loves painting, beading, sewing, and making engaging power point presentations; her husband says she was created to create. She loves traveling and meeting people from all walks of life on her journeys.  Her personal mission statement is to live life fully, honestly, and compassionately while making a positive impact on the health of the animals, humans and environment in the world around her.

 

Secretary/Treasurer

 
Heather Douglas, DVM, MBA, CVA
Douglas Animal Hospital
116 Central Ave.
Osseo, MN 55369



Dr. Douglas knew from a very young age that she would be a veterinarian. This career choice guided her entire youth and she is thrilled to be able to live out her dream. Dr. Douglas graduated from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. She has a strong interest in internal medicine. In 2011, Dr. Douglas started a non-profit veterinary service, GrenVet, which provides care to animals in Grenada. In her free time, Dr. Douglas enjoys scuba diving, traveling, and spending quality time with her adorable cats Kaya and Mr. Waffles.
 

Director

 
Chris Anderson, DVM
MVP


Dr. Anderson is a 2003 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He has been a member of the MVMA every year since graduation and is currently serving on the MVMA golf committee. He was the previous president of the University of Minnesota Alumni and Friends society and currently serves as tournament director on the Eagan Basketball Association Board of Directors. Dr. Anderson grew up on a hobby farm in southwest Minnesota and helped on his grandma’s dairy. After graduation, he worked as an associate doctor for 2 years prior to becoming a partner doctor for 5 years at Banfield. After that experience he took on the role of Medical Director for 7 years where he helped lead medical quality and operations of 23 hospitals and 85 doctors. He spent 2 years with Wellhaven as a VP of operations. He currently works for Mission Veterinary Partners as a Strategic Medical Director overseeing 50+ hospitals in his territory. He has also worked in integrations and business development for MVP.

 

Director

 
Travis Anderson, DVM
East Lake Animal Clinic
4104 East Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55406

Travis Anderson is a small animal practitioner and private practice owner in Minneapolis, MN.

Travis attended St. Matthew’s University and earned his DVM in 2012 after a year of clinical study at the University of Minnesota. In addition to practice ownership, he is currently serving on the board of AERC, and enjoys volunteering with the MVMA Surgery Suite committee. He also serves as a facilitator and board member for the Veterinary Leadership Institute.  He enjoys the challenge and opportunity provided by building and maintaining dynamic and successful veterinary care teams. At home, he is supported by his wife Amanda, their dog Riker, and two cats. In his free time he enjoys traveling, playing guitar and banjo, and reading. 

 

Director

 
Ned Patterson, DVM, PhD
U of M - Veterinary Medical Center
1365 Gortner Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108 

Dr. Ned Patterson is one of the world’s top three genetic researchers in canine epilepsy. Over the past 10 years, he has been the recipient of three major and two smaller research grants in genetics and canine epilepsy from the National Institutes of Health. One of his other research projects, conducted with colleague Dr. Jim Mickelson, was in exercise-induced collapse in dogs. Patterson and Mickelson identified the first naturally occurring mutation in the responsible gene (DNM1) and published the findings in the journal Nature Genetics.
 
Board-certified in small animal internal medicine, Patterson splits his time between clinics, teaching, and research.
 

Director

 
Holly Rudolf, DVM 
Halo Pet Care 

Dr. Holly Rudolf is a 2009 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, after which she completed a small-animal rotating-medicine internship in Florida before returning to Minnesota to work as a small-animal general practitioner. Dr. Rudolf is the owner of Halo Pet Care, based out of Mankato, Mn. and is a standing member of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association’s Power of Ten program. She enjoys learning from her colleagues’ wealth of knowledge and strives to leave a mark on the industry by promoting, engaging, and advocating for early-career veterinarians and strengthening rural veterinary medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys spending time with her family, sewing, being outdoors, and being on the water, but not necessarily all at the same time.

 

 Ex-officio Members 

  AVMA Delegate

 
Teresa Hershey, DVM, CCRT, DvMA
Westgate Pet Clinic

   

AVMA Alt. Delegate

 
Scott Dee, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVM
Scientific Solutions for Swine

   

MVMA Executive Director/CEO

Kelly Andrews, CAE
Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
Executive Director
101 Bridgepoint Way
Suite 100
So. St. Paul, MN 55075
651-645-7533 (work)
   

MVMA Governmental Affairs Committee

Trevor Ames, DVM
MVMA GAC Chair
University of Minnesota, Retired 

  Jessica Koppien-Fox, DVM
MVMA GAC Vice Chair

POTL Program Liaison 

Ashley Smit, DVM
Pet Poison Helpline

   

MN Board of Animal Health 

Brian Hoefs, DVM 
Minnesota Board of Animal Health
Interim Executive Director
625 Robert St. N.
St Paul, MN 55155
   

MN Board of Veterinary Medicine

Julia Wilson, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM
Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine
Executive Director
2829 University Avenue SE., Ste. 401
Minneapolis, MN 55414
651-201-2844 (work)
651-201-2842 (fax)
   

MN Department of Health

Stacy Holzbauer, DVM, MPH
Minnesota Department of Health - Zoonotic Diseases Unit
State Public Health Veterinarian

   

U of M CVM Dean

Laura Molgaard, DVM (Dean)
College of Veterinary Medicine Dean's Office
455 Veterinary Medical Center
1365 Gortner Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
   

MVMA/MVMF Student Representatives

  Julia Hartmann
Third-year DVM student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. 

  Kayla Sawchak
Second-year DVM student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. 
Bri Hotzler
Second-year DVM student taking part in the South Dakota State University 2+2 program within the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. 

SAVMA Chapter President

 

Alyssa Gathje 

 
Click Here for Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Archive (Members Only)