Who We Are

Our Team Will Take Your Practice to New Heights

At Veterinary United, we are a team of veterinarians, veterinary professionals, and experts who are dedicated to growing your practice and hospital team. We’re with you for the long-haul, consistently providing insight throughout your practice’s transition and well beyond.

Our values drive each team member to champion empowerment, collaboration, and putting people and pets before the bottom line.

Our Values

Leadership

Inventory

Marketing & Technology

Administrative

Operations

Finance

Recruiting
& Staffing

Maintenance

Leadership

Meet the visionaries who passionately drive our organization forward.

Thomas Bankstahl, DVM, CAPP

Visionary, Owner, Team Leader, CEO

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Dr. Bankstahl is a 1994 graduate of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and most recently graduated with his CAPP (Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology) . His interests include exotic animal medicine, alternative medicine, laser therapy, digital imaging, and nutritional therapy; as well as a focus on best business practices and growing a culture of leadership, mentorship, and positivity.

Throughout his career, he has been a lecturer, writer, consultant, associate veterinarian, practice owner, and team leader. Starting with veterinary ownership in 1999, he currently leads a practice group of 22 practices including small animal, feline specific, exotic, and mobile practices as well as 4 boarding / daycare / daycamp / grooming centers with over 400 employees in southeastern Michigan. He believes in providing multiple modalities for clients within a holistic private practice model.

He continues to focus on providing complete and individual patient care and exceptional client service within an environment of team mentorship, coaching, and evolution. His current personal and professional mission statement is to “Inspire, Empower, and Lead.”

Julie Bankstahl

Owner, Team Leader, President, Project Manager

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Lesley Smith

Chief Operations Officer

(586) 248-4529

Bio

Lesley Smith is our Chief Operations Officer. She spends her time overseeing all clinic and Hub operations supporting the needs of Doctors, Site Leaders, and team members alike. Lesley completed her Master’s in Organizational Management and worked in Operations within large department retailers before taking the leap into the Veterinary field! In 2019, Lesley received the Veterinary United-Guardian Award presented by her peers for being a key player within the organization. She is most proud of the development within the HUB team and individual sites within her 3 years here. When Lesley is away, she spends her time with her family and kitten, Baby! Lesley’s words to live by are “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right” by Henry Ford, which she brings with her every day, believing the perspective you take, steers your day, in which she maintains her positive attitude.

Dana Meske

Chief Administrative Officer

(586) 623-6171

Bio

Dana Meske is our Chief Administrative Officer and has been working in the veterinary field for over 20 years! Dana oversees all inner office development and employee operations to ensure all tasks are organized and defined when prepping our plans of action. As an RYT 200 Yoga Instructor, Dana is the head of our Health and Wellness initiative. In 2017, Dana received our Veterinary United Leadership and Longevity Spartan Armor award, granted to her by her peers for her exceptional dedication and commitment to the Veterinary United team. Dana’s favorite thing about the veterinary field is watching an animal and human bond for the first time and seeing that develop over time. When Dana isn’t checking policies and procedures, she is hanging out with her many animal companions! Baxter the Boston Terrier, Dooder and Carrie Bradshaw the Sphynx kitties, Bucky the Guinea Pig, and her horse CT.

John Bankstahl

Chief Financial Officer

(586) 623-6597

Bio

John Bankstahl is our Chief Financial Officer, providing leadership, direction, and management over our finance and accounting teams. His duties include financial forecasting and preparing budget plans for our multiple clinics. John also puts his hat into assisting inventory and payroll departments as well as establishing and developing relations with external partners. John’s favorite song, “All I Do Is Win” plays in the background as John has been with our team since 2003 growing and expanding operations and uniting our teams to make a difference. Attitude is the name of the game in the world of finance, with John you see that commitment.

Joshua E. Gehrke, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)

Chief Learning Officer, Interim Chief Medical Officer

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Joshua E. Gehrke, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology) is a board-certified Veterinary Neurologist and Neurosurgeon. Dr. Gehrke received his Bachelor of Science degree, as well as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University. Following his graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Gehrke went on to complete a rotating internship at the Animal Specialty Group in Glendale, CA, followed by a three-year residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at The Animal Medical Center in New York, NY.

In 2015, Dr. Gehrke was awarded the Neurosurgery Certificate of Training. This is awarded to ACVIM Neurology Diplomates who have demonstrated competency in neurosurgery and completed all surgical requirements such as fundamentals of tissue handling, instrumentation, and complex surgical procedures. In addition to his training, Dr. Gehrke has worked for multispecialty institutions such as BluePearl Veterinary Partners and MedVet. He has also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. While as a professor, in 2014 and 2018, he was awarded the SAVMA Excellence in Teaching Award. Furthermore, he is a published author and frequent lecturer on various topics in veterinary neurology.

Dr. Gehrke has a beautiful and charismatic wife named Tiffani, two sons named Joshua Jr. and Maddox Michael, and a Puggle named old man Tots. Dr. Gehrke lives on a farm where he spends his time cutting hay and taking care of his cattle. His favorite pastime is enjoying long walks on the beach, watching anything MSU Spartan, Detroit Tiger Baseball, and Lions Football. Dr. Gehrke's hope is that he can make a change everlasting to the field of veterinary medicine. He challenges you to help and make a difference!

Dr. Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CPPC, CCFP

Chief Medical & Wellbeing Officer

Bio

Dr. Richmond is the Chief Medical & Wellbeing Officer for Veterinary United and the Founder of Flourishing Phoenix Veterinary Consultants. He is an advocate for positive culture and individual, team and organizational psychological health, safety, and wellbeing in veterinary workplaces.

Dr. Richmond both leads and is involved in state, national and international projects for the advancement of wellbeing and culture in veterinary medicine. He currently serves as the chair for both the Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s Outreach and Professional Wellbeing Committees and is a member/advisor for several national committees and boards for workplace suicide prevention and veterinary wellbeing, including those sponsored by the CDC/NIOSH & the AFSP, Fear Free, MentorVet and Appalachian State University.

Dr. Richmond is a speaker and published writer, a frequent veterinary podcast guest, and holds multiple certifications in the fields of applied positive psychology, appreciative inquiry, workplace wellbeing, psychological health & safety, trauma-informed workplaces, resilience training, behavior change, and suicide prevention. He was awarded the FVMA Gold Star for service in 2019 and FVMA Veterinarian of the Year in 2021.

Jeff Niziolek, DVM

Chief Experience Officer

Raul Soto, GPHR, SHRM-SCP

Chief Human Resources Officer

Bio

Known as a transformational leader, with extensive cross-industry and federal government experience ranging from international operations, comprehensive diversity and inclusion, innovative organizational development and total rewards approaches. Mr. Soto is effective at partnering at all levels, from executive leadership through respective team members and allies. As a leader, he is known for his ability to inspire others, coach, motivate and develop team members to carry out the vision and goals of an organization.

Over the past twenty five years, Raul has been involved with executive oversight of a variety of HR efforts impacting internal technical experts, such as AlliedSignal’s high potential development program, Visteon Corp’s Technology Office where he was, among other duties, HR principal in the major acquisition of Dragon Systems’ Voice-Recognition European business, HR lead for Varity Kelsey-Hayes’ global engineering teams and the regional HR labor relations leader for United Technologies’ Latin America manufacturing activities. He was also the principal HR M&A lead for a global acquisition of ArcelorMetal blanking business, which ultimately resulted in additional JVs established in China, India, Australia and Thailand.

As a senior political appointee, he also led efforts at the US Environmental Protection Agency to fine tune their critical occupation skillset initiative along with revamping agency diversity efforts. Through it all, Raul has viewed technical acumen and leadership to go hand in hand in crafting successful outcomes for a variety of organizations. As such he is a certified global HR Professional by the international certifying organization, HRCI. He matriculated with an honors BBA in Computer Science & Economics (University of Texas-Pan American) along with an MBA from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with specializations in International Business & Human Resources. Areas of Expertise: Strategic Planning, Personnel Management, Employee Communications, Health Care Services, Domestic/International Labor Relations, Diversity Leadership, Talent Acquisition and Development, University Relations, Personnel Policies, Compensation, Benefits, Workers Compensation, Budget Development and Management, Team Leadership, Training, Coaching, Presentations and workforce analytics.

Inventory

Does your inventory management need more organization and efficiency? Look no further, our inventory gurus have you covered.

Steacy McIntyre

Inventory Manager

(586) 623-5332

Bio

Steacy Mclntyre is our Inventory Specialist who places and receives orders of supplies for all clinics. She supports all locations with inventory management, maintaining accurate reports, and cycles for new supplies and materials. Steacy originally worked inventory in the human medical field; in 2019, she joined Veterinary United. Her favorite part of VU is how amazing of a team we are! There isn't a single person here that is not willing to step in and help if needed. We have created such a positive working environment. Bringing her motto with her to "always be thankful for whatever opportunity is presented"! When Steacy isn't at work, she's home enjoying spending time with her family and two dogs Sylvestor and Olive!

Kenneth McDonnell

Inventory Manager

Marketing & Technology

Our full-service IT team will help make your PMS and other technologies work for you. We help more pet parents in your area find you and take advantage of your services.

Carl Ashman

Director of Marketing

Ryan Honey

Director of Technology

(586) 623-5236

Bio

Ryan Honey is our Director of Technology. His day is spent assisting all teams with daily technological issues and leading larger projects for implementation across the company. Ryan’s favorite thing about Veterinary United is the amazing impact we have on the community around us. He loves seeing the stories from pet owners on Facebook or in reviews of how our team has helped their families in a significant way. Ryan is quick to fix a computer and make a pun; some say he really has the IT factor. When not helping troubleshoot technological issues, Ryan is hanging out with his Maltese Maddie and trying out a new recipe in his smoker.

Alex Dushaj

IT Specialist

Gail Clemens

Marketing and Media Specialist

Administrative

Our medical and data analytics team work closely together on treatment protocols, price adjustments, core competency programs, auditing reports, and more.

Emily Denk, LVT

Medical Administrative Assistant

(586) 248-4308

Bio

Emily Denk, LVT, is our Medical Administrative Assistant. Being on Veterinary United's team for over six years, Emily's experience as a Licensed Veterinary Technician has given her insight into the medical auditing process. She works to align clinics with treatment plans, pricing information, and other internal documents for a consistent standard between all teams in our veterinary care plan. Emily's words to live by "Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see." -Mark Twain. This is a testament to her commitment toward approaching each day with a positive attitude and drive to help each clinic provide the best level of medicine.

Kim Scicluna

Payroll & Benefits Specialist

(586) 623-5409

Bio

Kim Scicluna is our Payroll and Benefits Specialist in our Human Resources team. She works with all employees throughout the Hub and clinics, managing payroll schedules, employee benefit plans, and Paid Time Off inquiries. Kim started with Veterinary United in 2018, citing that she's most proud of the company's perspective toward clients, focusing on treatment and patient care versus just another number to report on. Her proudest accomplishment is being a mother to 2 awesome boys and her Havanese Molly! Kim is the life of the party, with her favorite movie being "Bad Moms" as a notice that she is fiery and passionate about the people she cares for and is someone who can get the party going with her favorite pump-up jam "Low" by Flo-Rida!

Karlee Pinardi

Executive Administrative Assistant

(586) 248-4737

Bio

Karlee Pinardi joins our team as the Administrative Assistant at the HUB. She provides direct support under operations to ensure daily tasks are organized and completed smoothly throughout the departments. Karlee is certified in Early Childhood Development and Child Psychology and loves learning about development and growth. Also new to the veterinary field, Karlee was quickly engulfed in the supportive and positive team environment demonstrated between our clinics and department members operating in a perfectly balanced fashion. If Karlee magically turned into a food, she would be a bowl of fruit salad; being sweet, colorful, and bringing that energy needed to get work done!

Velva Burley Flowers

Director of People and Operations

Bio

Dr. Flowers is a professional Human Resource Trainer, Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) and Empowerment Coach. She has provided instructional training in areas ranging from leadership development to change management to professional organizations all over the world such as UAW, Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Mercedes Benz, and many other organizations. She is the architect and award-winning author of “Choices: Making Moves to Win” a preventive life care educational training that teaches people how to think strategically and make moves that propel them towards their goals.

Dr. Flowers received a B.A. in Business Administration from Michigan State University, an M.S. in Health Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy; a Master of Divinity Degree (MDiv) and a Doctor of Ministry Degree, (D. Min) from Ashland Theological Seminary. She is the wife of Orlando, mother of James and Quency and her personal mission statement is to educate, equip and empower people to soar through life like an Eagle.

Operations

Sameem Qazi

Director of Operations

Shan Khan

Operations Specialist

Lynn Roland, LVT

Clinical Learning & Development Strategist

Jason Zagresky

Operations Manager

Bio

Jason Zagresky is our Operations Manager at Veterinary United. As part of the operations team, Jason spends his time supporting our work family’s operational needs. Jason has a Bachelor of Science Degree with a minor in Community Development from Central Michigan University. In his free time, he spends time with his family: wife Holly, two daughters-Kendall and Kennedy, and rescue dog Spot. He is a volunteer Softball Coach at Ira Township Little League and enjoys working out, playing golf, and participating in outdoor activities.

Kristen Mandich

Director of Integrations

PJ Vaden, LVT

Veterinary Operations Support

(586) 248-4442

Bio

PJ has been a part of the Veterinary United family for over 22 years! She spent many of those years caring for pets as a Licensed Veterinary Technician for our Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital. Now, she supports our family of hospitals from the HUB as a Veterinary Operations Support team member. In this role, she is responsible for curating processes and procedures and training manuals and coaching protocols for Veterinary Assistants. A tip PJ has for pet owners is to love your pets! "They bring us so much, love and happiness, and by keeping them happy and healthy makes us happy."

Taryn Smerecki

Director of Canine, Feline and Human Hospitality

Finance

Our finance team works on planning, auditing, and accounting for our company's finances so we can allocate our resources appropriately.

Jessica Magsig

Senior Accounts Payable

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Jessica is our Senior Accounts Payable and Financial Administrative Assistant. Jessica is a staple in our finance department as she ensures all bills are being paid and on time. Jessica's favorite thing about being part of the Veterinary United family is that we truly are a family and all the great people we have on our team. She spends her time with her dog Izzy, a chow/shepherd mix in her free time. Jessica describes herself as a grilled cheese sandwich, a simple and effective member who can be jazzed up into many specialties when need be.

Carmen Dreim

Accounts Receivable Clerk

(586) 248-4737

Bio

Carmen Dreim is a part of our Finance department as our Accounts Receivable Clerk. She is responsible for auditing daily financials, monitoring A/R reports, balancing daily deposits, just to name a few! Carmen's favorite part of being a part of the Veterinary United team is how our passion for people and our team members is equal to our passion for animals and their care. When Carmen isn't working, she is enjoying her dog Pugsley (who is not a pug) and enjoys the challenge of learning new dishes to make!

Gregory Ueber

Finance Support

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Greg Ueber is our Site Leader at Veterinary United providing support for our operations and finance departments. He has been involved in the management, operations, and finance of human medical facilities for over 20 years in Cancer treatment, Family Practice, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Cardiology. When asked what food he'd be if his personality was personified as a food, he quickly replied, he is a "classic burger and fries kind of guy." Greg's experience brings steady and direct communication throughout the Hub and leadership collaboration with Kevin at our Oxford and Metamora locations. Greg's words to live by are "more praises over criticisms," and most enjoyed joining the veterinary field. He is excited to take on the veterinary field's unique challenges and go through that journey with Veterinary United.

Roberta Cichon

Accounts Payable Assistant

Juned Ahmed

Data Analyst

Bio

Juned is our Data Analyst at Veterinary United. He will be working on projects related to billing, pricing, finance, and more. He will be focusing on analyzing our financial and clinical data and finding key insights from the data. Juned completed BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) and MBA (Masters of Business Administration) from Leading University, Bangladesh. He then graduated from Central Michigan University with a Master’s degree in Economics in December 2021. During his master’s at CMU, Juned worked as a Research Assistant, spent time working on a variety of research projects. He loves using statistical tools to identify, analyze, and interpret patterns and trends in complex data sets and preparing reports stating trends, patterns, and predictions based on the data. Juned is extremely passionate about playing soccer. He was a professional soccer player in Bangladesh and was a part of CMU Men’s Soccer Club. When Juned is away from the Office, he enjoys traveling with friends.

Recruiting
& Staffing

Recruiting/Staffing

We’ve built a talented team of professionals to take on important administrative tasks so you can spend more time doing what you love: caring for pets.

Alex Baylerian

Director of Strategic Recruitment

(586) 551-7199

Bio

Alex Baylerian is our newest Medical Staff Recruiter at Veterinary United who will be focusing on sourcing through various medical positions like DVMs, LVTs, and other clinic staff members. Alex graduated from Michigan State University in 2014 and is pursuing his MBA in Healthcare Leadership at Cleary University. He is also a proud AmeriCorps Alumni working directly with the College Advising corps. Alex is proud to be joining a company that not only specializes in such a selfless field but also has an engaged and passionate leadership team that strives to give clients a personalized experience. In a field where every day is different, Alex believes that you can always reach your destination within any two roads taken so long as the momentum to progress is there. When he is away from the office, Alex enjoys hanging out with his cat Ciel and his Argentinian Horned Frog named Blob, who he accredits for his passion for animals.

Maintenance

Kevin Murray

Maintenance Technician

(586) 248-4442

Johnny Kovich

Maintenance Technician

(586) 248-4442

Leadership

Meet the visionaries who passionately drive our organization forward.

Thomas Bankstahl, DVM, CAPP

Visionary, Owner, Team Leader, CEO

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Julie Bankstahl

Owner, Team Leader, President, Project Manager

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Lesley Smith

Chief Operations Officer

(586) 248-4529

Bio

Dana Meske

Chief Administrative Officer

(586) 623-6171

Bio

John Bankstahl

Chief Financial Officer

(586) 623-6597

Bio

Joshua E. Gehrke, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Neurology)

Chief Learning Officer, Interim Chief Medical Officer

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Dr. Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CPPC, CCFP

Chief Medical & Wellbeing Officer

Bio

Jeff Niziolek, DVM

Chief Experience Officer

Raul Soto, GPHR, SHRM-SCP

Chief Human Resources Officer

Bio

Inventory

Does your inventory management need more organization and efficiency? Look no further, our inventory gurus have you covered.

Steacy McIntyre

Inventory Manager

(586) 623-5332

Bio

Kenneth McDonnell

Inventory Manager

Marketing & Technology

Our full-service IT team will help make your PMS and other technologies work for you. We help more pet parents in your area find you and take advantage of your services.

Carl Ashman

Director of Marketing

Ryan Honey

Director of Technology

(586) 623-5236

Bio

Alex Dushaj

IT Specialist

Gail Clemens

Marketing and Media Specialist

Administrative

Our medical and data analytics team work closely together on treatment protocols, price adjustments, core competency programs, auditing reports, and more.

Emily Denk, LVT

Medical Administrative Assistant

(586) 248-4308

Bio

Kim Scicluna

Payroll & Benefits Specialist

(586) 623-5409

Bio

Karlee Pinardi

Executive Administrative Assistant

(586) 248-4737

Bio

Velva Burley Flowers

Director of People and Operations

Bio

Operations

Sameem Qazi

Director of Operations

Shan Khan

Operations Specialist

Lynn Roland, LVT

Clinical Learning & Development Strategist

Jason Zagresky

Operations Manager

Bio

Kristen Mandich

Director of Integrations

PJ Vaden, LVT

Veterinary Operations Support

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Taryn Smerecki

Director of Canine, Feline and Human Hospitality

Finance

Our finance team works on planning, auditing, and accounting for our company's finances so we can allocate our resources appropriately.

Jessica Magsig

Senior Accounts Payable

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Carmen Dreim

Accounts Receivable Clerk

(586) 248-4737

Bio

Gregory Ueber

Finance Support

(586) 248-4442

Bio

Roberta Cichon

Accounts Payable Assistant

Juned Ahmed

Data Analyst

Bio

Recruiting & Staff

Recruiting/Staffing

We’ve built a talented team of professionals to take on important administrative tasks so you can spend more time doing what you love: caring for pets.

Alex Baylerian

Director of Strategic Recruitment

(586) 551-7199

Bio

Maintenance

Kevin Murray

Maintenance Technician

(586) 248-4442

Johnny Kovich

Maintenance Technician

(586) 248-4442