Lance K. Baltzley: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Baltzley has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemistry and received his Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine from the University of Florida.  His professional interests include: Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Soft Tissue Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery.  Dr. Baltzley enjoys riding his motorcycle and traveling.  He shares his home with dog, 2 cats, 6 cows and chickens.  His pet philosophy? " I feel blessed to be able to work in a profession that allows me to help animals.”

Jennifer Harl: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Harl has a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science, and a Masters of Science in Poultry Science. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida in 2003. She and her husband have two children, a boy and a girl.  They share their lives with their 2 dogs and five cats.  She enjoys watching football, golfing, doing crossword puzzles, playing Wii, and spending time with her children.  When it comes to pets, she takes inspiration from the words of Roger Caras – “Pets are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.”

Gregory Long: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Long graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Geography from Florida State University and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida.  He was commissioned into the United States Marine Corp shortly after receiving his undergraduate degree and continues to serve as a reservist. Major/Dr. Long has the distinction of first serving patients at Newberry Animal Hospital as a Veterinary Technician. His professional interests include: Internal Medicine. He and his wife have one son and two dogs.  He enjoys golfing (all the time), fishing and running (some of the time).  When it comes to our pets, Dr. Long believes in “Upholding the human/animal bond and Respecting our patients unconditionally.” 

Sharon Gilkison: Bookkeeper

Often, you will find Sharon sharing her office with one of the practice cats “supervising” her activities.  She’s been a valuable asset to NAH since 1990 – and we all enjoy her chocolate chip cookies! In her free time, she enjoys going to craft fairs, flea markets and spending time with her son, three wonderful grandchildren and one great grandchild, four cats and two dogs.  She believes that her pets are wonderful companions and they lower one’s blood pressure.  

Katie Hill, CVT: Practice Manager

Katie is our super-charged bundle of energy – in addition to providing animal care, she wears multiple hats and is an integral component of the practice. If an animal is missing, maybe needs a new home or someone has a question regarding a medication – Katie has the answers. Katie joined NAH in August 2004.  She holds an Associates degree in Veterinary Technology, an Associates degree in Liberal Arts and a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Management. Her professional interests include human resources and business processes. She enjoys walking, reading, gardening and going to the movies.  She also likes collecting wheat pennies and watching the Red Sox.  She has two dogs, one cat, and four chickens.  She believes that “when you enjoy your pets, you live life to the fullest.”

Tami Chesney: Client Services Supervisor

Tami is our super-efficient human computer with a great smile and will often be the first to greet you when you walk in the door. She’s been with NAH since April 2004 and enjoys working with animals as well as people.  A life-long horse lover, she and her husband Jack share their home with three children (two are twins!), three dogs, a cat and multiple fish.  They all love to ride horses, play softball and just be outdoors.  Tami believes that pets are part of our families – and with so many needing homes to consider adopting from a local shelter – not only will you make a difference in their life – you’ll make one in your own.  

Cindy Colquhoun: Client Services

Cindy moved from snowy Fargo North Dakota to Newberry in 2006. She has been at NAH since October 2006. Cindy is the proud mother of two dogs- Lulu and Minnie. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading and spending time with her dogs. She believes that "pets add a great deal of happiness to our lives".

Lisa McDonald: Client Services

Our sweet and slightly shy Lisa joined NAH in 2009. She’s a graduate of Gainesville High School and loves the area. She loves working with animals.  She, her fiancé and two children have a total of nine pets – three cats, two dogs, two horses, and one red-tailed boa named Panda.  They love motocross, boating and camping.  When it comes to pets, she clearly believes the more the merrier – “But spay and neuter always!”   

Rachel Hanna, CVT: Senior Veterinary Technician

Rachel has lived around the Gainesville area for most of her life. She earned her Veterinary Technician degree from St. Petersburg College. She’s been working in the Veterinary field since 1993.  Since 1989, she’s served as a volunteer with Florida’s Camp for Children and Youth with Diabetes. She and her husband enjoy doing outdoors stuff such as camping, hiking, and canoeing with their dogs. Rachel also enjoy's trail riding their horses.   She and her husband also enjoy the Florida Keys and the Abacos Bahamas, they try to go as often as they can. They enjoy football games and NASCAR racing. They have two horses, 2 dogs and one cat – she believes they are her children needing love and direction.

Kristen (Farinas) Lucius: Senior Veterinary Technician

Kristen left the white beaches of Pensacola and moved to Gainesville in 1998. She earned her Associates degree in Zoo Animal Technology from Santa Fe College and Bachelors Degree in Animal Science from the University of Florida.  She enjoys spending time with her husband David. They enjoy attending GATOR football games, and doing pretty much anything outdoors. She says she has three of the cutest cats imaginable and just recently became the proud parent of a Dachshund named Fillmore. She says we are fortunate to have pets in our lives – and hers are awesome!

Wendy Dickens: Veterinary Technician

Originally from Plantation Florida, Wendy moved to Ocala when she was three years old. She moved to Gainesville when she married her husband Dave in 2008. She has an Associate’s Degree from Central Florida Community College and would like to become a CVT. She and her husband enjoy outdoor activities including canoeing, camping, fishing, and going to horse shows or the dog park They have two dogs, a horse, a cat, a blue crown conure and an oscar named Dainels. She believes that a trained dog is a happy dog.

Fawn Hart: Veterinary Technician

Fawn’s passion is working with animals and has been a part of NAH since August 2009. She and her husband Jonathan have one daughter. They love to go horseback riding.  They share their lives with two dogs, a peacock, an iguana, and numerous chickens.

Kim Cromer: Veterinary Technician

Kim greets each of our clients and patients with a super-sized smile and twinkle in her eye.  She and her husband have two children.  They enjoy doing things such as playing and watching baseball.  When it comes to animals, Kim believes that preventive care is the best medicine and that animals should be treated like a member of the family.

Cheetara Ritz: Veterinary Technician

Cheetara has been with NAH since June 2010. She has previous veterinary experience and has an Associates of Science Degree in Zoo Animal Technology from Santa Fe Teaching Zoo. She owns 2 dogs and 1 cat. She has a son named Christopher and says that every day is something new and interesting. She believes that people should try and adopt from local animal shelters and humane societies, "rescue pets make the best pets".

Jara Apperley: Veterinary Technician

Jara joined our team in February of 2010. She previously worked at Sebastian Animal Hospital as a receptionist, technician, and office manager. She has attended Indian River State College, Sante Fe College, and soon UF. She has 4 cats; Maggie, Gracie, Eddie, and Grover and she also has a 1 year old maltese mix named Molly. Although she does not have any children yet, she does have 11 nieces/nephews!!

Jara believes that "pets are our 4-legged family members who add joy to our lives every day".  

Leigh Ann McCray: Veterinary Technician

Leigh Ann has been with us since August of 2011. She works in both the technical area and client service area of our hospital; and has been in the Veterinary field for the last 6 years. Her and her husband have 4 dogs and 6 horses. Leigh Ann claims that horses are her life!! She also believes "Our pets are the only being on earth that love use more than they love themselves".  

Serena Peters-Veterinary Assistant

Serena has been with the NAH team since November 2010. She is currently enrolled at Sante Fe Community College. This spring she will be finishing up her AA in Pre-Vet medicine, after that she will be working on becoming a certified veterinary technician (CVT). Her dream is to become a veterinarian, start her own practice and run an animal shelter attached to the hospital. Serena has multiple snakes, a bearded dragon, and a dog named Dozer. She lives with her boyfriend of six years and they enjoy going to concerts and watching movies.  Serena believes that "Pets have the purest souls. They are excited when we are happy, they get worried when we are upset, and they always find a way to cheer us up when our day isn't going so well".

In Memoriam

Jeffrey Philpot : Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (founder)

"In Loving Memory"  

Newberry Animal Hospital lost the founder of our hospital to pancreatic cancer November 2nd, 2008.  He will be sadly missed by fellow associates, staff members, clients, patients and all whose lives he touched.  He opened the hospital in November of 1989.  Dr. Baltzley and staff are proud to carry on his memory and legacy by continuing to provide the highest quality pet health care and client service possible.