Meet Our Staff

Deneen is a Parkland College graduate and has been a certified veterinary technician for 30 years.  She has worked in many different aspects of veterinary medicine including emergency/critical care,  education, and 15 years at the University of Illinois Small Animal Anesthesia and Analgesia department. At RIAH, she is the Practice Manager where she manages not only our staff, but keeps busy with the pets as well.  Deneen has a true passion for veterinary medicine and loves coming to work every day.  She truly embodies our motto “Veterinary medicine is a work of heart”.  When not at work she enjoys spending time with her family and outdoor activities such as camping, fishing and tubing.  She is also quite an amazing cook.  

Ashley found her passion in animal medicine at a very young age while nursing barn kittens and wildlife back to health. She grew up on the outskirts of Reynolds, Illinois. Her family home always consisted of family pets including dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits and even a sugar glider. Ashley’s love for animals grew over the years and by middle school she had decided that she would dedicate her career to the medical care of animals.

Ashley started her formal education by completing the Veterinary Assistant Certification program at Black Hawk College where she learned the importance of vaccines and routine medical care. This sparked her interest in pursuing additional education and licensing in the veterinary medical field. Ashley completed the Veterinary Technician program at Eastern Iowa Community College where she was able to polish her skills with animal behavior, venipunctures and blood collection, critical care and much more and passed a national board exam to receive her license as a certified veterinary technician.

The years following college Ashley was employed long-term with two different mixed animal practices where she spent time examining dogs, rabbits, horses, cattle, swine, goats, sheep, chicken and even honey bees, but Ashley has a very special place in her heart for the feline companions.

Kalynn is one of our Certified Veterinary Technicians. I started at RIAH in February of 2013. I graduated from Muscatine Community College in May of 2012 with an Associates in Applied Science degree. I passed my National board exams shortly after. Beagles, Australian Cattle dogs and pitbulls are some of my favorite breeds. If your dog or cat has red hair like me, we are automatically best friends. A few favorite things about my job are dentistry, nutrition and making sure your fur baby is loved like mine. I have one dog- Melmin and 2 cats- Izzy and Tina. In my spare time I spend time with my son, friends and family. 

Ramsay is a CVT from Davenport, IA. She graduated from the veterinary technician program at Kirkwood Community College in 2010. Ramsay has been a part of our team since 2012. She enjoys working at RIAH because every day brings new patients and things to learn. Her dream is to find and treat a pet with a giant kidney worm! 

When she's not at work, Ramsay spends  time with her husband and two young kids. She also has a boxer, Hamilton, named after the Broadway musical. Ramsay enjoys attending concerts, karaoke, and binge watching shows on Netflix.

Sayde’s love for animals started at a young age. She grew up on a farm in Colona, IL where she had horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and a donkey. Sayde knew that she wanted her career to be caring for animals and spent as much time as she could growing up around them. Sayde is one of our Certified Veterinary Technicians. She graduated from Black Hawk College in 2020 with an Associates in Applied Sciences. Sayde took and passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam in August 2020. Sayde has been part of the RIAH team since 2017 as a veterinary assistant and now a CVT. She has many favorite aspects of working in the veterinary field, but a couple things she enjoys is monitoring anesthesia and assisting in surgery. Sayde has a soft spot for large breed dogs, but especially St. Bernard’s as she has one named Cooper, and 2 cats; Tigger and Roo. She currently resides in Reynolds, IL with her husband; Gabe. You’ll find Sayde decorating her home, hosting game nights, and going to new coffee shops in her free time. 

Brock is a small town man, from Sherrard Illinois, He graduated Black Hawk East Veterinary Technology Program. He is preparing to take his board examination to put the CVT behind his name. Brock has a tremendous passion for animals and loves every one of our furry friends. He has two cats. One is named Jax and the other is Willow. He also has a German Shepard named Remi, and two leopard Geckos named Hex and Jackie Frost. He may look like a dog man, but actually, he prefers cats as companions. When it comes to veterinary medicine, Brock loves the thrill of surgery and anesthesia. He would like to specialize in anesthesia and/or surgery in the future. A few of Brock's favorite things to do in his spare time are hunting for white-tailed deer, fishing, and singing his heart out to country music. You may get spooked by him at Torment at 1200, a haunted house where he volunteers his time. Some of his interests include Star Wars, Pokémon, wolves, and the Chicago Bears. His devotion runs deep as he rocks a wolf and Chicago Bears tattoo.

Hi, I am Elyse Thurman. I am from New Windsor IL. When I first started here I was an intern in high school. I interned almost every day because I loved the job and I loved helping out the staff. After graduating High School, they hired me to work Full time as a Vet Assistant. I am now attending Black Hawk East and currently in the Veterinary Assistant program. I hope to continue on to become a Veterinary Technician. My favorite type of dog is the Australian Shepherd. I will fall in love with every Aussie when they walk in the door. 

Callie started her veterinary career in 2010 when she completed the Black Hawk College Veterinary Assistant Certification program, from there she attended Muscatine Community College - Veterinary Technician program and graduated with an Associate in Applied Science Degree. Callie has worked in mixed animal practices before joining us here at Rock Island Animal Hospital. Some of Callies special interests at work include venipuncture and animal nutrition. Callie grew up outside of Aledo, IL and currently resides there with her husband, David and their two dogs; Boost a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Gauge a Lab Mix. In her free time Callie enjoys camping, kayaking, sxs riding, baking, and of course being the best dog mom ever!

Christina's love for animals started very young. Growing up she always had a furry friend by her side. Her Veterinary career started in 2017 as a client service representative turned into office manager at a nearby vet clinic and now works as a client care representative here at RIAH!

Christina grew up in the heart of Rock Island and currently resides in Silvis with her husband Noah and her 4 fur babies that keep her busy! Viper and Aria are two Siberian Huskies, Tuxedo is her chug (chihuahua pug mix), and Fettuccine the chihuahua! In her free time she loves to craft and enjoys the warm weather!

Mekayla has always had a big heart and a love for animals, even at a young age she knew she wanted a career in the animal field. She comes from a big family with 6 siblings, so growing up there was always something going on! She began working with animals at 19 at a local boarding facility where she became a manager and loved meeting new pets and their parents for over 5 years. She then shifted more towards the vet med side of things, and has worked as a client care representative for the last 3 years. On top of the hands-on knowledge and experience she gained she is also a certified vet assistant! She currently lives in Moline IL, with her husband, 2 dogs Peach and Luna, and her cat Mans. In her free time she enjoys thrifting and refurbishing antiques as well as spending time outdoors and traveling with her pets!

Celeste has worked in the veterinary field since 2016. Starting out as a Client Care Representative, she has also worked as an Veterinary Assistant and is Fear Free Certified. She grew up in the QCA and lives with her husband; Evan, 2 dogs; Chick and Smitty, 1 cat; Annie, and Koi and Goldfish in their pond. In Celeste's free time you can find her tending to her garden and wildlife habitat. She also enjoys crocheting, reading, or anything involving the great outdoors.