Veterinarian and Owner
I am married to Deb (High School Guidance counsellor) and have 2 sons- Connor (Mizzou student) and Sean (High School). I grew up in Ankeny, IA, went to Iowa State University for undergraduate and veterinary school, and moved to Sandwich, II in 1986 after graduation. I practiced as an associate there before buying the original Ancare Mendota practice in 1991.
Favorite Part of my Job
It’s a new adventure every day. I like to fix things or figure out what is going on. Animals are incredibly resilient if you don’t let things get too bad. We can help a lot of them if their problem is not neglected. That’s why preventative medicine and education Is so important. There are always new diseases being discovered and our ability to understand different diseases is always changing. When I was a first year veterinary student, a professor told us that 50% of what we are learning will be found to be not true when we retire. I love to educate people about their pet’s health and what we can do to improve their lives.
Why I chose this profession
I love surgery, feline medicine and ultrasonography. I love to learn new things, travel, hockey, football, biking and anything on the water or outdoors. Both of my sons were or are in scouting- Connor (Eagle Scout) and Sean (working on becoming an Eagle Scout). As a result, we have done a number of High Adventure trips or outings that have allowed us to use all our outdoor skills and get a lifetime of memories.
