Trent Hightower, JD

Trent Hightower is the General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for TVMA, a role he has held since October of 2021. In that capacity, he advocates for the profession before the Texas legislature and regulatory agencies, and provides legal resources to members of the association on a wide range of topics. Prior to joining TVMA, Trent held a similar role with the Texas Rural Water Association and served as Staff Attorney to a Travis County District Court Judge. He is a 2004 graduate of Texas A&M and a 2007 graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law.

Steve Pittenger, DVM

Dr. Pittenger is chief of staff at Memorial-610 Hospital for Animals. He was born in Iowa and grew up in a small town outside of Chicago, where his family resided through middle school. His family moved to Texas at the beginning of high school, where he competed in cross county and track. Dr. Pittenger attended college at Texas A&M University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1995 from Texas A&M University. His areas of interest include nutrition, orthopedic and soft tissue surgery, ultrasound, internal medicine and computer applications in veterinary medicine. Dr. Pittenger obtained his Diplomate status from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners with a specialty in Canine and Feline Practice in 2006.

Dr. Pittenger is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, a past-president of the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice, the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association, (Past President), the Veterinary Information Network, the American Animal Hospital Association, the International Association of Veterinary Pain Management and past president of the Association for Veterinary Informatics. He was named the Texas Veterinary Medical Association's Recent Graduate of the Year for 1999.

Dr. Pittenger still runs when he has time, although he says his competitive marathon days are past him. He volunteers for Special Olympics Texas, having served on the Board of Directors from 2004-2009, and even at the helm as Chairman of the Board for a few of those years. Dr. Pittenger currently chairs the Houston Area Special Olympics Management Team and has served the organization in a volunteer capacity now for 25 years. He was an amateur pyrotechnician in his high school and college days, even competing internationally. Dr. Pittenger is President of their neighborhood swim team. When not at the office or performing emergency trauma surgery at nights and weekends at the local emergency clinic, he spends time with his wife, and their two children. Their zoo consists of the dogs Bowser and Elvis, their cat Mallory and a goldfish named Chubs. He is a chocoholic primarily, but enjoys most food.

Christina Gentry, DVM

Dr. Christina Gentry is a member of the American College of Veterinary Dermatologists® and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas A&M University. She graduated with her DVM in 2012 from Texas A&M and completed her dermatology residency at Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado in 2016. She spent 7 years in private dermatology practice in Denver, CO and Houston, TX prior to returning to Texas A&M in 2023. Her dermatology interests include: feline allergic skin disease, otitis, immune mediated skin disease and client education.

Dr. Maj Angarano DVM, PhD

Dr Maj Angarano received her DVM degree from Texas A&M in 1992, and a PhD in 2007, after which she joined Hill’s Pet Nutrition as a Professional Consulting Veterinarian in 2008.  In her current position, she educates veterinary and technician students, as well as health care teams in practice on advances in small animal dietary technology using a variety of platforms including national webinars.

Dr Angarano actively assists with internal training and is often invited to speak at local and regional veterinary educational events.  During her career she has enjoyed a decade of practicing small animal medicine, instructing in several veterinary technician programs, and publishing her PhD research in peer reviewed journals. 

Kara Wolf, DVM

Dr. Wolf is a 2004 graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She practiced as a companion animal veterinarian in Arkansas for a little over 9 years, served as a trustee on the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Board for 5 of those years, and transitioned to the animal health industry in the summer of 2013 as a professional services veterinarian for Novartis Animal Health. In 2015, Dr. Wolf joined Virbac Corporation as a field technical services veterinarian and then moved into the role of technical services staff veterinarian. Dr. Wolf joined IDEXX as a Professional Services Veterinarian in 2020.

Ronald D. Tyler Jr., DVM, MS

Dr. Ronald Tyler Jr. completed undergraduate school in North Carolina (UNC-Wilmington, 1998), veterinary School in Oklahoma (Oklahoma State University, 2004) and practiced small animal medicine for 2 years in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Tyler then completed a 6-year combined graduate / veterinary pathology residency training program (Anatomic Pathology Residency & MS (Veterinary Pathology) at Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 2012). Dr. Tyler’s research at Virginia Tech was on quantitative histopathology techniques and quantitative PCR assays applied to Johne's disease (pronounced "yo-knees") caused by Mycobacterium avium ss paratuberculosis.  Dr. Tyler’s general interests include application of new technologies to veterinary medical sciences, diagnostic pathology and studying disease trends.

Laura M. Greene, DVM, DACVIM

Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist
Veterinary Insights and Medical Affairs
Merck Animal Health

Dr. Laura Greene graduated with her DVM from NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, completed a rotating small animal internship at the University of Georgia, and then returned to NC State for her residency in small animal internal medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and spent several years in specialty private practice before joining Merck Animal Health as a Senior Professional Services Veterinarian and member of the Veterinary Insights and Medical Affairs department. In her role, she leverages her veterinary knowledge, communication and leadership skills, passion for education, and love for animals to build a better animal health community.

She is published in multiple journals including JAVMA and the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, has spoken both nationally and internationally on topics including infectious disease, immunology, endocrinology, and oncology, and regularly presents continuing education to veterinarians around the country. She is passionate about many things, but particularly communication and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Andrew Greller, DVM

Dr. Andrew Greller is a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and primary owner of STVO since 2013. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology & Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and his doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. After school, Dr. Greller completed a small animal internship at Animal Ophthalmology Clinic in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and then a 3-year ophthalmology residency in Phoenix, Arizona.

He volunteers his services in a variety of meaningful ways such as free annual examinations to Guide Dogs of Texas as well as military working dogs at Lackland Air Force Base. He assists SeaWorld-San Antonio and the San Antonio Zoo with their ophthalmology cases as well. The following publications have covered Dr. Greller and his excellent customer service; The Washington Post, The San Antonio Express- News; North Central News, San Antonio Magazine, and San Antonio Business Journal. Dr. Greller was nominated by his clients and honored with the 2013 “Pick of the Litter” award by the San Antonio Area Foundation’s ‘Talk About It!’ campaign, which seeks to recognize outstanding veterinarians in the local community. In 2014, Dr. Greller was nominated by his clients and chosen as a finalist for the 2014 San Antonio Business Journal ‘Health Care Heroes’ “Rising Star” category, which celebrates health care professionals under the age of 40 who is making great strides and turning heads in the field. Dr. Greller sits on the board for Guide Dogs of Texas and the San Antonio Zoo and is the owner of The Greller Gallery, an art space dedicated to inspiring and educating people on various animal and environmental causes.

Col Stephanie L. Mont, DVM

Colonel Stephanie Mont received her direct commission as a U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Officer upon graduation from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. She currently serves as the Commander of Public Health Command – Central at Joint Base San Antonio – Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

Stephanie’s military career includes previous assignments as the Director of the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Veterinary Service at JBSA-Lackland, Texas, Command Veterinarian and Chief of Future Medical Operations for U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany; Commander, 72nd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service Support), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Chief of Food Protection, Department of Veterinary Science, U.S. Army Medical Department Center & School, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston; Operations Officer, Public Health Command Europe, Landstuhl, Germany; Deputy Commander, Public Health District – Northern Europe, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Deputy Commander, Pacific Region Veterinary Command, Honolulu, Hawaii; Squad Officer-in-Charge, 43rd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services), Fort Hood, Texas; Chief of Clinical Operations, 129th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Medicine), Yongsan, South Korea; and Officer-in-Charge, Fort Irwin Veterinary Treatment Facility, Fort Irwin, Cali.

Her deployment experience includes nine months in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as the Commander of the 72nd Medical Detachment (VSS) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Spartan Shield) and Operation Inherent Resolve (2016) and 12 months in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, with the 43rd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004-05).

Colonel Mont holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.  She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and holds the Army Surgeon General’s “A” Designator in the field of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.  She currently serves as the Army Surgeon General’s Consultant for her career field.  

Her awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (five Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Order of Military Medical Merit. 

She was recently named a 2023 Outstanding Alumna of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences and an Honorary Diplomate of the American Veterinary One Health Society.

Stephanie is married to COL (R) Cesar Mont. Together, they have four children, including their son, Aspen (16), seven grandchildren, and two amazing cats.

Brandy Cichocki, DVM, MS DACVA

Dr. Brandy Cichocki, aka Dr. C, is a native of Indiana and graduated with her veterinary degree from Purdue University. She completed a rotating internship and small animal surgery residency at Oklahoma State University. Prior to joining Elanco, she worked in a variety of clinical settings including academia, private practice, and mobile soft tissue surgery. She is committed to supporting the veterinary community and advancing veterinary medicine. In her spare time, she provides locum soft tissue surgery services, serves as a regular reviewer for Veterinary Surgery, an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice, and enjoys exploring the outdoors. She is an active Diplomate within the American College of Veterinary Surgery (ACVS) and currently serves as the Chair for the Maintenance of Certification Committee and as a member of the Continuing Education Committee.

Carol Reinero, DVM, PhD, DACVIM

Dr. Carol Reinero received her DVM and a PhD in immunology from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). She completed a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Texas A&M University and returned to UC Davis to complete a small animal internal medicine residency. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, she is a professor and the director of the Comparative Internal Medicine Laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Reinero has spoken nationally and internationally on respiratory diseases in small animals and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.