Summary:

  • Jessica Sewell is the first Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) to receive the honor in the state 
  • VCA Chief Medical Officer, Marie Kerl, DVM says the appointment “signals the growing appreciation for technicians’ role in delivering the best in veterinary care”

LOS ANGELES - (April 15, 2021) - VCA Animal Hospitals’ Jessica M. Sewell, BAS CVT LVT RVT, has been appointed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to serve on the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Sewell is the first Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) to serve in this position and in this role. Veterinary care leader VCA, a part of Mars Veterinary Health, helps care for 4 million pets each year.  

Members of the Board work to supervise the practice of veterinary medicine by regulating licensees and promoting professional standards. 

“Jessica brings her heart to her work and continually shows her commitment to advancing the veterinary profession and supporting her Georgia community,” said Marie Kerl, DVM, MPH, DACVIM, DACVECC and Chief Medical Officer for VCA. “Her appointment to the Board signals the growing appreciation for technicians’ role in delivering the best in veterinary care. Our VCA family is so proud of her.”

Jessica has been a part of VCA since 2005 and has spent time in emergency, specialty, and general practices. She is currently serves as a Regional Technician Director for VCA.

In addition to her new role as a board member of the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine, Jessica currently serves as the Vice President of Georgia Veterinary Technician & Assistant Association (GVTAA) and is an active member of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) and the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association’s (GVMA) Wellness Committee. She was also one of five veterinary technicians on the American Animal Hospital Association's (AAHA) Veterinary Technicians Board Input Group.  

Her term begins this month and she will join current Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine members: Beckey Malphus, DVM (President); Cuevas-Espelid, DVM (Vice President); Matthew Bradley, DVM; Larry Corry, DVM; William Alexander Wright, DVM; and Mr. Thomas Culpepper (Consumer Member). 

Jessica said of the role, “it is such an honor to be the first Registered Veterinary Technician appointed to the Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine. This is a big deal for our community in Georgia and across the U.S. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to keep advancing our profession.”