Board of Directors

Dr. Kate Domenico
President and Continuing Education Chair

Originally from Chicago, Dr. Domenico attended Ross University and the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine. Since graduation from Veterinary School in 2004, she has focused on soft tissue surgery, hospital management, and emergency medicine. In addition to her full-time work at Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care in Emergency and Critical Care, she owns Island Veterinary Service in Casco Bay and is a Veterinary Medical Officer for the National Veterinary Response Team of the Department of Health and Human Services. This role has deployed her all over the US for disaster mitigation and providing emergency medical care to Secret Service working canines. Dr. Domenico is one of the lead instructors for the Working Canine Medical Skills course, organized by the Portland Police Department. In her free time, she enjoys sailing, paddle boarding and skiing. She shares her home with a very opinionated one-eyed French Bulldog, Capt. Jack Sparrow, and a very energetic Labrador, River.

 

Dr. Casey Cole

Past President

Dr. Cole grew up in Saco, Maine and graduated from the University of Maine at Machias in 2010. He received his degree in veterinary medicine from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2014. He has a passion for emergency medicine and currently works as a small animal emergency veterinarian in Southern Maine. He also serves on the Maine Animal Welfare Advisory Council. His professional interest on the MVMA board include animal welfare and supporting veterinarians throughout the state.  Dr. Cole lives in Southern Maine with his 2 dogs and 3 cats. He enjoys spending his free time cooking, hiking, or travelling.

 

 

Dr. David Cloutier
Vice President

Dr. David Cloutier obtained a BS from the University of Maine in 1984 and DVM from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. He practiced in a rural mixed animal practice for three years before coming to Maine in 1992. He owns the Veazie Veterinary Clinic and is a partner in the Eastern Maine Emergency Vet Clinic. His professional interests include cardiology, thoracic, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. His life mission is to provide a workplace culture that allows people to flourish and to help others grow. This is his rookie year on the State Board and is still finding his place.

 

Dr. Samantha Hodgkins
Treasurer
Dr. Hodgkins grew up in Gray, Maine and graduated from the University of Maine in 2006.  She then completed a master’s degree in immunology at the University of Vermont followed by her DVM at Cornell University in 2013.  She returned to Maine to practice small animal medicine at Pine Tree Veterinary Hospital in Augusta, Maine.  In 2016, she participated in MVMA’s inaugural Power of Ten program.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, as well as their two dogs and one rabbit.

 

Dr. Stephanie Robitaille
Director

Dr. Robitaille grew up in Maine and graduated from Simmons College in 2002.  She has been enjoying small animal practice in central Maine since graduating from the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island in 2010. 
At work her interests include ultrasound, medicine and exotics.  When she is not working you can likely find her outside with her family and dog. 

 

Dr. Lisa Bourazak
Director
Dr. Lisa Bourazak received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois in 2012. She went on to a one-year rotating internship at the University of Georgia followed by a three-year residency in Anesthesia and Analgesia at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She has worked in private practice as a veterinary anesthesiologist since finishing her residency. Dr. Bourazak landed in Maine in 2021 working at MVMC and Rarebreed Veterinary Partners. She lives in Southern Maine with her partner, 2 dogs and 3 cats and enjoys hiking, biking, and traveling.

 

 

 

Dr. Libby Helmer
Director

Dr. Helmer is originally from Colorado where she grew up riding horses and loving the outdoors.  She continues to do both of those things here in Maine.  She attended Colorado State University for her masters of biomedical science as well as a doctorate of veterinary medicine.   She currently practices as a large animal veterinarian in central Maine.  Her primary interests are equine surgery, lameness and sports medicine.  Although she specializes in horses, she works in a mixed animal practice where she embraces the opportunity to continue to learn about all species and all aspect of veterinary medicine.  She lives on a small farm with her husband, new son (8months), 2 horses, 2 donkeys, 3 goats, a dog, and a cat.
 

 

 

Dr. Kristine L. Hoyt 
AVMA Delegate

 

Dr. Hoyt grew up in Cumberland, Maine. After graduating from Bowdoin College, she conducted cancer research at the Medical School of Bern, Switzerland. She did Masters work in clinical nutrition at University of Illinois before receiving her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 1990. 

She initially trained to work with zoo animals at both the San Diego Zoo and Marine World, before completing an internship in small animal surgery and medicine. She has been a feline practitioner since 1991. She has owned her Scarborough feline-only practice (Cats on Call) since 1998. Her free time is spent traveling the world.

In the summer of 2010, she traveled to Botswana, where she worked in the bush, tracking leopards for the purpose of placing radio collars. She lives at Higgins Beach with her  daughter, three cats, and one dog who thinks she is a cat.

 

Dr. Susan Chadima
AVMA Alternate Delegate

Dr. Susan Chadima grew up in Iowa, but moved to Maine after completing her DVM degree at Iowa State University, and has lived here since. She founded a small animal practice in Topsham and sold that a few years ago in order to focus on additional interests in veterinary medicine. In 2005 she made an initial trip to Afghanistan, and has spent extended periods of time since then working with the Afghan government, NGOs and private sector companion animal groups to improve the health and welfare of animals and their vital role in supporting livelihoods of an agrarian based economy.   In 2019 she completed a Masters degree in Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University.  Rabies prevention and control is a particular passion.

Susan has been involved in many aspects of organized veterinary medicine, serving local, state and national capacities, recognizing that advancing the profession advances animal and human health.  She and her husband Mike have 2 grown children, and currently share their home with 2 intrepid Afghan street dogs, Callie and NOC.



 

Staff

Katherine Soverel
Executive Director

Prior to joining the MVMA, Katherine worked as a consultant with both nonprofit and for-profit clients. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MBA from Boston University where she studied public and nonprofit administration. Katherine can be reached at [email protected].