Dr. Heather Loenser grew up knowing she wanted to be a veterinarian. She immigrated from Canada to Iowa when she was 14 and attended high school in Bettendorf. After graduating from Iowa State University with her degrees in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, she spent three years in general practice before finding her true clinical calling, emergency medicine. Since 2008, she has juggled clinical ER work with leadership positions in hospitals in the southeast and New York City metro area.Outside of the hospital, she supported the profession as the youngest woman on the American Animal Hospital Association Board of Directors and ultimately grew into the role of AAHA’s first Chief Medical Officer. In early 2022, she joined Suveto, a veterinary network of over 65 hospitals, as Chief Veterinary Officer, where she supports veterinarians interested in practice ownership and leadership. She has coached hundreds of veterinary team members at Colorado State University’s beloved FRANK communication workshops and has also taught pre-veterinary technician students. Her love of teaching led her to another facet of her career. As a sought-after guest on TV and radio, she has been a frequent contributor to the TODAY Show and Fox News, as well as Dr. Oz, Kelly & Ryan, Martha Stewart Radio and local television in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. This led her to win the Excellence in Journalism and Outstanding Contributions to the Pet Industry Award which she shares with celebrities like Ellen Degeneres, Dr. Marty Becker and Dr. Courtney Campbell.Her focus now is encouraging perfectionist veterinarians to set aside perfection and focus on connection to find joy, hope and peace in their work.