Meet Our Team
Dr. Weston Mims
Owner, Veterinarian
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Dr. Mims is originally from Staunton and is proud to be putting down roots for his practice in his hometown. He graduated from Fort Defiance High School and received his Bachelors of Science from Virginia Tech. He received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg in 2010. Dr. Mims spent his first two years in practice working in southwest Virginia in a practice that specialized in large and small animals. He has been practicing in the Valley since 2012 and accomplished his dream of opening his own clinic in 2017.
Dr. Mims is married to his lovely wife, Elizabeth. The two met while students at Virginia Tech. Elizabeth works as a Clinical Pharmacist at Sentara RMH in Harrisonburg. They have four children, Owen (7), Ava (5), Libby (3) and Emma (18 months). The couple enjoys living in Staunton which keeps them close to the clinic and the family farm. They are proud members of Calvary Baptist Church in Staunton. The Mims have two English Setters who they call family, Bella and Mae. Dr. Mims is an avid upland bird hunter and ventures out in the woods as frequently as he can to allow his dogs to do what they do best, point birds.
Dr. Nikki Clayton
Veterinarian
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Dr. Clayton was born and raised in Staunton/Augusta County. She graduated from Fort Defiance High School and received her Bachelors of Science degree from William and Mary. She graduated from Ross University, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. She then completed a post-graduate year in Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University Veterinary School followed by a 16 month Equine Internship at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic in Charlottesville, VA. Initially, Dr. Clayton practiced equine medicine in Texas-- first, in a private practice committed to wellness/preventative care, lameness and emergency medicine followed years later by working as a ranch veterinarian for a large Quarter horse reining facility where she practiced predominantly reproductive medicine and was in charge of mare and newborn foal care.
Back in Virginia, Dr. Clayton has practiced both large and small animal medicine in the valley. Since the birth of her daughter in 2010, she has focused on small animal medicine (wellness/preventative care as well as emergency medicine). In addition, she was an associate professor for four years at Blue Ridge Community College and taught both large and small animal veterinary courses in the Veterinary Technology program. She enjoys watching her patients grow through the different stages of their lives and getting to know their families! Dr. Clayton and her husband Marc have bought her family’s farm (built by her grandfather) and are working hard to establish a registered angus cattle operation. They have a daughter Quincy, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 1 pony, and angus cattle.
Dr. Tracy Norman
Veterinarian
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Dr. Norman grew up in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she was active in her local 4-H club. She first fell in love with the Shenandoah Valley during her undergraduate years at Washington and Lee University. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and completed a rotating internship at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic. She became a board-certified specialist in Large Animal Internal Medicine following a residency at Texas A&M University. She later joined their faculty and served as Service Chief for Equine Internal Medicine and Large Animal Ultrasound. She returned to the Valley in 2014 to provide general and specialist services for Blue Ridge Equine Clinic. Her passion for ultrasound has led her to Staunton Veterinary Clinic and small animal medicine. Dr. Norman, her husband Teddy and daughter Elizabeth love living in Staunton with their English Shepherd dog, Earl. In her spare time, Dr. Norman enjoys horseback riding, yoga, reading, and the mountains.
Dr. Sarah McCall
Veterinarian
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Dr. McCall grew up on a farm in Frederick County, Maryland, when it was an area much like Augusta County. She is a graduate of The Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg. Prior to joining Staunton Vet Clinic, she has practiced small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center of Charlottesville for more than 20 years.
Dr. McCall enjoys internal medicine, preventative care and soft tissue surgery but also has a special interest in abdominal ultrasound. She and her husband, Tom moved to Augusta County in 2000 and started their purebred Angus operation, M C Livestock, on their farm near Greenville. She has two grown sons Jake and Zach who were very active in Augusta County 4-H, Riverheads FFA and the Virginia Junior Angus Association. Dr. McCall and her husband have a passion for mentoring and supporting youth in agriculture, she was recognized as the American Angus Association’s Advisor of the year in 2016. They have 3 dogs, Zip, Jess, and Roxie that are working cattle dogs on their farm. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, jewelry making and cheering for the Hokies!
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Dr. Julia Hecking
Veterinarian
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Dr. Julia Hecking is a native Virginian and completed her undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech and went on to receive her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. Dr. Hecking has been practicing equine and small animal medicine in the valley throughout her career. Her veterinary medicine interests include dentistry, surgery, and preventative care. She is also certified in acupuncture from the Chi institute adding some eastern medicine perspective to her veterinary practice. She is a member of the AVMA and AAEP. She is a FEI veterinary delegate in three day eventing.
Dr. Hecking lives in Lexington, VA with her partner Drew and his two daughters along with their fur family-three dogs, two cats, one horse, and a multitude of sheep, goats, and cows. In her free time Dr. Hecking enjoys eventing her horse Ranon, gardening, traveling, and creating mosaic glass art.
Meghan Smith
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Meghan is from Churchville and graduated from Buffalo Gap High School. She attended Virginia Tech and graduated in 2011 with a degree in Conservation and Recreation Management. She then continued her education at Blue Ridge Community College in the veterinary technician program, graduating in 2015. Clients love working with Meghan because of her kind heart and pleasant personality. Her furry family includes a lemon beagle 'Huck' and her pony 'Molly'. During her free time, Meghan enjoys all outdoor activities and horseback riding.
Dorinda Williams
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Dorinda has 15+ years of experience as a licensed veterinary technician. She is from Augusta County and completed her professional degree at Blue Ridge Community College in 2002. Her professional interests include dental procedures and laboratory cytology. Clients frequently comment on Dorinda’s warmth and her empathy for the patients she works with. In her free time, Dorinda enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her family. She is the proud mommy of Haze and Carrington and “Princess” their rescue kitty.
Jess Cecil
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Jess Cecil has worked in the veterinary field since high school. She is an Augusta County native and graduated from Blue Ridge Community College in 2006 with her degree in Veterinary Technology. Jess does a beautiful job interacting with clients and their pets and just puts people at ease with her calm demeanor and confidence rooted in years of experience. Jess lives on a hobby farm that is currently home to American Guinea Hogs, chickens, two cats (Remington and Scout) and a German Shepherd named Vesper. Jess loves spending time with her family- husband, Bill, and adorable twin boys, Will and Sam.
Paige Sheffer
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Paige graduated from Blue Ridge Community College with her degree in Veterinary Technology in May 2018. Her professional interests include surgery and laboratory procedures. She has a welcoming, bubbly personality and makes clients feel at ease with her kind demeanor. She lives in Mount Solon and enjoys running, baking and spending time with her family in her free time. Paige loves her “furr kids”, as she calls them-- two dachshunds “Odie” and “Princess” and three rescue kitties, “Kiara”, “Ario”, and “Tucker”.
Carmen Soffel
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Carmen is a graduate of the Blue Ridge Veterinary Technology program. She enjoys emergency and critical medicine, client education, and surgery. In her free time she enjoys kayaking and snowboarding. She loves spending time with her dogs-- “Lina” a german shepherd, “Bella” a german shepherd/golden retriever mix, and “Nessie” a recently rescued menace.
Hannah Falls
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Hannah graduated from Blue Ridge Community College with her degree in Veterinary Technology in May 2022. Hannah is excited to expand her knowledge in the vet field; her interests include surgical procedures and communicating with clients. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and being outdoors. She has a poodle mix named “Cashew” and two orange tabby’s named “Goose” and “Maverick”.
Jessica Arnold
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Jess graduated from Blue Ridge Community College and began her technician career at a local specialty hospital where she gained experience within the Internal Medicine department. She joined the SVC team in 2022 and has enjoyed being back in the Valley. Outside of work Jess enjoys spending time with friends and family, adventuring outdoors with her Border Collie mix Hattie, riding horses, and working with dairy cattle.
Kate Blevins
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Kate graduated from Blue Ridge Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program in May of 2023. She lives right here in Staunton and enjoys spending time with her cocker spaniel Charlie and her husband Ethan. She is living out her childhood dream of working in veterinary medicine!
Cassi Little
Licensed Veterinary Technician
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Cassi graduated from Blue Ridge Community College with her degree in Veterinary Technology in the spring of 2023. Since being in the field Cassi has had many wonderful experiences and looks forward to continuing to help her furry patients. She enjoys helping with treatment plans, running lab work, and interacting with clients during appointments. In her spare time Cassi enjoys reading, crafting, baking, and spending time with friends and family. She has a husky mix named “Lex” and a green cheek conure named “Paulie”. Both keep Cassi on her toes with their daily antics!
Sara McCutcheon
Veterinary Assistant
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Sara is a graduate of Buffalo Gap High School where she was a proud member of FFA. Sara attended the Valley Vocational Technical Center for her training as a veterinary assistant. Sara has a husky named “Roscoe” and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Phoebe Lucus
Veterinary Assistant
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Phoebe was born and raised in Staunton, VA. She is a graduate from Staunton High School. Phoebe is planning to attend the BRCC Veterinary Technology program to accomplish her goal of being an LVT. She has a standard poodle named “Lady May”. Phoebe loves to spend her free time outside or with her two nieces.
Tara Ratliff
Veterinary Assistant
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Tara was born and raised in Swoope, Virginia. She graduated with honors from Buffalo Gap High School in 2013 and continued her education at Blue Ridge Community College where she earned her Associate's Degree in Business Administration. Tara has worked in pet retail since 2015 and joined the SVC team at the start of 2023. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, camping, and taking her pup, Renji, on adventures. She has an enthusiastic and compassionate personality and loves working with animals.
Hannah Parrish
Veterinary Assistant
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Hannah has recently entered the veterinary field and is the biggest cat lover you’ll ever meet. Hannah graduated from Staunton High School in 2020 and plans to attend BRCC to continue her path of becoming a licensed Veterinary Technician. She has three cats named Butterscotch, Tango, and Jinx, who she loves more than anything. In her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants, cuddling with her kitties, and spending time outdoors.
Lori Teter
Veterinary Assistant
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Lori is a graduate of Buffalo Gap High School where she was an active member in 4-H and FFA. She attended Valley Career and Technical Center for her training as a veterinary assistant. In her spare time Lori enjoys being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.
Kelsea "Joy" Clements
Receptionist
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Kelsea has been working in the veterinary field for five years. She lives in Churchville with her fiancé. She enjoys spending her weekends fishing and meal prepping. She especially loves to cook. Even more so when someone else does the dishes! Kelsea has 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a precious baby girl.
Megan Welcher
Receptionist
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Megan joins the SVC team with three years of experience in the veterinary field. She completed the Veterinary Assistant course at Valley Career and Technical Center. Megan enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends. She has two dogs- 'Hattie' a bluetick hound and Heeler named 'Merle'.
Sutton Fields
Receptionist
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Sutton lives in the valley with her four children and fiancé, she has four busy children (3 being teenagers), and is very involved in her community and schools. She also has four dogs — “Abel”, “Mudd”, “Augie”, and “Hazel”. She loves her pit bulls and rescue animals! In addition to her kids and dogs, she cares for her fame life pony — “Riggins”, a cow — “Norman”, and all her chickens. In her spare time she enjoys watching football with her family, hiking, and spending time by the ocean.
Staci Keller
Receptionist
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Staci grew up in Augusta County and comes to us with over 25 years of experience in the veterinary field. Her top priority is making sure our clients feel at home here at Staunton Veterinary Clinic. Staci has a quarter horse named 'AJ' that has been with her for the last 21 years. 'Laken', her toy poodle, can often be found snuggled away in a corner taking a nap at the front desk. He loves to greet our clients and we consider him our clinic mascot. Her newest addition is a black lab 'Promise' who loves to swim. In her free time, Staci enjoys spending time at Smith Mountain Lake with her husband, Kent, and daughter, Olivia.