Our Staff
A Dedicated Staff:
We’ve helped thousands of patients, from canine athletes and working dogs to beloved family pets.
AZRA AHMIC
Referral Coordinator
Azra serves as a resource for our clients to help facilitate the needs of their pet. Azra completed a veterinary technician program in her native country Bosnia before moving to the United States in 1998. Azra joined Northlake in 2014 with over 14 years of experience in specialty veterinary customer service. Azra enjoys listening to music (metal), reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and two cats (Cody and Stella).
ROB ROBECK
Referral Coordinator
Rob is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Rob comes to Northlake with 7 years of referral coordination and customer service experience in the veterinary specialty field. Prior to that, Rob worked with World Airways as a customer service representative, inflight service manager and flight attendant. Rob and his partner have fostered many pets, and they have a 16 year old Maltese mix named Watson who, to date, is their only foster failure. In his spare time, Rob is a voracious reader and enjoys cooking and entertaining with friends.
MANDY BRODY, CCRA
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Certified Rehabilitation Assistant
Mandy graduated from Gwinnett Technical College in 2005 with a Degree in Applied Sciences – Veterinary Technology. She completed her certification in Canine Rehabilitation in 2016. Mandy is an avid sports fan (especially college football), and excellent photographer, and enjoys spending time with her dog Sizzle.
KATIE BRYSON
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Katie joined Northlake in 2011 with 6 years of experience in general veterinary practice. Katie graduated from Gwinnett Technical College in 2005 with a Degree in Applied Sciences – Veterinary Technology. Katie enjoys spending time with her husband Juan, their daughter Eleanor and their cats Mr. Peepers and Chuckles.
MICHELE JONES-DOWDY
Licensed Veterinary Tech.h.
Michele joined Northlake in 2007, with 5 years of experience in general veterinary practice and 10 years experience in internal medicine specialty practice. Michele and her husband along with their two sons enjoy spending time with family and friends.
CATHY VIAN
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Cathy was trained in the United States Army, where she achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. Cathy acquired 6 years of experience in Emergency Medicine before joining Northlake in 1994. Cathy enjoys gardening, home improvement projects, family, and spending time with her dog Buddy and fleet of cats.
LAUREN SURMIK
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Lauren has been in the field of veterinary medicine for over 20 years. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and Gwinnett Technical College in 2014 with a Degree in Applied Sciences- Veterinary Technology. Lauren has acquired experience in General Practice, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, and Zoo/Exotics Medicine. When Lauren isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan along with their dogs Pickles, Possum, Indiana and their cat, Mr. Schnacks. Her favorite hobbies are hanging out with friends and family, traveling, working out and anything that allows her to be outside.
CHELSEA TYNAN
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Chelsea joined Northlake in 2023 with 8 years of experience in general veterinary practice. She graduated from Penn Foster in 2020 with a degree in Applied Sciences – Veterinary Technology and from Kennesaw State University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. She is RECOVER certified, Fear-Free certified, and is passionate about providing quality patient care. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys traveling, camping, mountain biking, and spending time with her 5 cats and dog, Poppy.
BRITNEY MARTINEZ
Licensed Veterinary Tech.
Britney is a 2024 graduate of Gwinnett Technical College with a degree in Applied Sciences-Veterinary Technology and has experience in both general and specialty practice. She is RECOVER CPR certified, and also certified in the Veterinary Fear Free program. Britney has always had a love for surgery. On her free time, she is most likely rewatching her favorite Sitcoms or movies from the The Marvel Universe.
CARNELL BENNETT
Veterinary Assistant
Carnell joined Northlake in 2018 through our work-study internship program. He comes to us from Pennsylvania where he gained experience working for multiple veterinary specialty hospitals. In his spare time, Carnell can be found fishing, training his 2 dogs Ceily and Ernesto, or looking out for his little chameleon, Flower.
CHRISTINA CARPENTER
Veterinary Assistant
Christina joined Northlake in 2021 with previous experience in emergency veterinary care. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2017 with a Master‘s degree in Music Education. In her spare time she enjoys traveling to National Parks and other countries, mud runs, crafting and spending time with her two German Shorthair Pointers Moose and Bandit.
ZURI BOWEN
Veterinary Assistant
Zuri graduated from the University of Georgia in 2019 with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science. During her time in college, she raised two puppies for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Zuri joins Northlake with two years of experience in a veterinary Internal Medicine practice and 3 years working as an animal care technician in the University of Georgia Laboratory Animal Science Department. In her free time, Zuri enjoys listening to music, playing video games, skateboarding, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.
KARA CLINGAN
Veterinary Assistant
Kara joined Northlake in 2024 after 4 years working in general veterinary care. She enjoys traveling, hiking, live music, and exploring the amazing food and wine scene Atlanta has to offer. She has two cats, Peach and Wallace, and hopes to rescue many more in the future.