NAVTA’s Veterinary Technician of the Year

Stephanie Gilliam, RVTg, MS, CCRP, VTS (Neurology)

NAVTA’s Veterinary Technician of the Year award is presented to a NAVTA member who has provided leadership and contributed to the association and the overall betterment of the Veterinary Technology profession. 

Since August 2019, Stephanie has been the Director of Veterinary Technology at Moberly Area Community College and an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She also serves as the legislative chair of the Missouri Veterinary Technicians Association and the Director at Large for the neurology section of the Academy of Internal Medicine Veterinary Technicians.

In her acceptance speech, Stephanie shared: “I am who I am because of the people who surround me and continue to lift me up, and that’s just how this profession is—veterinary technicians are amazing. This career has taken me places I never would have imagined.”

In nominating Stephanie, her colleague wrote:

Since joining the (MO Veterinary Technicians Association) board in 2019, Stephanie quickly let her voice and intentions be known: she wanted to push for change in Missouri, and she was going to make it happen. She quickly formed MOVTA’s legislative committee and was appointed as the chairperson; one of her first initiatives was to form a relationship with the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MOVMA). In early 2021, MOVMA voted unanimously to include a veterinary technician from MOVTA as an ex-officio board member, with that position to be filled by MOVTA’s legislative chairperson. This was the first time an RVT representative sat on MOVMA’s board.

Momentum accelerated, and in October 2021 MOVMA and MOVTA announced the creation of a veterinary technician task force to work on a specific set of objectives addressing technician utilization, in no small part due to Stephanie Gilliam’s hard work and persistence. Since the creation of this taskforce, Stephanie, along with other MOVMA and MOVTA leaders and representatives, have met periodically to discuss issues facing technicians in Missouri and proposed changes to further define RVTs’ scope of practice, including proposed changes to Missouri’s veterinary practice act.

In late 2022, Stephanie sent a letter to clinics throughout Missouri to educate Missouri veterinarians about veterinary technicians and their education, discussing the importance of proper title usage and the legalities surrounding title protection, and the importance of enforcement in Missouri.

Stephanie didn’t stop there – she had her eyes set on the Missouri Veterinary Medical Board (MOVMB). In 2023, Stephanie opened communications with state representatives and MOVMB members about establishing RVT representation on the veterinary medical board, representation that has never existed in Missouri. She regularly attends MOVMB meetings as an RVT representative to both educate the board and to press for inclusion of technicians’ voices in the governance of our profession, and in 2024 she was appointed as president of MOVTA. 

But her efforts have not been limited to the public sphere. Stephanie also created a brand new veterinary technology program in an underserved area of Missouri as its program director. Moberly Area Community College (MACC)’s first cohort graduated in spring of 2023 after receiving initial accreditation from the AVMA. MACC is also one of the few veterinary technology programs that is partnered with a college of veterinary medicine, University of Missouri. Through this partnership, students are able to rotate through Mizzou’s Veterinary Health Center in their last two semesters of the program, not only gaining valuable hands-on experience working with veterinary specialists, but also giving experience and education to veterinary students on how to work with and empower RVTs, while showing future veterinarians what it takes to become a RVT in Missouri. She is also an adjunct instructor for the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, teaching online courses for the Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology program. Stephanie’s passion and commitment to her students is palpable; talk to any of her students and you’ll feel it too.

As if these professional activities aren’t enough, Stephanie is a wonderful wife and mother of three. She is also active in her community. She leads the veterinary science 4H project for her county, and is currently working to form a veterinary science team for North Callaway High School FFA. She is also working along with Fulton High Schools FFA advisors to help mentor their Veterinary Science team. She serves on the advisory committee for the Columbia Public Schools Agriculture Department. She is an active member of the Hatton Extension Club, and serves as a youth leader and band member for her local church.

NAVTA congratulates its 2024 Veterinary Technician of the Year, Stephanie Gilliam!