John is a Southern California native who was born and raised in Point Loma and moved to North County in 2004. John grew up surrounded by animals and has had a passion for them as long as he can recall. As soon as he was eligible to begin working in the field, he jumped at the chance and became a kennel assistant at the age of 14. John worked his way up through nearly every position within the hospital setting and has also worked in emergency and specialty practices. In January 2008, John paired his clinical experience with his background in microbiology and took his National and State Board Exams to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. John joined the Coastal team in 2011 as our lead technician. Over the years, he transitioned to working behind the scenes managing our growing practice and team. In 2017, John was selected as an Emerging Leader by his peers of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. This prestigious award recognizes proven leaders who are talented, ambitious and have a dedication to professional advancement. John joined an elite group in early 2018 when he earned his Certification in Veterinary Practice Management. John is very proud to be one of only several hundred people in the country to hold this designation. John lives in Carlsbad with his husband, their three dogs, “Finley,” “Arnold” and “Lil Mama” as well as their cats “Lynus,” “Herman,” “Doug” and “Bernie.” [citation]