Meet the Team

Cait Deppe, CVT, FVTE

After earning her AAS degree and achieving CVT certification in 2012, Cait discovered a passion for education while serving as Supervisor for Harcum College nursing students during their operating room rotation at the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to help lead the ophthalmology department at a specialty hospital outside Philadelphia, where she also facilitated Pet Loss Grieving Circles to support clients through difficult transitions.

In 2014, Cait transitioned her expertise to the business side of veterinary medicine, specializing in dental equipment sales and education. Over the years, she has successfully managed numerous projects focused on advancing veterinary dental knowledge and improving clinical efficiency.

Currently, Cait serves as an Equipment Specialist for a veterinary distribution company, where she assists practices in selecting and implementing the right equipment solutions while training her team in the intricacies of veterinary dentistry. She has led webinars, wet labs, and lectures for both national and international veterinary conferences and organizations.

She is a certified career coach with a genuine passion for helping professionals discover and develop their unique niche within the veterinary community.

Cait thrives on building meaningful connections and fostering collaboration to help individuals and teams achieve their goals. She brings exceptional value to every organization she works with and is deeply committed to helping veterinary teams grow, succeed, and thrive.

Quote: "The most difficult part of loving an animal is realizing that no amount of time with them will ever be enough."

Rob Coke, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Reptile and Amphibian), ACZM, CVA, Lead Veterinarian and Medical Director

Dr. Rob Coke graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree in 1994 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1996. He spent four years treating exotic pets in private practice before going to Kansas State University for an exotic animal, wildlife, and zoo animal medicine internship, which he followed with a zoological medicine residency at the Oklahoma City Zoo. In 2002, he began his career at the San Antonio Zoo as a senior staff veterinarian before moving up to become the director of veterinary care and then the senior director of veterinary care. After 22 years, Dr. Coke retired from the Zoo and became the Medical Director at the new South Texas Avian & Exotics Hospital in San Antonio, TX.  This facility sees 100% exotic animal species including: aquatics, amphibians, reptiles, birds, pocket pets, and other exotic mammals such as capibaras, sloths, kangaroos, etc.  He is a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine and one of the first Diplomates of the Reptile and Amphibian Practice category of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.  He also decided to delve into the realm of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and obtained his Certificate of Veterinary Acupuncture.  As a personal hobby, Dr. Coke has kept and bred dozens of species of reptiles including chameleons, snakes, geckos, tortoises, etc.

Darlene Nicholas, AAS

Darlene brings over 15 years of veterinary experience, applying a comprehensive skill set to both clinical care and practice management. A Deaf/hard-of-hearing professional, she has spent much of her career as a veterinary nurse, with deep hands-on involvement in patient care and surgical support.

Darlene has a passion for helping people and animals. She is fluent in American Sign Language and uses her superpower to help clients navigate the complexities of veterinary medicine when their animal needs care. Her calm and intuitive nature immediately makes the room calm and people with disabilities feel seen, heard, and understood. 

Darlene brings a unique perspective to the veterinary field and wants to help other practices grow by offering catered care to those with disabilities, both clients and staff. 

Outside of her professional role, she shares her home with three special needs pets, whose care continually inspires her compassion and strengthens her understanding of animals with unique challenges.

Quote: "My world may be quieter, but I listen with my heart, eyes, and soul. Compassion does not need translation."

Wendy Schomaker, CVT, VTS (ECC)

Wendy has built a distinguished career as a veterinary nurse with a primary focus on small animal medicine, despite an early passion for horses and an initial aspiration to become an equine veterinarian. Since earning her CVT/LVT credentials in 1995 and attaining her VTS (Emergency and Critical Care) designation in 2015, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing veterinary care and education.

Her professional experience spans a wide range of disciplines, including general practice, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgery, and university based veterinary medicine. In addition, she has contributed to telehealth initiatives and currently serves as a project manager within the veterinary distribution sector.

During her nine year tenure at Colorado State University, she dedicated six years to the critical care department, where she achieved her VTS, and three years to radiation oncology. While at CSU, she mentored interns, residents, and students, fostering growth and confidence in the next generation of veterinary professionals.

Through these diverse experiences, she has cultivated extensive knowledge in patient care, triage, equipment operation, and team collaboration. She finds great fulfillment in teaching and mentoring others, helping them refine their clinical and professional skills.

Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending time outdoors and cherishing moments with her significant other, family, and pets. Although no longer in a clinical role, her passion for veterinary medicine continues to inspire her both personally and professionally.

Quote:  "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." – Babe Ruth

Heidi Coke, LVT

Heidi is a LVT and 1998 graduate from the Tomball College Veterinary Technician program. She worked nine years in high productivity veterinary hospitals before transitioning to specialty work in 2007.  For the past 15 years, she has concentrated on dental specialty practice in her clinical skills and outreach programs, where she has been teaching veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students all over the United States. She has taught dentistry at veterinary technician colleges and with multiple companies over the years, such as Midmark, IM3, Bionet, Patterson, MWI, Zoetis, Covetrus, and others. Heidi teaches though lectures and didactic labs covering topics, including but not limited to, dental radiology, oral pathology, and prophylaxis. The prophylaxis labs extend from basic topics such as charting, probing, and cleaning to more intermediate/advanced topics such as subgingival curettage, root plaining, regional nerve blocks, and more.

Quote: "Client education is vital to a successful business. Tangible reports help bridge the gap between question and certainty."