Lorraine Serhienko, RVT

Home Province: Saskatchewan

Education: Graduated with a Veterinary Technology Diploma from SIAST(Kelsey Campus) in 2007. Obtained a Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Saskatchewan in 2016.

Work Experience: Currently I am the Assistant to the Registrar at the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (2016-present). From 2014-2016 I worked as a locum and covered a maternity leave in small and mixed animal practices in SK and AB. From 2010 to 2014 I was a faculty member at Lakeland College in the Animal Health Technology Program. From 2007 to 2010, I worked at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, one year as a ICU tech and the remaining time as a Large Animal and teaching tech.

Previous Board/ Committee Experience: I served as President-Elect (2007-2008 and 2015), President (2008-2009) and Past-President (2009-2010) on the SAVT Board of Directors. I was an elected member of the Lakeland College Academic Council (2012-2014). I am also a 4-H leader and a volunteer with the Vermilion Agricultural Society.

What do you hope to bring to the table or describe great things you are doing: Why I wanted to be an RVTTC director: to help build bridges between regulators and professional associations for the greater good of the veterinary profession. This is required as the demand for RVT’s grows. There is a need for smoother labor mobility across the country, awareness of the importance registered veterinary technologists and the future credentialing internationally trained veterinary technologists/veterinary nurses.

I believe in the veterinary professions as a team, not a hierarchy, and bringing the awareness at the national level and being a role model for my colleagues and working towards changing the mindset of veterinarians and public regarding RVT’s.

SAVT is doing a lot of wonderful things for the profession, and I am proud to support and assist the association in achieving their goals.

Personal Life Including Pets and Hobbies: I farm with my family, we have a grain and beef cattle farm. I also have two horses, a dog and two house cats. I enjoy doing remote veterinary care and spay/neuter in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Caribbean. I enjoy cooking, baking and knitting in “all my spare time”. Once this pandemic is over, I intend to plan a wedding and marry my fiancé, Tim.