Meet the Team

Dr. Emily Miller
Owner/Veterinarian

Dr. Emily Miller, affectionately known as Dr. Em, purchased Scotts Valley Vet Clinic from her father, Dr. Charles Miller in 2018, after 30 years of ownership. Dr. Em is truly honored to follow in her father's footsteps and carry on the personal, family-style of practice our clinic is known for.

Dr. Em received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from UC Davis in 2009 and graduated from U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She enjoys all aspects of general practice, however, a few of her special interests include behavior, dermatology, dentistry and surgery. We especially appreciate Dr. Em’s knowledge and experience with ultrasound, digital dental radiographs, and cold laser treatment. Dr. Em strives to build lasting relationships with our clients and their pets. She is always eager to meet new clients, and enjoys getting to know all members of their families!

You will most likely find Dr. Em enjoying the outdoors with her husband and twin daughters.  She has a feisty shih tzu, a loving golden retriever and a fun bunch of chickens who are a constant source of entertainment.  Outside of work, she is very active and enjoys nature photography, beach activities, water/snow skiing, hiking and scuba diving.

She is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Monterey Bay Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Olivia Shull
Medical Director, Veterinarian

A Santa Cruz native, Dr. Shull received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at UC Davis in 2012 and graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. 

Dr. Shull's knowledge and compassionate care were welcomed with open arms in August of 2019.  One of her favorite aspects of being a Veterinarian is spending time really getting to know both her animal patients and clients and building a positive relationship. She takes pride in playing a role in a patient’s care and helping them grow up healthy and happy! Aside from general medicine, Dr.Shull has a special interest in ophthalmology and dentistry.

Dr. Shull lives with her scruffy terrier named Lola and her elderly childhood cat, Roxy. When she isn’t caring for pets, Dr. Shull enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking (especially baking), working out, and harvesting vegetables from her backyard garden.

Dr. Shull is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Laura Schwartz
Veterinarian

Dr. Schwartz began her journey toward veterinary medicine by attending Boston University for undergraduate school, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Ecology. After returning to California, she started working as a veterinary assistant at a local clinic and rehabilitating marine wildlife before earning her veterinary degree at U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2016.  

Following graduation, Dr. Schwartz completed a mixed animal internship in rural Texas where she worked with farm animals in addition to dogs and cats, the continued to work there as a veterinarian for two years.  There, she developed a love for emergency medicine, soft tissue surgery and goats! 

Settling back in Santa Cruz has been an easy transition for her and in July of 2020 she found a home at Scotts Valley Veterinary Clinic.  Dr. Schwartz will captivate and comfort you with her smile and warm nature.  She believes in patient care and client education and cannot wait to create long lasting relationships with her clients. 

Dr. Schwartz is often accompanied in the office by her spunky terrier mix “Tim” who she cannot pamper enough.  Outside of the clinic enjoys spending time with her family and friends while playing soccer and volleyball.  You may see her around on frequent walks or runs to the beach and through the redwoods.  

Dr. Schwartz is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Jennifer Clift
Veterinarian

Dr. Clift was first exposed to veterinary medicine after she volunteered at a local animal shelter which is where she fell in love with helping animals.  She attended San Jose State University for undergraduate studies while working at multiple small animal hospitals in the San Jose and Sacramento areas.  She then pursued her dream and earned her veterinary degree at U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021.  

She joined the SVVC family in 2021 and has become a pivotal member of the team.  She is caring and compassionate and truly will take the time out of her day to make sure she will answer all of your questions.  She has a small jack Russell terrier mix named Bernie who lights up her life.  In her spare time she loves hiking, long beach walks with Bernie, and exploring new local restaurants. 

Dr. Clift is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Kathy Martinelli
Veterinarian

We are so excited to welcome the newest member to our veterinary team! A Bay Area native Dr. Martinelli is thrilled to join the SVVC family after having worked in Santa Cruz as a vet for over 20 years!  

Dr. Martinelli always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian.  While she grew up riding horses with many pets by her side, it took volunteering at her childhood vet clinic to truly discover her passion.  She attended Santa Clara University as an undergraduate student and next attended UC Davis Veterinary School where she graduated in 1993.  

She found herself back at her childhood veterinary clinic working for the first time as a veterinarian, for 7 wonderful years.  She then moved to Santa Cruz in 2000 and has worked at a local veterinary clinic ever since. She enjoys creating long-term relationships with clients and watching patients grow through all phases of life.  She has a special interest in internal medicine and endocrinology.  She is married with two wonderful daughters and a grandson, whom she adores.  She is a Labrador lover with her yellow lab Chloe and Cash her Chiweenie; she rounds out the family with a cute kitty Juno and 6 chickens.  Her hobbies include hiking, volunteering, beach walks, travel, skiing, and spending time with friends and family. 

Dr. Martinelli is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Monterey Bay Area Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Beverly Hill
Veterinarian

Dr. Hill has been practicing medicine at Scotts Valley Veterinary Clinic since 1995. She attended U.C. Davis and received her B.S. in 1979 and her D.V.M. degree in 1983. After graduation, she spent 8 years in Pacific Grove working in a busy small animal practice.

Dr. Hill's favorite aspect of general practice is being able to care for a pet from birth to old age, allowing for a deeper understanding of each pet's individual healthcare needs. She values building relationships with clients that last through multiple pets. She also has a strong interest in canine and feline behavioral issues.

Dr. Hill has two dogs (a border collie, and a border collie mix) who accompany her in many of her outdoor activities and treat her two kitties as part of their pack. Her leisure time activities include skiing, backpacking, scuba diving and traveling with her husband to visit her two grown children in the Pacific Northwest.

While Dr. Hill is now semi-retired, she will still visit the clinic somewhat regularly to hopefully get to see some of her wonderful patients!

Dr. Hill is a member of the Monterey Bay Veterinary Medical Association, the California Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Carol
Office Manager

Carol is our office manager as well as staff supervisor. She was born and raised in Santa Cruz and has worked in local veterinary clinics since the tender age of 15. In 1982, Carol accepted a manager position at Scotts Valley Veterinary Clinic and has been the backbone of our clinic ever since!

Carol enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her ever-growing family and close friends. She and her husband have three wonderful daughters and are overjoyed to have recently welcomed their first grandchild into the family! Scotts Valley Vet Clinic is grateful to have such a selfless, dedicated individual as our office manager, and often refer to her as “Mama Bear” due to her genuine care and concern for her "kids" (aka staff).

Kylie
Head Technician/Registered Veterinary Technician in Training

Kylie grew up in Hollister and moved to our area to attend the University of Santa Cruz a few years ago. After graduating in 2017 with a B.S. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, she decided to pursue a career path in the animal care field. Kylie gained valuable experience working as a Veterinary Assistant for a couple years prior to joining our team and we appreciate her friendly, go-getter personality to take on new challenges! She is constantly finding new ways to expand her knowledge and skills through working with animals of all types. Most recently, she has become a volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium where she helps care for the adorable sea otters.

In her free time, Kylie loves spending time with her cat, "Kiarra", her three fish, and two White Tree Frogs, "Rhubarb and Nimba". She also enjoys working out, painting/drawing, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Mari Jo
Lead Customer Service Representative

Mari Jo began her Veterinary reception career in 1999, but started with SVVC in 2007. We are very lucky to have her fun personality on our staff, as she is always making her co-workers and clients laugh. She grew up in New Jersey (thus her slight accent!) and then spent 35 years in Colorado where she worked as a receptionist at a large Veterinary hospital. Mari Jo prides herself on getting to know our clients on a personal level and takes the time to listen and adjust to their needs. Outside of work, the family is her priority and she delights in time spent with her family, especially her adorable grandson, Lennox.

Jessica
Lead Technician/Certified Veterinary Assistant

Jess, a Las Vegas native, started off as a coffee slinger and over the years, this chapter of her life took her from the hills of New Mexico to Fort Walton Beach, all the way to the northern reaches of Louisiana, ending in Florida. She closed the coffee chapter having proudly earned the title of Starbucks Supervisor, and with a new adventure in mind, Jess and her boyfriend made the decision to shift gears, literally. Along with their thrill-seeking canine, Indy (aka Indiana Bones), this dynamic trio rode bicycles across the United States! Starting in Florida, this six-month-long journey of a lifetime would eventually lead them to where they reside now, deep beneath the redwoods of Boulder Creek. Jess has always been intrigued by the veterinary world and was excited to join our team as a receptionist in August of 2019. Jess has always been intrigued by the world of veterinary medicine and is always wanting to learn more.  She was excited to join the team as a receptionist in August of 2019 and she is now overjoyed to move into the role of a veterinary assistant. When Jess isn’t off traveling, you can find her and her little family enjoying the sunshine at the beach with her doppio espresso in hand!

Helena
Veterinary Assistant

Helena is a Santa Cruz native and has worked in the veterinary field for years before joining our SVVC team in 2020. She has loved animals since she was little and always knew a career helping people and their furry family members was in her future. She has worked at many local hospitals over the years and finally has found her home with our clinic. She is one of our most experienced nurses and is able to give advice in many aspects of animal care. She has a bundle of animals including Bentley (her great dane), Star (her toy poodle) and Gizmo (her sphinx cat). She absolutely loves horseback riding and as often as he is able, she escapes from work and gets to rider her favorite Friesian named Marrisa. She loves to ride in the Soquel Mountains and take her swimming in the local creeks.

Cori
Certified Veterinary Assistant

Cori grew up close by in San Jose, CA and joined our SVVC family in 2020 as a veterinary assistant. Cori lived in Orange County for about 7 years where she studied medical assisting and worked at Downtown Disney, before moving back to Santa Cruz. It was in Orange County that she realized her deep passion and love for animals. Her dream was to combine medical work with caring for animals. She has the gentlest touch and really cares for her patients. Cori has a senior lhasa apso gal named Oreo and a sweet little Miniature Australian Shepherd named Archie. In her spare time, she likes to adventure out to the beach with her dogs, spend time with friends exploring the surrounding cities, and being outside in nature. And of course whenever she gets a chance, traveling back to OC and going to Disneyland!

Aleah
Certified Veterinary Assistant

Aleah is a San Jose native and joined our Scotts Valley Vet family in 2020. Aleah grew up surrounded by cats and exotic pets, whom she has always felt a special connection with. She chose veterinary medicine because she believes in advocating for those who can’t speak for themselves. She is also passionate about education especially in regards to animal care and conservation. Aleah first started as a Veterinary Assistant in San Jose when she was 16 years. She moved to Santa Cruz for college and began studying animal science and biology at Cabrillo College. She spent a few years in Aptos as a veterinary customer service representative, however with her gentle nature and passion for patient care she knew there could be something more. She then joined our family where she studied and became a Certified Veterinary Assistant.

She does find some time out of the clinic and spoils her 4 adult cats and 1 crazy kitten, a sassy Betta fish, flirty ball python, and a dwarf hamster. She loves spending her free time in nature: camping, hiking, attempting water sports and also indulging her creative and artistic hobbies.

Kelsie
Customer Service Representative

Kelsie grew up in Garland, in the outskirts of Dallas Texas. She has loved animals since she was little and always told her family she would work with animals someday.

While she worked here and there she finally got her first job at a veterinary clinic and hasn’t looked back.  She started off working as a kennel assistant and worked her way up from there to a management/reception role.  She joined the SVVC family in 2021, as a customer service representative. She is truly passionate about providing customer service and helping the patients that visit the clinic daily. She cannot get enough of the adorable pets we see on a daily basis and will do as much pet sitting as her schedule allows. 

Through the years, Kelsie has been surrounded by a variety of pets including; dogs, cats (even though she is allergic), snakes, an opossum, a rabbit, a turtle, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs and a hamster. She currently has an adorable golden retriever, Aspen, who frequents a lot of our social media as Kelsie is a very talented photographer.Although some might say, Aspen is an equally talented doggy model.

In her spare time she enjoys photography, outdoor yard games, camping, paddle boarding, hiking, road trips and really anything she can bring Aspen along for an adventure. 

Sierra
Registered Veterinary Technician

Sierra is a Santa Cruz Native and joined our Scotts Valley Vet Family in 2020. Sierra’s family have been long standing clients at SVVC and Sierra always attended each appointment with endearing interest. Sierra has been working in the small animal veterinary field for the past 6 years, however has had extensive knowledge of livestock and equine medicine for over a decade. She graduated from Carrington College and received her degree in Veterinary Technology in early 2019, and then sat for her National and State board exams (VTNE) and received her license as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). Sierra is compassionate and knowledgeable and could not wait to find her home at Scotts Valley Vet. On her days off, Sierra enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, 1 year old daughter, and their 4 year old German Shepherd mix named Rose. They are often found hiking the redwoods, at the beach, camping, or at the ranch enjoying their horses. Sierra is constantly continuing her education through continuing education, and going to veterinary conferences in order to better treat her patients and to work seamlessly hand-in-hand with the SVVC doctors. Sierra is a CaRVTA member and extensively trained in Fear Free Handling.

Roare
Registered Veterinary Technician in Training

Roare is a Salinas native and joined our Scotts Valley Vet family in 2021. Her love for animals started with her elder furry sibling Tabby; a feisty stray gray kitten who was just one year her senior. Her caregiving nature was evident throughout childhood as she nurtured not only Tabby, but also hermit crabs, goldfish, lizards and salamanders. Having raised numerous chickens and 8 pigs in total throughout high school, Roare’s animal husbandry skills extend also to livestock. After much begging, her family grew to include adopted dogs Ben and Starr. Eventually, she saved every dime to bring home her very own horse Cowboy. The two competed in high school rodeo, and then ventured to Feather River College in Quincy, CA. There she spent most days on horseback, studying Equine Science and Natural Horsemanship, and snuggled with her sassy orange kitty, Nala. Traveling on to Santa Barbara in 2019, she started working in the veterinary field, and expanded her studies to Biological Science. She adopted another cat Alice, a snake Lynndell and a betta fish Pleated Sheet”(P.S. for short). She is ecstatic to have found her true passion in veterinary medicine and sharing it with her new community in Scotts Valley. With support from the team, Roare is in school to become a Registered Veterinary Technician by early 2023 and continues dedicating her life to animal care and welfare.

Ashley
Certified Veterinary Assistant

We are so excited to welcome Ashley back to the Scotts Valley Vet family in 2022. Ashley grew up in Los Angeles where she spent over 7 years as a pet groomer and eventually moved to Santa Cruz. She joined SVVC as a customer service representative in 2019 and enjoyed her role but missed her grooming passion. Having groomed again for the past few years, she is ready to explore her future passion of veterinary nursing. She rejoined the team in 2022; open minded and eager to learn, she is always looking for new opportunities to broaden her skill set working with animals. While you may remember Ashley by her quiet and friendly personality, her true creativity shines through in her grooming experience and technique. When she is not exploring the Santa Cruz area with her boyfriend, Ashley makes a point to spend as much time with her cherished animals as possible. She has two adorable dogs, River and Harley and a cute little kitty, Cat. Whether she and the dogs are out for a long walk or they are all curled up watching their favorite TV-series, her furry family are her inseparable companions.

Jessica
Customer Service Representative

Bio Coming Soon!

Regina
Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Jessenia
Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Jorden
Veterinary Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Savannah
Registered Veterinary Technician

Bio coming soon!