Our Team

Dr. Walker is a 2006 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Richmond. Originally from upstate New York, she has called North Carolina home for over 20 years, 14 of which have been serving the Rocky Mount community at CVH.  Dr. Walker knew she wanted to be a veterinarian at an early age, and vividly remembers creating a time capsule in 2nd grade with a photo of her and a pet rabbit that said “Future vet in Virginia”.  She has always had a subconscious draw to the South after visiting Virginia and North Carolina regularly while growing up.  She spent most of her childhood outside catching frogs, toads and insects in the woods near her home.  Her professional interests include palliative care and client education.  Dr. Walker had the honor of working with and learning from Dr. Coats for over six years. Dr. Walker purchased Coats Veterinary Hospital in January of 2013 and works to preserve Dr. Coats’ vision of a long lasting small business that serves for the good of the whole–our patients, our clients, our team, and our community. Dr. Walker lives in Wake Forest with her husband, Tommy, her three young children, their English Lab, Peppa, their Cavanese, Ollie, and their Maine Coon cat, Cub.

Melissa is a North Carolina native who received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a Minor in Professional Communication from Meredith College.  Melissa has led the Coats Veterinary Hospital team since 1997 and, in 2013, earned her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager designation.  In an effort to nurture both an exceptional experience for our clients and their pets as well as a thriving work culture for our team members, she also became a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional in 2019.  Melissa’s passion for service is not reserved solely for growing leaders within the CVH family but also extends to our local community where she is active in her church’s outreach programs.  To decompress, she loves to craft and decorate, hunt for thrift store treasures and relax at the beach.  Melissa lives in Nashville with her husband, their two teenage children, their cats, Ophelia and Charlie, their Golden Retriever, Amos, and their guinea pig, Squeaky.

Dr. Lehnberg earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Davidson College and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State. Dr. Lehnberg joined the Coats team in 2013. A North Carolina native, Dr. Lehnberg currently lives in Zebulon with her yellow Labrador retriever, Cappy. Dr. Lehnberg is a member of the AVMA and AAHA. Dr. Lehnberg has a special interest in dermatology and dentistry.

Dr. Kwiatkowski obtained her Bachelor of Science from Appalachian State University and earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University. She joined the Coats team in 2018. Dr. Kwiatkowski is a North Carolina native and currently lives in Wake Forest with her dogs Sasha, Joey and Carson, and her cat Russell. She is a member of AVMA and AAHA. Dr. Kwiatkowski has a strong interest in internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, radiology and cardiology.

Dr. Vall earned her Bachelor of Science in Organismal Biology from Christopher Newport University in Virginia and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Vall joined the Coats Team in 2019. Dr. Vall relocated to Rocky Mount from Florida. and lives with her kitties, Dahlia and Toasty. She is a member of the AVMA and AAHA. She obtained her Veterinary Dental Certification from the University of Illinois and is Fear Free Certified.

Carmen, one of our Records Administrators, began working with Dr. Coats in September of 2000 and continues to be a part of Dr. Walker’s CVH team. She was born in Roswell, New Mexico and grew up as an Air Force dependent and calls Alabama home. Carmen has two adult daughters, five out of this world grandchildren, a husband, one dog, and two cats. Carmen enjoys reading, golfing, and spending time with her family. Carmen is also a 30+ year member of the First Baptist Church in Rocky Mount where she sings soprano in the Sanctuary choir.

Meet our Customer Service Rep/ Records Manager, Stephanie! Stephanie has been with CVH since 2010. She lives at home with her husband Chris, and their 2 dogs Gunner and Duncan. They also have 17 chickens, and a pet snake named Blossom. Stephanie enjoys going to yard sales, refurbishing furniture, and gardening. We are extremely lucky to have her with us at CVH!

Taylor is one of our Awesome Customer Service Representatives! Taylor has part of the CVH family since 2015. She lives with her dog Dani Grace and her cats, Sophie and Harper. She enjoys spending time with her family and fur babies. When she’s not at work, you can find her on the beach with her friends, or volunteering with Odin’s Orphans Rescue. We are so lucky to have Taylor as part of the CVH team!

Mandy earned her Associates of Science at Baker College in Jackson, MI and got her Veterinary Technician License in 2007. She has overall 24 years experience in the veterinary field. Originally from Michigan, she has moved to several states before landing in Rocky Mount with her husband Jon and her two dogs, Beau and Annie. Mandy likes to spend her free time crafting and camping when she can.

Kayla joined the CVH team in 2017 and sayd that working with small animals is her passion in life! She enjoys client education, Radiology, and building long lasting relationships with fur babies and their families. Kayla soon plans to further her knowledge and become a Registered Vet Tech. Kayla married her high school sweetheart Rob and they recently welcomed a new baby boy into their family. Kayla and Rob also have three 4-legged babies – Thor, Sadie and Zoey – and 1 cat, Pele.

Every veterinary hospital needs its resident cat lady and ours is Pamela! Pamela joined our team in 2018 and has a passion for cats to which nothing compares!  She is truly the CVH “cat whisperer” and we are so proud of her talents.  Pamela lives in Rocky Mount with her husband and their 4 feline kids.

Jenna became a member of the CVH family in 2019, while she was enrolled in the Nash Community College Veterinary Technician program.  She continues to work toward completing her education to become a Registered Veterinary Technician.

Hailee became a member of the CVH family in 2021.  She lives with her family on their farm in Louisburg with their many farm animals.  Hailee has two King Charles Cavaliers, Copper and Malibu.  She enjoys spending time with friends and when she’s not at work, you can find her riding and showing her horses, Sundae, Splash and Diamond. We are thankful that she chose to become part of the CVH family!

Mercedes recently joined the CVH team in 2020 as a veterinary assistant. She has a Batchelor of Science degree in Animal Science from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University. She is extremely passionate and has a deep love for her furry friends. Her 2 dogs were Diamond and Mojo.  She loves being part of the CVH family. In her spare time she enjoys going to the movies and hanging with family and friends.

Taylor joined the CVH family in 2023.  She lives in Rocky Mount with her family and her two labs, Charlie and Harley. In her free time, Taylor enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Ann lives in Battleboro, North Carolina and has been part of the CVH team since 2005. In her previous life, she was a hair stylist but decided to make a transition and channel her love of animals. She has one daughter and two granddaughters, who are the light of her life! In her free time, you will find Ann spending time with her family.

Joanna joined the CVH family in 2021 and takes great care of our clients as one of our Customer Service Representatives.  Joanna lives with her big baby, Bentley, her rescued bearded dragon, Crippy, and her cat, Batata.  When she’s not here working or loving on our patients, Jo likes to garden, cook, play music and spend time with her friends, family and, of course, her four-legged babies.  We are so grateful to have her as part of our team!

Kristen joined our friendly CSR team in 2022 and comes with several years of customer service experience. She lives in Rocky Mount with her husband, two children and their dog, Milo. When she is away from work, Kristen loves to spend her free time shopping with her mom, doing fun activities with her children and cooking out with her family on the weekends.

Johnna grew up in Whitakers and always dreamed of working with animals in some way. She joined CVH in 2003 and for many years, has used her vast knowledge and skills serving our doctors as a Veterinary Assistant. She now leads our Resort, overseeing our boarding cottages and our bathing spa.

Johnna is a champion barrel racer and thoroughly enjoys anything to do with horses or any type of livestock but her happy place is the beach, where she hopes to retire one day. Johnna lives in Louisburg with her husband and son, five dogs, two cats, four guinea pigs, one rabbit, one goat, three horses, two ducks, eight chickens, one hamster and several pet fish. Her vast menagerie, which are too many to name, leaves no question about her love for animals!

Hunter lives in Louisburg with his family and attends Bunn High School.  He has several pets at home including horses, dogs, goats and pocket pets.  In his free time, Hunter enjoys anything outdoors and shows livestock in 4H.

Kathy grew up in Maryland and began working in a doggie daycare business in 1998, where she first became curious about dog grooming. She later worked as a groomer’s assistant, where her passion blossomed and she completed grooming school. She takes pride in continuing education and attends grooming trade shows, classes, seminars and webinars. Her specialty is working closely with clients who have pets with special needs and showing her creativity with hairstyles.

In her free time, Kathy enjoys baking and sewing and loves being outside, especially at the beach. She resides in Rocky Mount with her husband.

Bio coming soon!