Offering helpful information on animal care is -- and always will be -- a priority for Dr. Foster and Dr. Smith. To help provide the best advice for your pet or hobby, our family includes a full range of veterinarians, pharmacists, aquatic specialists, and hundreds of pet lovers like you.
Our extensive professional services staff work directly with every department within our organization to ensure you receive the information and support you need to provide the best care for the companion animals in your care.
Veterinary Services
Race Foster, DVM
Dr. Foster received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University where he earned the 1983 Feline Medicine and Surgery Award for academic achievements in feline medicine.
A member of the Michigan and Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Associations, Dr. Foster is the co-author of four books on pet health, care, and behavior, and has a special interest in consulting and working with professional dog and cat breeders, especially in the area of preventive animal health.
Currently Dr. Foster is a member of the Board of Directors of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Michigan State University, where he also participates on the Michigan Veterinary Practitioner Advisory Council.
Marty Smith, DVM
Dr. Marty Smith received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Iowa State University and is a member of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.
In addition to co-authoring four books with Dr. Foster, Dr. Smith has written hundreds of articles on pet health, care, and behavior and is very involved as a consultant with pet organizations, breeders, trainers and other writers across the United States. A number of Dr. Smith's English Setters have competed in the national showing circuit, including Ch. Sevenoaks Golden Garters, "Vegas," who was the 1997 Am. Can. Grand National Champion.
Holly Nash, DVM, MS
Dr. Holly Nash received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota, and a Master's Degree in epidemiology (the study of the transmission, distribution, and control of disease) from the University of Wisconsin. She has worked in a primarily dairy practice, as a veterinary epidemiologist, and most recently as a companion animal veterinarian.
Dr. Nash has always been interested in the human-animal bond and the education of animal owners, and finds being Editor of PetEducation.com a perfect match. She enjoys and has had experience working with many species of animals, and is a member of the American and Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Associations, the Society of Aquatic Veterinary Medicine, the Association of Reptilian & Amphibian Veterinarians, and the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
Katharine Hillestad, DVM
Dr. Hillestad received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois. She has practiced in several small animal hospitals in Wisconsin, and has a special interest in behavioral medicine and feline medicine.
Dr. Hillestad is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association and the Society of Aquatic Veterinary Medicine.
Scott Alan McKay, DVM
Dr. McKay received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University. He has worked with large and small animals in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Some of Dr. McKay's interests include educating clients on how to best care for their animals and the human-animal bond. He has a special interest in wildlife.
Dr. McKay has worked with a wide variety of animals and enjoys the diversity of this profession. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.
Barb Suozzi, BA, CVT
Barb received her Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology from the Medical Institute of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and German studies from the University of Minnesota (U of M). Before joining Drs. Foster & Smith's educational staff as a writer/consultant, she worked as a senior veterinary technician at the U of M's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in After-Hours/Emergency.
Kristy Raith, CVT
Kristy graduated from Madison Area Technical College in 1990 with an Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology. Before joining Drs. Foster & Smith, she worked at various veterinary hospitals as a certified veterinary technician. Kristy is currently pursuing further education to become a certified pharmacy technician.
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Aquatic Services
Our Aquatic Services staff receives continuing education in virtually all aspects of aquarium setup, equipment, maintenance, and care to help ensure your aquarium questions receive proper consideration, no matter how technical or species specific.
Kevin Kohen, BS
LiveAquaria.com Director Kevin Kohen has extensive experience in the Tropical Fish Industry. Starting his career and working for eight years in a retail Fish store, Kevin then moved on to oversee the operations of one of the largest Tropical Fish Wholesale and Import/Export businesses in the midwest for over eight years. From there, Kevin ventured on to launch the LiveAquaria.com web site. Kevin has bred and reared nearly 100 species of fresh and saltwater fish and was one of the early pioneers in the U.S. to maintain live corals in captivity back in the early 80's. For over 20 years, he has been a leading advocate for specialized shipping techniques that ensure the health of aquatic life during transit.
Professionally, Kevin has helped pioneer important research studies in water chemistry management, filtration technologies, fish diseases, and acclimation techniques to safeguard the health of a wide range of aquatic species. Kevin designed our new Drs. Foster & Smith Aquaculture Coral Facility, and oversaw the installation of this new state-of-the-art facility. Kevin oversees the operations of the facility and is actively involved in the husbandry and propagation of all of the aquatic life in this new facility.
As a hobbyist/enthusiast, Kevin had his first aquarium when he was only six years old, which grew to over 21 freshwater and marine aquariums by the age of 16. Kevin has received the Saltwater Aquarium of the Year and Reef Aquarium of the Year awards from the Greater Dayton Aquarium Society. With membership in both the American Cichlid Association (ACA) and Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA), Kevin has a special interest in SPS coral propagation, performing research on advanced filtration techniques, and writing articles to help fish and coral owners build successful aquariums. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University.
Steve Krogh
LiveAquaria.com Assistant Director Steve Krogh has an extensive background in aquarium keeping as a retailer, professional technician, and member of both the Greater Minnesota Reef Society/Duluth and the Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society. Steve has kept freshwater aquariums since the age of 12, from goldfish and planted communities to discus and South American cichlid biotopes. He has also maintained FOWLR and marine reef aquariums for over 13 years, having propagated many types of corals, including soft, LPS, and SPS. Steve oversees marketing and analysis for the LiveAquaria.com web site, helps supervise operations at the Aquaculture Coral Facility, and facilitates the continuing education of customer service representatives and the technical support team.
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Chris Mueller
Inventory Analyst and reef hobbyist Chris Mueller holds a degree in Accounting from Nicolet College. She has been a vital member of the LiveAquaria.com staff for over 5 years, beginning as an aquarium expert for Drs. Foster & Smith's call center, assisting customers with technical questions and order fullfilment. Along with her many other duties, Chris currently oversees inventory of both livestock and all the supplies needed to maintain LiveAquaria.com's
SigNature Shipping™ System.
Eric Reinhard, BS
Currently the Merchandising Manager for aquatic and pond products, Eric works with various suppliers on research and development as well as product acquisition. Eric's 17-year career in the aquatics industry is as diverse as it is impressive. After graduating with a marketing degree from Wright State University, Eric spent seven years at a specialized Aquatic Pet Store where he was responsible for the acquisition of all fish and hard goods, as well as providing technical assistance for customers. An additional seven years were with Pet Warehouse where he managed and trained call center agents and served as the company's marketing manager before the company was purchased by Drs. Foster & Smith. Eric has owned aquariums for more than 25 years and currently enjoys keeping a reef aquarium, a freshwater planted aquarium, and a 10,000+ gallon koi pond. He is a member of the Midwest Pond and Koi Society and American Cichlid Association.
Kelvin Fujikawa, BA, MSE
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Aquatic Specialist and Lead Educational Staff writer Kelvin Fujikawa has a lifetime of experience in tropical reef ecology and water gardening. Having maintained numerous aquarium setups at Drs. Foster & Smith - including FOWLR, Reef, African Cichlid, and Freshwater Planted systems - Kelvin has assisted customers both on the phone and through the numerous articles he writes for the Aquarium Outfitters and Pond catalogs. He holds degrees in English and Anthropology from Ripon College and a Masters of Science & Engineering in technical writing and translation from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Monica Smith, ESMT II
Internet Content Specialist Monica Smith has an extensive background in veterinary science, many facets of aquarium care, and equine genetics. Currently maintaining a variety of aquariums both at home and around the Drs. Foster & Smith building, she is an avid hobbyist of freshwater planted, community, carnivore, and brackish aquariums systems. Monica updates and maintains website content for LiveAquaria.com, eTropicals.com, as well as the Fish and Pond categories on DrsFosterSmith.com.
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Brent Goodman, BA, MFA
Internet Supervisor and Educational Staff Writer Brent Goodman has successfully maintained various South American Community and Apistograma breeding aquariums, documenting his experiences in a series of catalog and internet articles for new aquarists. Currently the team leader for the Pond & Water Garden division, Brent holds degrees in English from Ripon College, a Masters of Fine Arts from Purdue University, and has extensive experience in marketing communications and educational publishing in various fields of study.
Trent Foster
Trent is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. With an interest in natural science, he is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry from the University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Trent's enthusiasm for the aquarium hobby began at a young age with his first freshwater aquarium. Since then, he has successfully maintained FOWLR systems, reef aquariums, and nano-reef aquariums. At Drs. Foster and Smith, he explores pharmacology in our licensed pharmacy and assists in a variety of projects for the Aquatics Department.
Technical Specialists
From product recommendations based on your specific system, to set-up and maintenance advice, our team of knowledgeable specialists are here to support you, whether you're new to the hobby or a seasoned enthusiast. With extensive training and years of experience helping customers find answers and solutions to a wide array of questions and problems, our friendly team of Technical Specialists is one of many reasons aquarium owners choose Drs. Foster & Smith for their fish and aquarium supplies.
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Pharmacy Services
Our Pharmacy Services staff and our veterinary staff works together with your veterinarian to ensure the medications you receive from us are of the highest quality. To help make pet care more affordable for all pet owners, we offer you significant savings on your medications each and every time you fill your prescriptions through us.
We offer a wide range of prescription services for your veterinarian and look forward to partnering with him or her to provide your pet with the best care possible at the best price available.
Chris Larson, RPh
Chris is the chief compounding pharmacist for Drs. Foster & Smith, and holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy and the Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Chris has worked in many unique and diverse pharmacy settings throughout his career, with his primary interest being compounding. Chris understands that pets are like family, and he is passionate about aiding in the health and welfare of your pets, and helping you keep them pain and disease free for as long as possible.
Dave Sorenson, RPh
Dave earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin in 1983. He has since practiced in a variety of settings including clinic, community and large chain pharmacies. Dave has always had pets as a part of his family and knows the importance they have in our lives. He looks forward to helping others maintain the health and well-being of their pets.
Cheryl Hull, BS, CPhT
Cheryl graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Microbiology and Immunology; she received her Pharmacy Technician Certification in 2004. Her experience includes 12 years as a hospital pharmacy technician specializing in the compounding of sterile products, and
5 years as a microbiologist with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Cheryl is currently our pharmacy compounding technician. She enjoys working with the chief compounding pharmacist to provide unique medication delivery systems for pets.
Ellen Werner, CPhT
Ellen received her Pharmacy Technician Certification in 2006, and has been a member of the Drs. Foster & Smith staff since 2003. With an extensive background in customer service, Ellen assists in the compounding laboratory to provide substitute delivery systems that pets will find more palatable or acceptable. Her free time is spent with family, including two canines, Squirt and Chester, and one feline, Kritter.
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