Staff Profiles

	Leslie Goldblatt, DVM Dr. Goldblatt graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. She has worked at Greenbrier and Golden Valley-Brookview Animal Hospitals since 1995 and became a co-owner in 1999. Dr. Goldblatt is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and uses it on many patients. Her hobbies include spending time with her 3 daughters, taking care of her pit-bull rescue dog, Beanie, reading, running and weightlifting.
	Marc Rothstein, DVM Dr. Rothstein graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1971. After spending an interesting two years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, he returned to Minneapolis to practice. He opened Brookview Animal Hospital in Golden Valley in 1975 and Greenbrier Animal Hospital in Minnetonka in 1980. Dr. Rothstein’s special interests include surgery, caring for birds and other exotic pets, biking, playing tennis, fixing things and working out with his Springer Spaniel mix, Marley.
	Heidi Blackburn, DVM Dr. Blackburn graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a BS in Biology in 1974. She graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 then went on to complete an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Cornell University in New York. She joined our practice in 2001. Dr Blackburn's son John works in Alaska, daughter Lorelei attends college in California and daughter Rosalie attends high school. Her hobbies are dancing, kayaking, gardening and caring for her senior cat, Georgia.
	Maggie Tiffany, DVM Dr. Tiffany graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Sociology in 1976 then went on to the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine which she graduated from in 1984. After graduating, she worked in several clinics around the Twin Cities before becoming an associate veterinarian with Golden Valley Animal Hospital in 1993. Dr. Tiffany shares her home with her husband, Phil, her dog, Angus and her cats, Minnie, Bertha and 8-Ball. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, walking, gardening, music and travel.
	Jessie Syrdal, CVT Jessie is a 2005 graduate of the Minnesota School of Business. Before going into the veterinary field, she was in the army reserve. Jessie enjoys many activities including playing on softball and dart leagues, spending time with friends and family, camping, fishing, playing with her dog, Val and her cat, Cinder.
	Kate Bell, CVT Kate is a graduate of the Veterinary Technology program at Minnesota School of Business. She currently shares her home with her boyfriend Brandon and her cat, Chevy. She also plans on adding a puppy to the mix, soon! When she’s not spending time with her cat, she enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, going on walks, camping and fishing.
	Stephanie Clark, CVT Stephanie is the manager of our Greenbrier location and is a 1998 graduate of MIM (Medical Institute of Minnesota). She currently shares her home with two cats, Billy and Victor, Quaker Parakeet, Rubix and Green Cheek Conure Abu. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, going to concerts, cross-stitching, scrap-booking and quilting.
	Katie Kleinart, CVT Katie is a graduate of the Veterinary Technology program at Argosy University. She shares her home with her boyfriend Dan, their dogs “Otis” and "Bosley", and cats “Izabel” and “Milo”. In her spare time she enjoys hanging out with her friends and her crazy animals and catching up on sleep.
	Danielle Rief, CVT Danielle graduated from Argosy University in January of 2009 with her Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology. She currently lives at home with her parents, dogs, “Dakota”, “Kacie” and "Hydro", and her puffer fish, “Puff Daddy”. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching movies, listening to music, and relaxing.
	Jules Brown, CVT Jules is the manager of our Brookview location and is a 1997 graduate of MIM. She was certified as a Veterinary Dental Technician in August of 2002. Jules’ interests include biking, weight training, kickboxing, dancing, movies and reading. Jules unwinds from her days at the hospital by cuddling with her cats, Solomon and Sophia and her dog, Maggie.
	Patty Griese, VT Patty has been a Veterinary Technician since 1985. Through the years, she has been the Vice President for a humane society and fostered many animals. She currently shares her home with her husband and two children as well as her two dogs, "Frodo" and "Rosie" and her cats; "Black Bart," "Gurgi," "Mario," "Oliver," "Pecos Pete," "Raja," and " Seabiscuit." In her spare time, Patty enjoys antiquing, fishing and walking with the dogs.
	Christina Rubio, VT Christina attended school at Minnesota School of Business where she received her Associates degree in Veterinary Technology. When not working, she spends her free time taking care of her animals and spending time with her family. Currently she has 2 dogs, “Chopper” and “Punky”, a Manx cat, “Mr. Bojangles”, 2 chinchillas, “Vash” and “Trin”, a red tail boa, “Sid.”
	Bethany Johnson, Veterinary Assistant Bethany is currently a student at the University of St. Thomas and is majoring in Neuroscience. She is undecided in her career choice, but is considering Veterinary school. Bethany doesn't currently have any pets of her own, but frequently fosters animals through the Animal Humane Society and volunteers at the avian nursery in the Wildlife rehab center to help her get her animal fix. When she's not caring for your pets, she can also be seen volunteering with the We Can Ride program, a horseback riding therapy program for people with disabilities.
	Amber Jones Veterinary Assistant Amber is currently a student at the University of Minnesota where she is majoring in Animal Science with a Pre-Vet emphasis. With her degree, she hopes to go on to the Veterinary School at the U of M. She has previously worked with research monkeys at the U of M, volunteered at animal shelters and worked with VIDA (Volunteers for Intercultural & Definitive Adventures) in Costa Rica to help spay, neuter and vaccinate animals in their communities. Amber recently gve her cat, Hazel a puppy playmate; a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Cal. She also shares her home with a fish named Gupta. In her free time, she likes playing softball, spending time in the great outdoors, reading, watching movies and watching her favorite teams, the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Twins play.
	Diana Opitz, Veterinary Assistant Diana joined our staff as a kennel assistant and has since been trained as a veterinary assistant. She recently graduated from St. Cloud State University with a BS in Environmental Science. She is currently working full time for a local environmental agency, but you can catch her here on the weekends. Her menagerie includes two cats, Jinx and Tiddlypoo and her dog, Nyla. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer and snowboarding.
	Ajerae Fitzgerald, Veterinary Assistant Ajerae is currently in college taking pre-vet courses. Her long-term goal as a veterinarian would be work with large marine mammals. Her interest in animals started at an early age and she has previously worked at a horse riding stable. Her current animal family includes her Pit Bull, Diamond, cat, Maximus, two snakes, Rello and TicTac Exclusive and her two horses, Tazz and Beaubo who is also an ex-racehorse. When she’s not studying or working with her many animals, she can be found dancing, boxing at the gym, working on cars, traveling and scuba diving.
	Madison Johnson, Veterinary Assistant Madison is currently a biology major at the University of Minnesota and plans on going on to vet school. She currently shares her home with her two rats, Penny and Nala and is hoping to get a dog sometime in the near future. She enjoys reading, volunteering, hanging out with her friends and family, and relaxing at her cabin in her free time.
	Emily Kundert, Veterinary Assistant Emily is currently a student at Argosy University studying to become a Veterinary Technician. Her long-term goals would be to work with zoo animals and other wildlife. Emily enjoys playing volleyball, camping, spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephews and volunteering for animal shelters and the wildlife rehab center. When she’s got free-time from work, studying and her other activities, she spends time at home with her two cats, Lucy and O’Malley.
	Marissa Duffy, Receptionist Marissa is a University of Minnesota graduate with a degree in political science. She hopes to work in the social services sector helping those in need. Ideally, she'd love to combine this work with her life-long passion for animals. When not busy with school or work, she loves baking, reading, enjoying the outdoors, and being with her friends and family. She has two adorable cats, “Chuck” and “Olive”, and someday hopes to add a dog or two to the mix.
	Ike, Greenbrier Mascot Ike is a very senior cat who used to live with Dr. Goldblatt, but now calls Greenbrier his home. He is very opinionated and either demands a lot of attention or swats away any attempt at petting. He and Trixie often “fight” over the best cat beds, but can also occasionally be seen grooming one another. He is convinced the entire clinic belongs to him and can often be found wandering into exam rooms regardless of who is in them!
	Dora — Brookview Mascot Dora came to our clinic after being found as a stray covered in ticks and near death. After nursing her back to health, she has become a fixture at the hospital. Dora enjoys laying in the middle of walkways, annoying dogs, stealing food and napping. While she is very happy here, she is always searching for a nice home to call her own.
	Trixie — Greenbrier Mascot Trixie is an 11-year-old shorthaired orange and white tabby. She came to our Greenbrier office after her dad could no longer tolerate a behavior problem. She enjoys greeting clients so she can get extra attention, napping in the sun, eating, getting into trouble and belly rubs. Her nicknames include Trixie-doodle, Trixie-Dixie and Fat Girl. She has a bit of weight problem, so she’s on a special diet to control it. She can often be found napping in the front window and will gladly come over to the reception counter for some pets!
	Emmet — Greenbrier Greeter Emmet is a Yellow-Naped Amazon parrot. He has lived at Greenbrier for the last 15 years or so where many of you have gotten to meet him. He occasionally greets our clients with a friendly, “Hello,” or “Hi, come on in”. Emmet enjoys watching all the action, playing with his toys, and biting fingers that get too close. He has too many nicknames to mention. When you stop in, say hello, and you may be lucky enough to hear him talk back!