Board of Directors

Cassie (Cassandra) Dorflinger, CVT

President

Danielle Mauri, CVT

Vice President

Danielle has always wanted to work with animals, often bringing home injured critters to take care of. Her passion for helping animals grew as she went to a vocational-agricultural high school, which set her up perfectly to earn a degree in animal science from Becker College. 

Danielle jumped into the field in emergency/referral animal hospitals where she gained a wealth of knowledge and skill. Wanting to be well-rounded, she worked in general practice to focus on anesthesia but ultimately went back to emergency/specialty. She spent four years as lead technician of the Avian & Exotics Department at Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine where she expanded her skills and knowledge to additional species. She is currently the Regional Clinical Manager at Rarebreed Veterinary Partners where her focus is on clinical staff training and development. She is RECOVER Rescuer and Low Stress Silver Certified and has a special interest in animal nutrition. 

Danielle enjoys her home with her fiancé, daughter, two stepdaughters, two dogs, two cats, and a crested gecko and loves being outside in the fresh air whenever possible. She is looking forward to serving on the CTVTA board!

Katarina Cavanagh, CVT

Corresponding Secretary

Kathy graduated from Becker College with a degree in Veterinary Technology. She joined the Central Hospital staff in 1985 as a trauma and emergency technician. She has worked in many different capacities at the hospital over the years including Head Radiology Technician. Kathy has participated for many years in community outreach programs at Central working with local schools and civic groups. She took on the role of Client Care Coordinator in 2005. In addition to her position at Central Hospital, Kathy has served as the Event Coordinator for the New Haven County Veterinary Association since it’s inception in 2008.

Melissa Finlayson, CVT

Recording Secretary

As a child Melissa always wanted to work with animals.  She attended Ledyard High Schools Agricultural Science program and thought she wanted to become a Veterinarian when she "grew up".  Upon graduation she changed her mind and went to school for Radio/audio production and graduated with a B.S. in Communications from Eastern CT State university.  Realizing this career was not for her she found a Veterinary Assistant Course at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich where she completed the program in 2011.  She started her Vet Assistant career at with the intention of becoming a licensed Veterinary Technician.  In 2017, while working for VCA she received a scholarship to attend Penn Foster College to receive an A.S. in Veterinary Technology.  she graduated from the Program during COVID in June 2021 and Passed the VTNE in November 2021.  Melissa has a passion for Nutrition and Feline Medicine, Has achieved Fear Free Elite Trained status and received a certificate in Feline Handling from the AAFP.  She currently works for Pieper Memorial hospital in the general practice setting but enjoys moonlighting in Urgent Care and playing with her 3 special cats at home.  

Rose Muolo-Carrano, CVT

Treasurer

Rose has always had a love for animals and wanted to help them in any way possible. Before joining GVH, she owned her own dog grooming business for 6 years. Rose started at Guilford Veterinary Hospital in 2000 as a veterinary technician. After becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) in 2004, she focused on patient advocacy. She climbed her way up the GVH ladder by first becoming the supervisor for the veterinary assistants in 2014, then in 2015, she was promoted to technician supervisor. Rose became increasingly interested in the challenges of management and in 2016 she was offered the position of GVH’s practice manager. In 2017, the partners of GVH nominated her for Veterinary Management Council of Connecticut Practice Manager of the Year – and she won.

Rose enjoys sharing her farm with her husband, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 horses, 2 goats and a variety of ducks and chickens. She also enjoys making jewelry and is a key member of Wesleyan Potters in Middletown. She is a founding member of the Connecticut Veterinary Technician Association and sits on their board of directors.

Julie Antonellis LVT, VTS(ECC)

Organizational Advisor

Julie Antonellis, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC) joins the CTVTA as our new Organizational Advisor. She grew up in New Hampshire and attended the Veterinary Technology program at Quinnipiac University. She graduated in 1998 with a BS in Veterinary Technology. She jumped into her passion as an emergency critical care technician right out of school. In 2001 she became a veterinary technician specialist in emergency and critical care. She loves the work that she has been able to do and embraces any opportunity to share her experiences with the veterinary community. She moved back to CT this summer after spending 19 years in Virginia. She currently works at VCA Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT as the Technician Training Manager, where she has been helping to develop their VCA VREC Vet Tech Academy. Outside of work, Julie enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and two dogs. She and her family especially love skiing, exploring the outdoors and hiking at National Parks. Julie is very excited to be a part of our membership and to have the opportunity to serve on the CTVTA board.

Erica Hayden, CVT

Membership Chair

Erica always knew she wanted to work with animals and planned on becoming a veterinarian. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2009 with bachelors in Equine Science. For the next 7 years she worked on and managed a few horse farms in Arizona, Texas, New York and Connecticut. In 2018 she graduated from Norwalk Community College with a degree in Veterinary Technology and passed the VTNE in July of 2018. She started working at Kensington Bird and Animal Hospital where she developed her passion for exotic animals. She is currently head surgery technician at KBAH and is working toward her VTS Exotic Companion Animal Clinical Practice. When she is not working, Erica is an avid hiker/backpacker. She thru hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2015. Currently she spends the majority of her time exercising her 1 year old husky mix. She has been an active member of the CTVTA since 2017 and joined the membership committee in 2020.

Brynn (Harrington) Holt, BS, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia/Analgesia)

Past President

Brynn Harrington attended Quinnipiac University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Veterinary Technology in 2004. She started her career at Tufts University in the Neurology Department, and later with the Anesthesia Department for 8 years. In 2010, Brynn obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty certification in Anesthesia and Analgesia. She is an active member of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia (AVTAA), as well as, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). In 2014 she started working at the Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine on the surgery and anesthesia teams while also using her skills in the emergency room and ICU department. Brynn has helped create the Connecticut Veterinary Technician Association (CTVTA) where she served her previous terms on the board as the president of the association.

 Member at Large: Ken Aldrich

Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine