Jeff Waite, DVM, was born and raised in Fenton, Iowa. He is a 1990 graduate of Iowa State Veterinary College, and Jeff is the fourth generation of veterinarians in his family. First, was Dr. John Turner Waite (1911), then, Dr. John Russell Waite (1946), followed by Dr. Jared Turner Waite (1964), and of course, Dr. Jeffrey Russell Waite (1990), who is also one of the co-owners of NIVS.

One of Jeff’s personal goals is to maintain a practicing Dr. Waite for 125 years – 2036 – only a few years away! A professional goal of Jeff’s is to build a veterinary practice for future generations of veterinarians to provide the best care in our community for large and small animals.

Jeff likes primarily working on feedlot and cow-calf operations, but he also enjoys working with small animals from time to time. Jeff also enjoys spending time with his family; he and his wife, Dawn, have 3 grown children, Jonathan, Joshua, and Rebecca. In his spare time, he watches sports and works with his own feedlot cattle. He also has 2 dogs at home, Hershey, and Cookie.

His favorite part about NIVS is the diversity of clients and patients. He also is proud of the continuous growth of NIVS particularly as the next generation of staff provides excellent care to pets and livestock.

Chelsey Ramirez, DVM, was raised in Sterling, Illinois, and attended The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences in 2006, and then her DVM in 2010. Chelsey is one of the co-owners of Northern Illinois Veterinary Services.

Chelsey began her veterinary career at the Milledgeville Veterinary Clinic, and then returned to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine to teach and perform clinical duties for 5 years (2012-2017). In her second stint at the University of Illinois, she also received her Masters of Veterinary Clinical Medicine in 2017.

After returning home to Northern Illinois Veterinary Services, she completed the Executive Veterinary Program (EVP) in Beef Health Management, which is an intensive 2-year program focusing on leadership and management of production outcomes, in 2018.

As a small business owner, Chelsey’s goals are to continue building the framework of Northern Illinois Veterinary Services that was well-laid by her predecessors. She wants to help ensure a privately owned veterinary clinic not only remains feasible, but also thrives, in the greater Milledgeville and Stockton communities for future generations of clients and employees.

Chelsey’s favorite part about NIVS is developing long-term relationships with clients, their animals, and members of our community. She also enjoys facilitating opportunities for community events and causes. Chelsey is humbled to work alongside her talented co-workers and enjoys watching their growth, both professionally and personally.

In her time outside of the clinic, she enjoys spending time with family and her personal pets. She has 2 dogs, Chula and Sadie, and a small flock of Katahdin sheep.

Tracy Burckhardt, DVM, was raised in Portage des Sioux, Missouri, and currently resides in Milledgeville, Illinois. She attended Truman University where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, and then went on to the University of Missouri – Columbia where she received her DVM. Tracy joined the NIVS team in September of 2004.

In her free time, she enjoys gardening, fishing, and spending time with her family and pets. Tracy has two cats, Lightning and Storm, and one dog, Piper.

Meghan Ward, DVM, grew up on a farm raising pigs, beef cattle, and some crops in Prophetstown, Illinois, and she also graduated from Prophetstown High School in 2006. Following graduation, Meghan attended St. Ambrose University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biology and Chemistry in 2010. She then attended The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2014. Meghan began her veterinary career in Taylorville before moving to the Milledgeville area to be closer to family.

Meghan’s favorite part about her job is our clients and community; the personal relationships, bonds, and support of the community helps make NIVS a unique veterinary clinic. As an active community member, Meghan is part of the Whiteside County Farm Bureau, helps with Junior Veterinary University at Sauk Valley Community College, and is also a member of the St. Ambrose University Alumni Board of Directors.

In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym, helping on the family farm, golfing, spending time with her family, and keeping up with her nephew, Stetson.

Julie Crome, DVM, grew up on a diversified farm outside of Stockton, Illinois with poultry, sheep, hogs, and purebred beef cattle that her family exhibited at local and national shows. She graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, and she has practiced in Stockton ever since.

While most of her time is currently spent in small animal medicine and surgery, her first 15 years were primarily in bovine practice, and she still enjoys assisting with ruminant cases when they come into the clinic. She also has a special interest in sheep and goat medicine in everything from herd health to breeding soundness exams and obstetrics.

Julie and her husband, Phil, have 4 children, – Rachel, Jake, Luke and Katie, and one grandchild, Logan. They have 2 dogs, – Ruby and Gin, and 2 cats, – Blindo and Doug. In their spare time, they enjoy raising and exhibiting their Oxford sheep and Toggenburg dairy goats.

Preston Cernek, DVM, was raised in Gratiot, Wisconsin on a small dairy farm. He is a

graduate of Highland Community College, UW-Platteville, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.  He began working at Northern Illinois Veterinary Services in 2021.

Preston spends most of his time working with all aspects of beef and dairy cattle, but he particularly enjoys herd health preventative medicine, bull breeding soundness examinations, feedlot consultation, and bovine pregnancy diagnosis, which includes fetal age and gender determination with ultrasound.

Preston’s wife, Megan, was raised in Elizabeth, Illinois, and the two of them have enjoyed returning to their rural roots to raise a family. Preston and Megan have two daughters, Tilly and Eleanor, and a Black Labrador named Mabel. Outside of the clinic, the Cernek family enjoys caring for their small herd of beef cattle, attending local fairs and community events, and spending time with family.

Colin Marburger, DVM, grew up in Miles, Iowa. He attended Kirkland Community College for his Associates Degree, and then Iowa State University for his Bachelor’s Degree in 2019, and DVM in 2023.

When he is not at the clinic, he will either be helping on his family’s farm with row crops and cow-calf pairs, or spending time with his family and pets. Colin is also an avid trail rider enjoys watching sports. At home, Colin has two Mini Aussies, Kota and Ursula.

His favorite part about working at NIVS is watching the staff come together to provide the best care for clients.

Delanie has been with NIVS since July of 2018. She is the lead technician at NIVS and primarily works with small animals. Delanie attended Highland Community College and graduated with an Associates of Science in 2015. After that, she attended Rockford Career College and graduated with an Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in 2017.

Delanie strives provide the best help to our veterinarians, and educate our clients to the best of her ability. Her favorite part about NIVS is working with the community, seeing familiar faces, and watching pets grow over the years.

One of Delanie’s personal goals is be the best mom to her two boys. When she is not in the clinic, she enjoys boating with her family, going on walks and bike rides with her boys, riding four wheelers, and hunting. Delanie has 2 dogs, Ruger, an Irish Setter and River, a Springer Spaniel.

Nicole joined NIVS in 2023 for her schooling internship, and was happy to stay full time after graduation! Shortly after graduating from Black Hawk College East Campus, she passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam and has been working as a large animal CVT since. Most of her time is spent assisting the large animal doctors, but she is also happy to help on the small animal side of the clinic when needed.

Nicole grew up on a commercial cow-calf farm located in Dixon, Illinois, which sprouted her passion for helping animals. Growing up, she spent the majority of her time on her family farm showing livestock and taking care of her small herd of fainting goats, which she proudly started. All of these factors influenced her career choice as a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT). She has also been heavily involved in 4-H and the Illinois Farm Bureau, which includes being on the Illinois State Livestock Ambassador Team for several years.

Her favorite animals to work with are beef mama cows and calves. She also loves assisting with spring and fall chute work as well as taking care of baby calves that need some extra help getting started.

Outside of work, Nicole loves spending time with her family & friends, her dog Bandit, baking goodies and takes any chance she gets to go on a new adventure.

Rachel joined the NIVS team in July of 2021 during her last year of veterinary technology school at Black Hawk College in Galva, Illinois. Then, she had an internship in Harrisburg, South Dakota at a mostly equine practice where she later accepted an employment offer. However, while she loved her job there, her love for her now husband and her family made her decide to return to Illinois. She rejoined the NIVS team in June of 2023. Rachel had passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam while in South Dakota making her a certified veterinary technician.

As mentioned above, Rachel attended Black Hawk College where she graduated in the spring of 2022 and earned her Associates in Applied Science. Before leaving the state for South Dakota, Rachel lived in the outskirts of Sterling, Illinois her whole life. She was homeschooled until her senior year in which she went to Sterling High School and graduated in 2019.

Her personal goal is to grow, continue to learn in her field, and contribute to the positive atmosphere. Her favorite part of being a part of the NIVS team is the family feeling in the work environment.

Rachel also has a Siberian husky named Ranger, two kitties, Loki and Spook, and two horses, Maverick and Firefly. Rachel’s hobbies include hiking, running, sewing, horseback riding, camping and fishing, and cooking.

Zoe grew up in Lanark, Illinois and attended Eastland schools. She then attended Clinton Community College before moving on to Muscatine Community College where she became a Certified Veterinary Technician.  Zoe first joined NIVS in 2020 for her veterinary technician externship, and officially joined the team shortly after that.

Zoe is a mixed animal technician and frequents both clinic locations. Although she did not grow up on a farm, one of the things she likes about NIVS is the opportunity to increase her knowledge about cattle and other large animals. That being said, her favorite part about NIVS is all of her co-workers; they are like a second family to her!

In her spare time, Zoe enjoys painting with watercolors, and hiking with her mini–Australian Shepherd, Gamma.

Valerie has been a part of the Stockton team for many years as a Veterinary Technician. Valerie attended Highland Community College, Northeast Iowa Community College, and currently attends Penn Foster where she is working towards becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Valerie has one dog, Tinsel, who is an 8-year-old Coonhound mix. Her favorite animals to work with are Dairy cows.

In her time outside of work, Valerie enjoys spending time with her family, being outside in nature, gardening, snuggling and walking her dog, and traveling to the beach.

Kaitlyn grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. Growing up, she had hunting dogs and loved to be around large animals, specifically horses.  She lived next to a summer camp where she would ride horses in the evening. She would always feed the animals and knew that she wanted to pursue a career surrounded by animals.

She was accepted into the Eastern Iowa Community College (Muscatine) Veterinary Technician program in the Class of 2024. While attending school, she became Fear Free Certified and hopes to continue this throughout her career. Kaitlyn works as mixed animal technician in both of our clinics. She loves seeing the variety of animals and meeting their friendly owners. Kaitlyn is a proud owner of 3 cats, Grey, Tiger and Callie, and 2 dogs, Rip and Cooper.

Sue has been a part of the NIVS team Since 2012. She graduated from Fulton High School and attended Hamilton Business College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her goal is to retire in the near future to spend more time with her family, specifically her grandchildren.

Sue has been married to her husband, Larry, for 38 years. Together they have a son, John (Amy), and a daughter, Samantha (Josh). John and Amy have 2 girls, and Samantha and Josh have 2 children as well.

At home, Sue has many different animals including cats, dogs, and cattle. Her favorite animals to work with are yellow and chocolate labrador retrievers, and bottle calves. When her children were young, they showed in 4-H and fairs.

Sue’s favorite part about working at NIVS is seeing and talking with clients and farmers, and working with a great team. In her spare time, she enjoys checking cattle, doing farm chores and spending time with her grandchildren.

Codee has been with NIVS since July of 2020. She started as a member of the large animal customer care team and has recently moved into managing clinic inventory. Codee has her Bachelor’s in Arts.

Codee is a farm wife and lives in Lanark with her husband, Lyle, her dog, Roxie, and their Angus and Simmental breeding stock. Codee and Lyle have 2 children, Austin and Alyssa who are also involved in the farm ventures.

In her spare time, Codee enjoys being a mom to her two children, baking, reading, camping, and working with the Carroll County Agricultural youth. Codee is always striving to make a difference in other people’s lives, and she is always looking at the positive side of things! Her favorite part about working for NIVS is how well everyone works together, and how community involvement is a top priority.

Lori has been a receptionist with NIVS since 2020. She was born and raised in Freeport, and she has been a Carroll County resident since 1995. Lori has 2 amazing adult children along with their significant others, a beautiful baby granddaughter, 2 special little boys, and her dog, Lincoln, that make her world go round.

Lori has always loved animals but never thought she would one day work at a vet clinic. She learns something new every day and is amazed at the talent and knowledge her coworkers have caring for every pet and/or farm animal and their owners’ needs.

Kari joined the NIVS team in September of 2023. Prior to joining the NIVS team, Kari worked at a veterinary clinic in Colorado Springs where she found her passion for veterinary medicine. Kari and her family moved back to the Northern Illinois area in the fall of 2023. Kari attended Sauk Valley Community College and currently attends Western Governors University where she is working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

At home, Kari has two black labrador retrievers, Timber and Dobby. She also has one cat, Ginger, and one bearded dragon, George. In her spare time, she is most likely running one of her four kids to sporting events and activities. She also enjoys baking, fishing, riding on the side-by-side trails with her family, and golfing with her husband, Dave.

Her favorite part about working at NIVS is that everyone is always willing to help in any situation. She has also learned a lot since starting here as the doctors are always willing to answer any question that she throws at them.

Lakin joined the NIVS team in 2023. While she primarily works out of the Stockton location, she spends time in Milledgeville too. She was raised on a dairy farm in between Savanna and Mt. Carroll, and Lakin has 35 dairy cows and calves at her home farm. She also has 2 dogs, Ivy and Daisy.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading on the deck, spending time with her family, being outside, and baking – mainly bread & cookies. Lakin is also currently studying accounting at Highland Community College.

Lakin’s favorite part about working at NIVS is that everyone is always willing to help when needed. The doctors are also always willing to answer questions about all kinds of animals.

Courtney joined the NIVS team in 2022. She started as a small animal receptionist and now mostly handles large animal and inventory tasks in Stockton. However, Courtney helps throughout the clinic wherever she is needed.

Courtney was raised in the Stockton area and graduated from Stockton High School. She attended Highland Community College and graduated with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education.  Helping little ones learn and being around animals has always been a passion of hers.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending her time with her family and friends, which include her son, husband, and 3 dogs – English coonhound, black lab, and a hound mix.

Courtney’s favorite part about working for NIVS is everyone’s willingness to lend a helping hand and how the doctors are always willing to explain things.

Maddie works as a veterinary assistant, and also as a part of our client care team. She was raised in Sterling, Illinois, and graduated from Iowa State University on the Dean’s List with a Bachelor’s in Animal Science. Roll Clones!

In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and family. She also has a German Shorthair Pointer, Ellie. Maddie enjoys working with large and small animals.

Maddie loves working at NIVS because of the great team atmosphere and continual support from her colleagues.

Kylie works as a veterinary assistant, and as a member of our client care team. She attended the University of Findlay where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science, Majored in Animal Science with Pre-Veterinary Emphasis, and Chemistry and Biology minors in 2024. She plans to start a Master’s Degree, focused on Beef production and environmental management, in the Spring of 2025. After she completes her Master’s Degree, she plans to work on Veterinary School admission and hopes to practice large animal medicine in a rural area.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, Colton, spending time on the lake with friends, and learning new things. Kylie and her family also have 35 BueLingo Cow Calf Pairs where she resides in Stockton, Illinois. She is also the Secretary/Treasurer for the Midwest BueLingo Cattle Association.

Kylie’s favorite part about working at NIVS is learning about veterinary medicine from so many perspectives and furthering her passion for helping those around her.

Jim joined the NIVS team in 2024 as a bookkeeper. Jim grew up and lives in Clinton, Iowa, and he received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa in 1998. At this point in Jim’s career, he is gearing up for retirement as he has done pretty much everything that he set out to do in life!

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his children and traveling. He considers himself a sports enthusiast; he plays and watches a variety of sports, but he mostly enjoys playing softball and bowling.

Kylie grew up in Sterling, Illinois and now lives in Fulton with her family. Kylie joined NIVS in 2022 and started as a veterinary assistant. Recently, she moved into an administrative role. Kylie’s goal is to advocate for all staff to help them love working at NIVS. Kylie enjoys that each day at NIVS is a new adventure, and that the team is like a tight knit family.

Kylie has 3 dogs, Hank, Oliver, and Angus, and a lot of farm critters. Her favorite thing to do outside of work is spend time with her family at home or travelling. Kylie and her family enjoy going to different zoos, and taking trips to Disney World.