Advisory Board Member with Veterinary Expertise
William M. Fraser, D.V.M. graduated from John Carroll University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He then spent two years working at the Cleveland Clinic as a research assistant in hypertension studies. In 1984 Dr. Fraser graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He established Mentor Animal Hospital as a full-service animal hospital in 1988 and Brightwood Animal Hospital in 1993. In 2018 the hospitals became part of the National Veterinary Associates network.
In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Fraser has served multiple terms as the president of The Cleveland Academy of Veterinary Medicine. He has also served on the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association Pet Education Committee and Practice Management Committee. Additionally, he is a member in good standing of the American Veterinary Medical Association. He served on the board of directors of OurPet’s Company from 2007 until 2012. He has authored many pet education articles and appeared on radio, television, and internet forums to promote responsible pet care. He attends numerous continuing education seminars annually, seeking to offer clients’ pets the most current diagnostic and treatment options. Dr. Fraser strongly advocates for evidence-based medicine and pet parent education.
The Fraser menagerie includes horses, cats, rabbits and chickens, and a turtle. Pictured are Ares, a bay twelve-year-old Percheron Morgan cross, Colby, a black eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse, and our cat Leo.
Advisory Board Member with Talent Recruiting & HR Expertise
Dr.Toni Jaffe is a Human Resources executive with over 30 years of diverse experience in pet healthcare, human healthcare, education, and professional services industries. She was the former Vice President of Team Resources for Banfield Pet Hospital, the world’s largest veterinary practice, from 2002-to 2005. Dr.Jaffe obtained her Doctorate in Education in 2021 from Concordia University. Dr. Jaffe was most recently the Chief Human Resources Officer for NWEA, a leading educational services company. Dr. Jaffe’s prior roles include Sr. Vice President Human Resources for Knowledge Learning Corporation, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Medical Group, Vice President Human Resources of MedPartners & Mullikin Medical Centers, and Vice President Human Resources for Brim Healthcare.
Dr. Jaffe Ed.D is a former board member of the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, Banfield Charitable Trust, Basic Rights Oregon, Equity Foundation, and Human Rights Campaign. Dr. Jaffe is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum. Dr.Jaffe has previously served as an advisory board member for the Portland State University Executive program and Marylhurst University MBA program.
Dr. Jaffe received her Bachelor of Science in Health & Physical Education at Oregon State University, Masters of Business Administration at Marylhurst University, and recently obtained her Doctor of Education from Concordia University, Wisconsin. Dr. Jaffe is passionate about pets and people.
Dr. Jaffe is a pet parent to Violet 9,5-year-old wonder dog – a yellow lab weighing 100 pounds.
Advisory Board Member & Chairman
F. Samuel Eberts III has served as Chairman of the Advisory Board since 2021. Sam is an international legal executive with over 30 years of diverse experience in health care, consumer, and industrial services. Sam is an Operating Partner with Cord Grass Holdings, a family office private equity vehicle, and chairs the Daerter Group, an advisory and venture firm in North Carolina and New York, which he founded in 2013, working with start-ups in health care and IoT technology. Sam is also a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke University School of Law teaching Law and Business Strategy.
Sam is an independent director and chair of the compensation committee of VB Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: VBOCU), a special purpose acquisition company focused on the healthcare sector, and is a director of Duo Technologies, Inc., an innovative technology reducing greenhouse emissions and improving efficiency for transportation and energy generating systems. Sam serves on the Board of Trustees for Endicott College in Beverly, Mass, and was recently re-elected as Board Chair of Easter Seals/UCP of North Carolina and Virginia. He also serves on the advisory board for the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C, a non-partisan policy forum chartered by Congress. Sam is a member of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, one of the largest entrepreneurial networks in the United States and is an active mentor working with entrepreneurs providing practical, day-to-day professional advice and coaching.
Sam recently retired as the Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: LH). At LabCorp, Sam led the Global Corporate Affairs group, with enterprise-wide responsibility for the global Legal, Compliance, Corporate Secretary, Shareholder Services, Public Policy/GovernmentRelations, Communications, Community Affairs/Philanthropy, Privacy, and Security functions. Previously, Sam was a partner and served on the Investment Committee for MedCap Funds in Boston, Mass., an early-stage health care technology fund. He has served on the board of Alpha Marketing, a channel marketing firm, the Alamance Community College Foundation, and The world Policy Institute in New York, a non-partisan think tank for global policy analysis. Sam has also served on the Health Care Policy Leadership Council at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Corporate Governance Forum at Harvard Law School.
Mr. Eberts brings to the Board valuable insights into legal issues combined with his experience and relationships with public and private capital markets, board governance, and acquisition strategy.
Sam and his wife Angela are pet parents to their two rescue dogs, Ethel and Lucy. Ethel is a 4-year-old Golden and Chow mix, and Lucy is a 6-year-old Boxer and Staffordshire Terrier mix.
Advisory Board Member with Finance and Accounting Expertise
Chris Isaak has over 30 years of global finance and accounting experience with public company and private equity ownership structures in multiple industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and distribution.
From 2016 to 2021, Chris served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer at Centene Corporation, a Fortune 25 healthcare enterprise. His primary responsibilities included management and oversight of all accounting, tax, treasury, insurance, accounts payable, payroll, financial systems, and financial reporting functions, including the effectiveness of internal controls across the company.
Prior to joining Centene in 2016, he served as Vice President and Corporate Controller at TTM Technologies, Inc., a global leader in PCB, backplane assembly, and electro-mechanical solutions. From 2006 to 2015, his position at Viasystems Group, Inc. (acquired by TTM Technologies, Inc. in 2015) was Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer.
From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Isaak held a series of financial positions of increasing responsibility with Kellwood Company. Prior to Kellwood Company, he held positions with Arthur Andersen and KPMG for 15 years.
In addition, Mr. Isaak served on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Cathedral Basilica from 2005 to 2019 and served on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of St. Louis Equity Fund, Inc. from 2020-2021.
Mr. Isaak earned his Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Missouri.
Due to family circumstances, he currently has no pets in his household.
Advisory Board Member with Legal Expertise
Johnson & Johnson (Retired Executive)
John T. Crisan is a recently retired executive from Johnson & Johnson, serving as Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer for the company, overseeing global privacy and compliance organizations and managing J&J’s global compliance and privacy programs. The world's largest and most diversified healthcare company (over $80 billion in revenue), Johnson & Johnson is a leader in pharmaceuticals and biologics, medical devices, and consumer healthcare products. During his tenure with Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Crisan also had leadership roles supporting L&A activity in the Pharmaceutical and Consumer business sectors (both domestically and internationally), including significant experience in negotiating, structuring, and integrating businesses along with other related L&A activity.
Mr. Crisan also has served as General Counsel for the Consumer healthcare products division of Johnson & Johnson ($14 billion in revenue); as Regional Counsel for Johnson & Johnson’s Asia/Pacific operations; and as a Board member on various joint-ventures of Johnson & Johnson in China, India, Japan, and the U.S. In a private capacity, he has served at various non-profit organizations, including a recent 13-year term as a Board Member, Officer, and Chairman (for 5 years) of the Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation, a $100 million non-profit foundation that focuses on its support on children's specialized hospital and pediatric rehabilitation services, primarily for Children's Specialized Hospital (at which Mr. Crisan also served as a Board of Trustee member). He is also currently a member of the Board of International School Services, the leader in creating and supporting world-class international schools globally (based in Princeton, NJ), and a member of the Board of Visitors of Seton Hall University Law School in New Jersey. He also spent several years teaching healthcare ethics at the Rutgers University “Mini-MBA” program.
Mr. Crisan joined J&J 30 years ago from the New York City law firm of O'Sullivan Graev & Karabell (since merged into O’Melveny), where he specialized in mergers & acquisitions and venture capital. Prior to his work with O'Sullivan Graev & Karabell, he practiced with the New York City firm of Reid & Priest, where he worked on M&A and general corporate legal matters.
Mr. Crisan received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1985 and his bachelor's degree from Catholic University of America in 1982, both located in Washington, D.C. (where he was born and lived until graduation from law school), and currently resides in Naples, Florida.
Advisory Board Member with Legal Expertise
Darragh Davis is a member of Pesner, Altmiller, Melnick & DeMers (“PAMD”) in the private practice of law since February 2017. Formerly, she served as Vice-President and General Counsel of PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WOOF), a leading pet specialty retailer, from January, 2004 to February of 2017, General Counsel of VISTA Information Technologies, Inc. from January, 2001 to January, 2004, and US General Counsel of Newbridge Networks, Inc. from January, 1994 to January, 2001. Prior to her corporate positions, she was in private practice at Arent Fox (January, 1987 to January, 1994); Watt, Tieder, Killiian & Hoffar (March, 1984 to January, 1987); and Boothe, Prichard & Dudley (May, 1980 to March, 1984).
Darragh has an in-depth understanding of the pet, information technology, and construction sectors, including the legal, regulatory, and governance issues arising in many forms of business combinations. She received her J.D. From Boston University and A.B. from Stanford University. In addition, Darragh has life-long experience in the care of large and small animals, having grown up on a farm in Virginia which she manages currently.
Darragh is also a pet parent to Tatty (an 11 yr. old, 30 lb. Terrier Mix adopted in San Diego), Mack ( a 5 yr. old 50 lb. Hound adopted in Lovettsville, Virginia) and Venus and deMilo ( 9 yr. old cat litter-mates, 9 and 18 lbs, respectively, adopted in San Diego).
Founding Director
Bob Stankovic has been the Founding Director of Synergy Vet Pet since 2021. Bob has been involved with family-sponsored businesses and start-ups from 2012 to 2021. He was corporate secretary and Founding Partner for Esd Team.Inc transportation and equipment rental company for the transportation industry, he had various roles with several transportation companies from 2009-to 2018, reaching from driver to unofficial COO for various transportation companies.
His 11-year career has been with family and start-up businesses, where he built the business models from concept to a thriving and growing business. Bob has had a very strong emotional and passionate drive with Pets throughout his life, which stemmed from being saved by his dog at an early age from drowning in a river. Bob is now on a mission to help veterinary practices improve and provide exceptional care to customers and their pets.
Bob's educational background includes graduation in the field of electrical engineering. Bob enjoys hiking, airsoft, and extreme sports in his spare time.
Mr.Bob is a pet parent to Stinky Jimmy, an American Basset with almost 85 pounds of stretchy skin cuteness. Stinky Jimmy is 6.5 years old.
Advisory Board Member & Industry Expert
He previously served as an Operations Manager with PetWell Partners, LLC from 2019 to 2021 and a Field Director with Banfield from 2004 to 2009. He has also professionally worked with PetVet and PetSmart in management roles and with National Veterinary Associates in Business Development from 2009 to 2011. In his operational roles, he directed and executed business strategies across multiple veterinary units and states around culture, process, leadership development, and profitability with a strong focus around people, service, analytics, and the importance of the bond between the pet and the family.
He has also held a two-term elected Board level position from 2010 to 2014 with English Springer Rescue America, a national referral and foster care purebred placement organization and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Phil is currently a Hospital Administrator for a large General Practice in the Washington D.C. area. He earned his MBA in Health Care Systems from St. George’s University School of Graduate Studies and a bachelor’s degree in business from the College of Santa Fe.
Phil Sproat is a pet parent to English Springer Spaniels, Kinsey – Age 15, and GCH CH JJ – Age 6
JJ, Liver / White, English Springer Spaniel, Age 5
Retired Show Dog, AKC Grand Champion, Top 20 ESS 2020.
Kinsey, an English Springer Spaniel
Advisory Board Member & Field Industry Expert
She worked in private practice from 2017-2022, as Practice Manager for a single unit practice and as Director of Operations for a multi-unit practice with locations in DFW and Houston. She began her career in veterinary medicine in 2010 as an Office Manager with Banfield Pet Hospital, where she was rapidly promoted to Practice Manager and was also chosen to represent DFW in an HPO program that offered next-level training for future Field Directors.
Prior to getting into veterinary medicine, Tonya was the General Manager for a small family-owned patio furniture company from 2002-2010 that operated four locations in the DFW area. She also has experience as an insurance agent, a category manager in supply distribution, a purchasing agent with a CCTV company, a revenue supervisor in transportation, and various roles in retail.
Tonya resides in North Texas with her husband Robert, their 6-year-old Terrier mix Amari and their 2-year-old Calico Ariel. Tonya enjoys volunteering for organizations such as the American Red Cross, Humane Tomorrow, Operation Kindness, and Toys for Tots. Tonya is also a registered FEAR FREE® Certified Professional. She and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with their two grandsons.