Cindy Lalonde
Practice Administrator
Hi, my name is Cindy Lalonde, and I am the Practice Administrator at Black Mountain Veterinary Hospital. I am passionate about supporting our team and helping deliver compassionate, high-quality care to every patient and family we serve.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
My best times are spent with my family, preferably travelling somewhere in the world — I have only two Disney parks left to visit, Hong Kong and Shanghai, before I have been to them all. I also love binge-watching Star Wars and Marvel. At home I have three wonderful cats: a fat one, a lovely one, and a burly outdoor one.
Favorite Part of My Job
My favourite part of my job is effecting change and making a difference — whether that means finding ways to make services more affordable, figuring out why something isn't working, or helping a team member flourish and shine in their role. I also love the variety; every day is different, which is exactly what drew me back to veterinary medicine from human nursing.
Why I Chose This Profession
Animals have always been a huge part of my life. I grew up surrounded by chickens, goats, sheep, cows, Canada geese, turtles, rabbits, dogs, cats, owls, doves, and horses — you name it, we probably had it in our house at some point. I also had a profound interest in medicine, so the two fields merged naturally into a career I love.
Education
I earned my Animal Health Technology Diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (1997–1999), qualifying as a Registered Veterinary Technician, and later completed a Practical Nursing Diploma at NorQuest College (2002–2004). I hold a Bachelor of Health Science from Athabasca University and Thompson Rivers University (2020–2026), and I studied Business Administration at Burman University (1994–1995).
Professional Background
Over my career I have worked across diverse settings spanning small animal, exotic, avian, and wildlife care, which has strengthened both my clinical skills and my understanding of practice operations. In March 2026 I joined Black Mountain Veterinary Hospital in Kelowna as Practice Administrator, where I am excited to partner with Dr. Teresa Cook and our dedicated team to support smooth operations, strengthen our staff, pursue AAHA accreditation, and deliver high-quality care to our community. I hold the NAVC Certified Veterinary Business Leader (CVBL) designation and a Google Digital Marketing certificate.
Work History
I began my career as an Adoption Coordinator with the Edmonton SPCA before working as a Registered Veterinary Technician at Delton Veterinary Hospital (1998–2000), Fort McMurray Animal Hospital (2000–2004), and Wood Buffalo Small Animal Hospital (2004–2006). More recently I served as a Registered Veterinary Technician at Rutland Pet Hospital (2024) and as Practice Manager at Burtch Animal Hospital (2024–2026). In 2026 I joined Black Mountain Veterinary Hospital as Practice Administrator.