Meet Our Team

We are pleased to introduce our team of dedicated, qualified and compassionate individuals who provide excellent customer service along with exceptional pet care.

Matthew Miller, DVM

began practicing in 2007.  After working as an associate, Dr. Miller purchased Uzarski Veterinary Hospital, creating Whispering Pines Veterinary Services in 2009.  Dr. Miller earned his Veterinary degree from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.   Professionally, he gains satisfaction by helping a patient recover from a serious illness.  Dr. Miller lives in Lawrence County with his wife and four children.  When away from the office he enjoys working with the kids on his hobby farm and golfing.  

HEIDI BURRY, VMD

has been an associate veterinarian with Whispering Pines since 2012, when they opened the Grove City location.  After earning her degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000, Dr. Burry has been a practicing veterinarian treating both farm animals in the past and companion animals currently.  Her professional interests include ophthalmology, soft tissue surgery, feline medicine and infectious/zoonotic diseases.  Dr. Burry resides in a nearby community along with her husband and mischievous orange tabby cat, Sidney.  She is active in her church, enjoys reading, traveling, cooking with her husband, watching the Pittsburgh Penguins and wine-making.

Gerald Uzarski, VMD

is an associate veterinarian with Whispering Pines.  Dr. Uzarski obtained his undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University and his degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Uzarski opened his own practice in 1971, caring for both large and small animals.  Eventually, he limited his practice to small animals only.  In 2009, Dr. Uzarski sold his practice to Dr. Matthew Miller and has remained on staff working part time.  Dr. Uzarski and his wife of 50 years, Janice, have three married children and 9 grandchildren. Dr. Uzarski enjoys hunting, camping and attending his grandchildren’s sporting events.

Celeste Blumerich, DVM, MS

joined the Whispering Pines team in November 2016 as an associate veterinarian. Dr. Celeste received her veterinary degree from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 and her Masters Degree  in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences from Virginia Tech in 2012.  She has lived in Mercer County for the past 7 years and shares her home with two dogs, two cats and a parrot.

Carrie Miller

has been with Whispering Pines from the start.  She enjoys doing the bookkeeping and helping with whatever needs to be done on a daily basis.  Carrie’s favorite part of working at Whispering Pines is helping people keep their pets healthy in order to live long and happy lives.  Carrie lives in Lawrence County with her husband and four children.  She loves reading a good book and having fun with her children.

Karen Anderson,  Practice Manager

joined our Whispering Pines family in 2016.  Karen brings 25 years of management experience to our practice and has a deep love for animals.  She lives in Mercer County along with her daughter, her Mastiff, Apollo and Shepherd mix, Mr. T.  Karen enjoys volunteering, kayaking, reading and spending time with her family and friends.

Jackie Curtis, CVT

has been with Whispering Pines since they opened the Grove City location in 2012.  Jackie has been working with animals for 17 years and graduated from the Median School of Allied Health Careers in 2004. Jackie is an avid cat person and enjoys working with our feline patients. She shares her home with two handsome orange boys.

ASHLEY SURRENA, Veterinary Assistant

joined the Whispering Pines Greenville office in July of 2015.  In 2011, Ashley graduated from the Great Lakes Institute of Technology for Veterinary Assistants and began her career working with small animals. Ashley lives in Mercer County and shares her home with her two dogs, Oliver and Casey and a cat, Star.  She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, fishing, kayaking, hiking, camping and traveling.

Mara Vermillion, Veterinary Technician

joined the Whispering Pine team in January of 2019.  Mara earned her Associate of Veterinary Technology from Vet Tech Institute in March 2018.  Mara has been around animals most of her life. Being allergic to dogs and cats has been challenging but it hasn’t stopped her from caring for them! As a veterinary technician, she has the ability to make a difference by improving the life of our patients by educating pet owners and showing overall love for all types of animals. Mara currently shares her home with her boyfriend and 5 cats, who rule the house. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with close friends and binge watching Law & Order.

Shannon Thompson, CVT

has been with Whispering Pines since February 2016.  From a young age, Shannon knew she wanted a profession in the animal health care field.  In 2007, she graduated from the Vet Tech Institute as a licensed veterinary technician.  Shannon resides in Mercer County with her two beautiful children, three dogs, two cats and five chickens.

Samantha Weber, Veterinary Technician

is a new addition to the Whispering Pines team. Samantha is a 2018 graduate of the Vet Tech Institute of Pittsburgh.  Sam quickly began her career working with small animals.  She lives in Mercer County on her family's diary farm where she grew up learning from an early age how to properly care for animals of all sizes.  In her spare time, she enjoys showing diary cows, kayaking, spending time with her friends and working on the farm.

CHELSEA Bacon, CVT

joined the Whispering Pines Greenville office in July of 2012.  In 2012, Chelsea graduated from the Vet Tech Institute and began her career as a licensed veterinary technician.  Chelsea resides in Mercer County and shares her home with her two dogs, Waylon and Jessi. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, kayaking, attending concerts and mud bogs.