Her Story
About Allison
Allison Recancoj, She/Her, is a veterinary medicine and animal health professional based in the Greater Madison Area with extensive experience spanning clinical practice, laboratory animal science, and veterinary operations leadership. She has dedicated her career to advancing animal welfare and clinical excellence, building a strong foundation in both hands-on veterinary care and team development. Her professional journey reflects a consistent commitment to high-quality patient care, operational improvement, and leadership within fast-paced veterinary environments. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences with a minor in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis. During her time at UC Davis, she developed a strong academic foundation in animal biology, ecology, and veterinary science, which reinforced her long-standing passion for animal health. After graduation, she began her career at Banfield Pet Hospital, where she entered the veterinary field in a client-facing reception role and quickly advanced into a veterinary assistant position. In this capacity, she gained extensive hands-on clinical experience supporting veterinarians, assisting with diagnostics and treatments, and ensuring compassionate communication between the medical team and pet owners. Allison later joined Pet Care Animal Hospital, where she expanded her scope of responsibility to include both clinical support and operational management. Alongside her veterinary assistant duties, she served as inventory manager, overseeing procurement, supply chain coordination, budgeting, and cost control. This role strengthened her understanding of the business and operational side of veterinary medicine and sparked her growing passion for leadership and process improvement within clinical environments. Most recently, Allison spent over two and a half years at Labcorp Early Drug Development within veterinary operations, where she advanced to the role of Team Lead Veterinary Technician of Veterinary Operations. In this leadership position, she manages and mentors a team of veterinary technicians while overseeing training programs, onboarding systems, and workflow improvements that enhance both efficiency and quality of care. Her technical responsibilities include triaging complex cases, administering medications, performing surgical procedures, monitoring anesthesia and vital signs, conducting dental cleanings and extractions, and supporting a wide range of diagnostic and laboratory procedures in compliance with SOPs, GLP standards, USDA regulations, and AAALAC guidelines. She thrives in dynamic, unpredictable clinical settings where critical thinking, precision, and adaptability are essential. Allison is especially passionate about leadership in veterinary medicine and remains committed to advancing both animal welfare and team development throughout her career.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Allison
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
This field is certainly tough, difficult, and challenging. I knew it myself going into the field, and have had so many times where I thought I was done, or even leaving the field. But I pushed through and kept powering forward, because there's a reason why I chose this path, and I have that innate desire to contribute and help animals in need. Yes, someone else will be there to help our patients, but wouldn't you want to be a part of that journey? A challenging journey, but in the end, the most fulfilling, satisfying thing I could ever do, and it gives me that sense of purpose. I'm contributing to society, dedicating these positive contributions to the world, and saving even just one animal life every single day- it just makes it all worth it. Continue to push through, break down the barriers, no matter what anyone tells you. When you feel that fulfillment and success, it'll just make your journey worth it.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There are so many challenges I’ve faced within both Veterinary Medicine and Laboratory Research. Being a woman in vet med is great because it is more of a woman-dominated industry, but unfortunately I do not experience that consistently or on the laboratory research side. I received questioning, such as “do you even deserve to be here?” I actually had people tell me that I did not deserve my accomplishments and positions, and perpetually tried to pull me down. I was also often always the youngest one in the room- but I’m in the room. I started my leadership journey when I was very young, so I've always had a head start, which is why I tend to be the youngest one. I'm also Hispanic, and as a Latina in Wisconsin, I face lots of inequality and doubt is constantly placed onto me. Being a woman, a young woman, and Latina- Some don't think I have what it takes, or that I don't deserve the opportunities that I’ve earned. I think the most important thing to recognize is that there's a reason why I'm so successful in my career at such a young age. Even with all of these challenges of being from several minorities, or just people not agreeing with my status, it speaks in itself that I am there alongside leaders. I'm not going to let that bring me down at all, because my goal in the end is to empower teams, support and collaborate with my team, and lead the future for quality veterinary medicine and animal health.
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