Deirdre Haley
Deirdre Haley is a dedicated veterinary professional and emerging leader whose passion for animal care has shaped both her career and personal journey. Currently working as a veterinary assistant at MacDonald Veterinary Services, Deirdre has pursued her dream of working with animals since early childhood. In addition to her clinical role, she balances responsibilities at the front desk of Misty Harbor Resort while attending school at Plymouth State University, demonstrating a strong work ethic and commitment to building a stable and meaningful future.
What sets Deirdre apart is her natural ability to identify opportunities for growth and take initiative. Starting her career at just 18 years old, she quickly recognized inefficiencies in clinic operations and played a pivotal role in modernizing the practice. From implementing QuickBooks to transitioning the clinic from paper-based records to a fully digital system, her efforts significantly improved workflow, client experience, and overall revenue. Her leadership emerged organically, evolving from veterinary assistant to customer service lead and eventually into an unofficial practice manager role, where she contributed to hiring, operations, and strategic improvements.
Outside of her professional life, Deirdre is preparing for an exciting new chapter as she plans to marry her longtime partner, whom she credits as a constant source of support and inspiration. A lifelong animal lover, she enjoys being surrounded by pets and embracing the unpredictability that comes with veterinary care. In her free time, she can often be found helping her fiancé work on his race car—an activity she approaches with curiosity and humor. Grounded in resilience, compassion, and determination, Deirdre continues to grow both personally and professionally while staying true to the passion that first inspired her path.
• MBA
• MBA from Southern New Hampshire University
• Plymouth State University
• Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA)
• Ambition in Motion
• Guilford Police Association
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my most notable professional achievement has been the successful rebranding of our practice. During that time, I was still finishing my MBA, which I just got in November - quite an accomplishment that I'm really proud of while working full-time and dealing with all the changes we were experiencing. It was a lot, and I'm proud of my team and how we were all able to work together, formulate plans, and get it done. I never wanted the leadership role initially - I just realized areas that we could improve upon, whether it was the financial aspect or our systems. When I first started, we didn't even have a computer and everything was on paper. I implemented a computer system and noticed those areas that could improve our flow, allow us to see more clients, increase our revenue, and increase the client experience and the medicine we're able to practice. I brought those up, found ways to make it work, and modified it if those ways didn't work appropriately. Dr. McDonald, the original owner of the practice, has been my mentor for almost 16 years. He started the practice from the ground up, and he's always been there to listen or give advice, whether it's about school or even personal life issues. The whole clinic is very family-oriented, and we have that family culture. I've also had the opportunity to mentor 12 employees, and I've helped develop our review program to allow people to tell me what their goals are. During their biannual reviews, I ask what their goals are, what I can do to help them get there, and we try to help them make that five or ten-year plan and figure out ways to keep them aligned.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's okay to make mistakes. Take it as a lesson that you're learning the information, and you can make changes. You can have a plan, and two weeks into it, you can make an adjustment. It's gonna be okay. Everything is gonna be okay, and it's okay to ask for help. Help is not a bad thing, it doesn't mean that you're failing. It's okay to ask for help. Another big thing I've learned is that everybody learns a little bit differently, and the way that you need to teach them needs to change, not the way that they learn. All of our phased training programs that we've implemented here have really developed into a 'this is kind of what we want you to learn, let's figure out how you're going to absorb this information the best' approach. If one person can understand that it may seem impossible, but you can do it, then that's what I'm looking for. You're gonna have days that you're not going to want to show up, but you just have to show up. One step at a time.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The family-oriented culture at our clinic is incredibly important to me. The whole clinic is very family-oriented, and we have that family culture, which makes a huge difference when you spend so many hours a week there. I'm part of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) and participate in the Ambition in Motion program. As a clinic, we take part in the Guilford Police Association, which means a lot to me since I grew up around here, and they're a very great role model for young kids. In my personal life, I love reading, I love baking, and I'm always trying to learn something new. I've recently fallen into sourdough baking, and it's been wonderful. It's been a health benefit for my older daughter, who's had some health issues in the past, so we're trying to focus on health and wellness. It's been a nice way to offset things and include even the discard in crackers that are easier for her to digest, or give her a cookie that's not so harsh on her system. If something doesn't work, I figure out what I don't like about it and make changes - that's my approach to both baking and life.