Our Leadership Team

He oversees and advises the management team on medical, operational and development decisions. Dr. Batten started his veterinary career in Southern Pines at Maple Lawn Animal Clinic in 1972. In 1975 he moved to Wilson, NC and founded Wilson Veterinary Hospital. In 1983, he founded Nash County Animal Hospital and in 2006 he started a referral veterinary emergency hospital in Wilson, NC (ECVETS). Dr. Batten graduated from University of Georgia Veterinary School in 1972.

He received a BBA in Management from The University of Georgia and an MBA in Finance from Wake Forest University. Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Wilson Family YMCA and lives in Wilson, NC with his wife, son, daughter and two dogs.

Dr. Bass supports our general practices, emergency hospitals, and a specialty hospital in the development of leadership and excellent communication.

Dr. Bass is a native Texan who attended Texas A&M University for undergraduate and veterinary school. After graduating with her DVM in 1998, she moved to North Carolina, where she worked as a general practice veterinarian, emergency veterinarian, medical director of a 24-hour emergency and specialty practice, and veterinary recruiter. She became a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist in 2010.

Organized veterinary medicine is something Dr. Bass is passionate about. She enjoys serving as the Immediate Past President of the NCVMA, and Chair of the NCVMA Disaster Response Committee. She is a frequent podcast guest and conference speaker on leadership and communication topics, including moral injury and critical incident debriefing.

Outside of work, Dr. Bass enjoys traveling with her husband, two sons, and three-legged Labrador mix. She is an endurance athlete, yoga instructor, and adventurous cook.

She joined the organization in 2016 and leads our HR, training, and operations teams. She is committed to developing others to reach their full potential and to supporting the delivery of the best quality of care and exceptional customer service.

Kendra has been in the HR industry since 2004, and her experience includes recruitment, employee relations, policy development, compensation, benefits, payroll, and training. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Mary Washington and her Master’s in Human Resources through Western Carolina University. She lives in Middlesex, NC with her husband and their cat and three dogs, all of whom are rescue pets.

Matt is passionate about building Vets Pets as a brand, sharing our culture, and impacting our communities.

Before joining Vets Pets, Matt spent a decade in strategic marketing for technology, healthcare, and training organizations. More recently, he was the Director of Marketing for a multi-site healthcare group.

Matt grew up in Asheville, NC, and enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and golfing. He currently lives in Apex, NC, with his wife, son, daughter, and two dogs.

He joined in 2017 as the managing veterinarian for Wake Veterinary Medical Center (formerly Wake Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care) and became a partner. He was instrumental in transforming Wake Vet from a primary and urgent care facility into a 24-hour emergency hospital, now offering specialties in Internal Medicine, Oncology, Imaging, Surgery, and Cardiology.

Together, we have also established four Oak Heart Veterinary Hospitals within Raleigh’s beltline, including South Saunders—a 24-hour emergency hospital that provides primary care, boarding, daycare, and training.

Dr. Ghneim, a UC Davis graduate with a focus in Preventive Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Ecology specializing in infectious diseases, has a diverse career encompassing clinical practice, infectious disease research, and public health management. Before joining Vets Pets, he held positions at RTI International and Care First Animal Hospitals. Dr. Ghneim and his wife, Carrie, live in Raleigh with their two children, Isadora and Simon, and their four dogs (Hex, Finneas, Juno, and Wednesday).