Dr. Michele Drake wanted to be a veterinarian since she was a little girl. She had Schnauzers while growing up and loved all animals. Dr. Drake grew up in the Midwest and attended the University of Missouri for both undergrad and veterinary college. She moved to California right out of college because of her love for the outdoors. After practicing for a few years, she realized that to offer the level of care and service she desired, she would need to open her own hospital. At age 27, Dr. Drake purchased her first hospital in Encinitas, California in 1992. She has always had a great passion for providing the very best care – the level of care she wanted for her own pets. She also had a passion for providing the best service to her clients – the service level she would appreciate and expect for herself. Dr. Michele Drake is a leading progressive voice in the veterinary industry and a top-performing veterinary practice owner. The Drake Center is a 10-doctor, 50-employee practice that consistently outperforms competitors and industry averages because of Dr. Drake's passion for embracing change and implementing new technologies. Dr. Drake considers the fact that her employees enjoy coming to work to be one of her greatest achievements. She is passionate about having a strong culture. Dr. Drake has been part of community leadership through the YMCA board for many years. She has served on committees and advisory boards for the University of California, AAHA, Elanco (Novartis), and others. She has also been in multiple national leadership positions in veterinary medicine. She currently lectures throughout the US to help other veterinarians learn how to run a veterinary hospital with a strong culture and mission. Dr. Drake also serves as the Chief Veterinary Officer for GeniusVets, the highest- performing digital marketing company in the veterinary industry.