Ellie Wattles, DVM

President & Broker

“Stepping into private practice is not without its challenges– but new owners of veterinary practices can take comfort in the fact that the odds of success are greatly in their favor.”

From: The Right Stuff: Making the Transition from Associate to Practice Owner

VETERINARY PRACTICE BROKER & PRACTICE TRANSITION SPECIALIST


EXPERIENCE

  • Transition specialist for veterinary practices and hospitals from 1992 to present, acting as an agent or consultant in over 462 acquisitions and transfers.
  • Personally brokered the sale of over 291 veterinary practices and associated real estate.
  • Negotiated, prepared, and completed over 280 successful loan packages through various commercial lenders and the Small Business Administration’s lender programs.
  • Personally visited over 700 different practices.
  • Small and large animal practitioner in private practice from 1968 to 1972.
  • Small animal practitioner in private practice from 1972 to 1997.
  • Small animal practitioner in private practice from 2002 to 2005.
  • Purchased, leased, exchanged, sold, and financed greater than 31 personally owned residential and commercial properties from 1974 to the present.
  • Leased small animal and equine practice in Spring Valley, California from 1973 to 1975.
  • Built a small animal practice in Rancho San Diego, California in 1975.  Sold practice in 1978.
  • Veterinary Medical Director at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA 1979
  • Worked in several separate practices as an independent contractor from 1978 to 1980.
  • Purchased an established practice in Carlsbad, California in 1980 and sold the practice in 1997.
  • Purchased an established small animal practice in Fillmore in 2002 and sold the practice in 2005.
  • Hospital administrator of El Camino Veterinary Hospital, Carlsbad, CA from 1980 to 1997.
  • Purchased national veterinary practice brokerage franchise on June 1, 1992.
  • Established Pacific Professionals, Inc., a licensed real estate brokerage firm and California Corporation that brokers and appraises veterinary practices, February 2, 1994.
  • President and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Professionals, Inc.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

  • Licensed and Accredited Veterinarian, State of California
  • Licensed Broker,  Department of Real Estate, State of California

DESIGNATED EXPERT WITNESS

  • Superior Court, Merced California, January 1994.
  • Superior Court, Chula Vista, California, February 1994.

SPEAKER AND AUTHOR

  • Annual Seminar in Practice Transitions at the Wild West Veterinary Conference, 1993 to 2006
  • The article, “The Right Stuff, Making the Transition from Associate to Owner”, Strategies for Success, Veterinary Economics, Supplement Winter 2001
  • Presentations on Practice Transitions to local veterinary medical associations 1998 to present.

MEMBERSHIP

  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • American Animal Hospital Association: Management Associate
  • Association of Veterinary Practice Management Consultants & Advisors – Charter Member
  • California Veterinary Medical Association
  • Professional Management Consultants Association
  • San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association: Board of Directors for 8 years
  • Santa Barbara-Ventura Veterinary Medical Association
  • Southern California Veterinary Medical Association

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

  • University of Arizona
    • 1962 to 1964
  • Colorado State University
    • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1968
  • Simmons and Associates, Inc. 1992 to 1994
    • An associate with Simmons and Associates, Inc., a national organization that brokers and appraises veterinary practices.
  • University of California, San Diego
    • Real Estate Law
    • Real Estate Finance
  • Mira Costa College, Oceanside, and Encinitas
    • Economics
    • Real Estate Principles
    • Real Estate Practice
    • Advanced Income Property Appraisal
  • Palomar College, San Marcos
    • Escrow
  • Ventura College
    • Real Estate Appraisal