Danielle Randall, RVT
Danielle Randall can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to work with animals.
Following high school, she wrote to veterinary clinics asking to volunteer and was hired soon after at the first clinic that accepted her as a volunteer. While in that position, she earned her RVT credential and has been a veterinary technician for 17 years.
“I feel lucky that I knew my passion at an early age,” Randall said about her desire to work with animals. “And knew that I wanted to be a technician rather than a veterinarian.”
Following technician school, Randall started her career at a general practitioner clinic, where she worked for five years before becoming a supervisor at another general practice. Her career continued to escalate with positions at a specialty hospital in the Bay Area and teaching veterinary technician students. She came to UC Davis as a supervisor in 2017 and was promoted to manager in 2021. Randall currently manages the Community Surgery, Primary Care, Behavior, Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery, and Oncology (Medical and Radiation) Services.
Managing many aspects of six services exposes Randall to far more people than she did as a supervisor in charge of the day-to-day activities of two services.
“I’m a ‘people person,’ so that’s the best part of my job,” said Randall. “I find that helping people is really fulfilling to me, be it clients or my colleagues. I think that’s why I like management so much – the relationships I get to build with everyone.”
In her manager position, Randall works with hospital leadership on operational oversight of budgets, equipment needs, staffing, and much more. She also serves on planning committees—which she enjoys—to coordinate the internal employee recognition program, plan Veterinary Technician Week celebrations, holiday parties, and other activities that enrich the lives of hospital staff members.
Even though she has less clinical roles as a manager, Randall hasn’t lost sight of the fact that UC Davis is a teaching hospital.
“I really enjoy teaching the students, as well as the opportunity the hospital provides for technicians to showcase their skills and pass them along to students,” Randall said.
As opposed to non-teaching clinics, the UC Davis veterinary hospital requires technicians to be able to verbalize what they’re doing instead of just performing the task.
“That’s an important skill to learn, and I’m proud of our technicians’ abilities to contribute to the students’ education,” said Randall. “It’s always fun to see how excited the students get when they accomplish something for the first time.”
When asked about her future, Randall was quick to celebrate where she is at currently.
“I think contentment is overlooked sometimes,” she said. “While I still strive to improve my abilities as a manager, I’m really happy with where my career is at right now.”