Our Support Team | Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center

Jody Frankian, Office Manager

Jody was born in Ohio and graduated from Villanova in Pennsylvania. While she has lived all over the country, Overland Park has been home since 1983. She enjoys working with people and pets, so working at a veterinary clinic was a natural fit. She spent 8 years at a local veterinary practice before joining Mariposa Veterinary Center in June 2009. Hobbies include following college basketball (especially the Jayhawks) and hanging out with her animals.

Family: Husband, 2 children (grown), 2 dogs, 2 cats, one grand-dog and one grand-cat
Fun Fact: Taught sailing in high school and college
If she could live anywhere, it would be: San Diego

Brooke, Registered Veterinary Technician

(she/her)
Originally from Pennsylvania but has lived in the KC area for over 20 years! She’s been a member of our Mariposa family since 2016. Her family includes Dicken (terrier mix), Rudy (Boston terrier), Kal (Pembroke Welsh corgi), Batman (Dutch rabbit), and her husband, Adam. She loves baking (especially making cookies and marshmallows) and sewing.

Why She Works at a Veterinary Hospital: I took a lifetime love of animals and combined it with a passion for customer service – to provide care for pets and knowledge to owners for a lifetime of health.
Favorite movies: A Knight’s Tale
Fun Fact: I find extreme joy in nerding out over pop culture and love attending conventions in my cosplay creations!

Kristen, Registered Veterinary Technician

(she/her)
Starting her career in shelter medicine, Kristen is no stranger to touch-and-go situations and tough decisions. The skills she developed throughout her early years at Olathe Animal Shelter and Great Plains SPCA make her an invaluable piece of the Mariposa family in sad times and in good. As a registered veterinary technician, Kristen brings passion, experience and knowledge to our team. Above all is the level of compassion she feels so deeply for each of the patients she works with. At Mariposa, she enjoys working one-on-one with all kinds of animals and supporting veterinarians through diagnostics and treatment plans for the most precious pets.

When saying goodbye is the kindest option, Kristen is ready to hold your hand with unapparelled compassion. “I feel deep empathy for families in their final moments together,” Kristen says. “It is a gift to ensure they’re comfortable and to offer peace to everyone in the room.” Some shy away from this part of the job, but Kristen’s heart runs to help. “When it’s time to say goodbye, you see the purest love and trust between pets and owners. To see what they mean to one another. It’s incredibly beautiful,” she shares.

When she’s not at work, you’ll find Kristen behind the camera or paintbrush. She’s an amazingly talented artist who finds beauty and release through artistic means. For Kristen, there is no better self-care than creating something beautiful from a blank canvas. She’s a proud mom of Peachy the dog and two very handsome felines, Ollie and Mouse (RIP, Mouse–you are very missed).

Taylor, Registered Veterinary Technician

(she/her)
Taylor joined the Mariposa family in July 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. She graduated from K-State with a degree in animal science. She is interested in pursuing a career in marine biology, which is a little hard to do in Kansas, so she’s stacking her resume with a variety of hands-on experience working with animals! In her words, “I have a lot of room in my heart for animals, but not in my home. [By working at a veterinary hospital,] I can love, care for and help so many pets and their owners.” She and her husband call Shawnee home with their three dogs, Moana (a miniature schnauzer), Storm (a pit bull), and Danvers (cattledog mix).

Favorite movie: Mamma Mia!
Hobbies: Reading classics, watching old TV shows, puzzles

Cassie, Registered Veterinary Technician

(she/her)
Bio coming soon!

Natalie, Technician Assistant

(she/her)
Boasting a life-long passion for science, Natalie holds a bachelors’ degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Truman State University, but animal care is where her heart is. “I love being a technician assistant because I care a lot about those who don’t have a voice, and I want to help them anyway I can.” Joining us from a mixed animal practice in a rural area, Natalie brings experience caring for everyone from small mammals to bovine and equine patients. She has a love for learning and a desire to expand her knowledge base at every opportunity. “I’m passionate about helping and healing hurting animals,” Natalie says. “I like the opportunities I have at Mariposa to provide enhanced care to patients through a combination of eastern and western medicine.”

At home, she has three rabbits, Luna, Maui and HayHay. Misty, her rabbit who she’d had since college, passed away in 2021. Natalie also has a Quarter Horse mare named Gracie, who she’s been riding since age 14. In her spare time, Natalie and her husband love to read (they have more than a thousand titles currently in their home). She also enjoys bird watching and can proudly identify most songbirds native to the Midwest region based on their sound, a talent she picked up in high school while volunteering with Wild Bird Rehabilitation.

Even though her childhood dreams consisted of being with horses full time, Natalie believes her 10-year-old self would be impressed with her career choices leading her to Mariposa. “It’s a unique practice full of unique people dedicated to doing everything possible to achieve the best health for each pet,” she says.

Madison, Technician Assistant

(she/her)
Madison joined our team in September 2021 as a Client Service Representative, but she has been a client here at Mariposa with her dog, Mongo, since 2017. Born in California, she was raised in Overland Park, KS. When she adopted Mongo, she realized how much she wanted to be involved in helping animals heal. Another important member of her furry family is Archer the cat! She is eager to pursue schooling to become a veterinary technician. We are excited to support her in this endeavor!

Favorite movie: Practical Magic
Hobbies: Hiking and attending different music events and festivals
Fun Fact: I grew up doing musical theatre and choir.

Erin, Technician Assistant

(she/her)
Erin has always loved animals and wanted to work with them. She was a client for over a year before she decided to join the team at Mariposa after leaving the high-volume world. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and now lives near the Plaza in Brookside. She got married to her wonderful wife in September 2024 and together, they share one vocal cat named Garth Brooks, a Lynx Point Siamese, and a Frenchie named Cheeto, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in January 2025. Erin received a bachelor’s in psychology and French with a minor in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Missouri.

– Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
– Hobbies: Watching sports – especially softball (Go Mizzou!), going to concerts, traveling.
– Fun Fact: She is fluent in French and went to an immersion school (Academie Lafayette) for kindergarten-8 th Grade.

Laura, Clinic Custodian

(she/her)
Laura, a Kansas native, grew up in a lively household filled with animals, fostering her deep love for all creatures. She has always felt a profound connection to nature, the moon and stars, and the animal kingdom—a passion she now shares with her two boys.

Laura attended Kansas State University, where she studied dance theater education and graphic arts. She is also a holistic licensed massage therapist, having built a meaningful practice over the years. She has a passion for Traditional Chinese medical massage and energy balancing. Currently, she is studying therapeutic equine and animal massage and is excited to bring her healing touch and experience into the animal world.

Why you work at a veterinary hospital: My heart expands being in the presence of animals. Growing up with a variety of pets, I developed a deep appreciation for the bond between humans and animals, and this role allows me to be part of a team that nurtures and supports that connection.
Family and pets: I have two AMAZING boys, Anson and Orion. Our “soul doggie” June, a flock of parakeets, 3 cockatiels, and a leopard gecko named Bruni.
Favorite movie: It’s a tie for Singing in the Rain and Coco
Hobbies: Singing, dancing, reading books about spirituality and psychology.
Fun fact: I used to teach dance and my sister’s and I still regularly tap dance together!

Emery, Clinic Custodian

(he/they)
Emery is from Belton, Missouri. He works at Mariposa because he loves animals and enjoys working with them. Emery shares his home with three kitties. A fun fact about Emery is that he works as a vendor and performer at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. He has many hobbies that include LARPing, cosplay, Dungeons and Dragons, hiking/camping, painting, and horseback riding.

– Favorite Movie: Lord of the Rings

Allister, Veterinary Assistant

(He/Him)
Allister moved to Phoenix, Arizona from Layham, England in 2011, and graduated from Desert Vista High School in 2015. Allister has an unparalleled compassion for helping all animals and wants to focus his career on helping animals live happier, healthier lives. He plans on going to school to become a Registered Veterinary Technician when the time is right. When Allister isn’t working, he loves to spend time with his wife, Amalee. His favorite movie is a French movie called The Intouchables. Together, he and Amalee have four pets: two cats (Glitter and Mochi) and two snakes (Noodle and Bailey). Allister enjoys fishing, golfing, video games and watching rugby/soccer in his free time.

Annette, Client Service Representative

(she/her)
Annette is our “Jack of all trades”! Since 2014, she has served as our resident caregiver, safety instructor, knower-of-all-things and a client service representative. After 33 years in public safety service as a paramedic with the fire department and EMS, she retired and found a new passion in veterinary medicine.

“I like the theory and processes behind holistic medicine,” Annette shares. “I was drawn to Mariposa because I wanted to further my education and understanding of holistic care for animals.” Among her many duties at Mariposa, Annette ensures we’re up to date on OSHA protocol, she manages our Chinese herbal pharmacy, and ensures vaccine and health certificate documentation are appropriately managed for our clients.

With a focus on life-long learning, Annette regularly attends continuing education courses in veterinary medicine, search and rescue, emergency care for working canines, and she maintains her paramedic license. When she’s not a Mariposa, you’ll find Annette training dogs for disaster recovery and tracking on land and water. She began training in search and rescue in 1998. Her experiences include responding to the Kansas Turnpike flood of 2003, the EF5 tornado that hit Greensburg, KS, in 2007, and police investigations. Since 2000, she has been an official trainer and evaluator for the National Association for Search and Rescue. In 2006, she became lead evaluator for all K9 certifications. She’s presently the head trainer and a board member for MidWest Hundesport Association. Past canine partners include Bullet, Greta, and her beloved Jaeger Meister. Jaeger Meister, who passed away in 2019 at nearly 13 years of age, was the very first canine in the U.S. to obtain a search and rescue title through the United Schutzhund Club of America (USCA). Somehow, Annette also finds time to crochet, garden, craft, cook, teach private canine obedience lessons, and spend time outdoors hiking and fishing. She currently has two German shepherds, Enye and Jaska.

Julia, Client Service Representative

(she/her)
Julia moved to the Overland Park area from Utah in ’94 and has been here ever since! She is the proud mom of aTHORable (Newfoundland), Mabel (Bernese Mountain dog), Mhya (German Shepherd–RIP), and Maxwell (Bernese Mountain dog–RIP). “There is nothing on earth I’m more passionate about than animals and the bonds they have with their humans. I’m also very much into alternative wellness, so I knew Mariposa was the perfect place for me!”

Favorite Movie: Legends of the Fall; A River Runs Through It
Hobbies: Running daily with my dogs, yoga, rock hounding, making handcrafted jewelry with crystals and stones.
Fun Fact: My second lifelong passion is ballet–I started dancing when I was 21 months old.

Robin, Client Service Representative

(she/they)
“At Mariposa, I’ve found a family I didn’t know I had,” Robin says. “This is a place where everyone feels welcomed, included, at home; I was drawn to the energy here before I even started,” she shares. As one of our friendly customer service representatives, Robin brings a heart full of joy and many laughs to Mariposa.

Although, as a child, she wanted nothing more than to star on Broadway, Robin’s daily enthusiasm and compassion make the Mariposa team and our clients very happy that this KC native stayed right here in the Midwest. Robin boasts years of customer service experience from multiple sources and she doesn’t shy away from any animal or owner who enters our doors. She’s fluent in American Sign Language and enjoys using her skills when applicable at work. At home, she lives with a variety of pets ranging from dogs to fish, snakes, rats and hamsters as well as several human children. Throughout the fall, you’ll find Robin entertaining her other love, theatre, playing the role of a chess piece at the Renaissance Festival in the Chess Match.

Star, Client Service Representative

(she/her)
Star was born and raised on the beach in Southern California. She moved to Kansas City forty years ago and loves it here! As an energy worker and reiki master, using her gifts to bring comfort and ease to stressed pets and their parents brings her so much joy. Star has three tiny house lions: Thor, Bella and Captain America, aka Cappie. She has many hobbies including cooking, movies, collecting crystals, sound healing, and is currently working on creating a podcast.

– Favorite Movie: Simply Irresistible
– Fun Fact: She lived in Norway for four years during her childhood.

Claudia, Client Service Representative

(she/her)
Claudia grew up in Basehor, Kansas and moved to New York City in 2016 for college. She moved back to Kansas City in December of 2023 and has been enjoying her time back home. Claudia is a proud mother to her feline child, Bellatrix, who is a tuxedo cat with the lungs of an opera singer. She also takes pride in being an Auntie and Best Friend to her niece and nephew.

Claudia said she likes working at Mariposa because of the coworkers that she now gets to call friends. “Everyone has been so welcoming, and they bring so much joy to the workplace and my life!”

– Favorite Movie: The First Wives Club
– Hobbies: Singing or anything involving music, painting using acrylic on canvas, collecting vinyl.
– Fun Fact: Claudia has worked in four different Broadway theatres.

Cam, Client Service Represent

(they/them)
Cam grew up in Archie, Missouri and now lives in Kansas City, Missouri. They share their home with their cat, Patrick String Cheese Star I, and have a lot of chosen family in and out of state.
Cam absolutely loves being around animals and finds great fulfillment in helping clients navigate the chapters of pet ownership. Something you may not know about Cam is when they were 14, they started writing music. In 2019, they were able to premier one of their arrangements in southern France.

– Favorite Movie: Castle in the Sky
– Hobbies: Cooking, video games, music and going antiquing.

Princess Ariel, Patient Care Supervisor

Ariel performs the important role of distracting patients during examination, blood draws and other procedures, which makes our jobs easier and provides stress relief for our patients! She also keeps tabs on everyone during the work day. Ariel is often seen supervising our technicians and ensuring things are in order. In her spare time, she naps on warm laundry and searches for things to bat around the clinic floor.

Nickname: Princess

Fun Fact: She’s allergic to fish, and we can tell when she’s had some because her ears turn red.

Hobbies: Chewing on plants and assisting our patients in need (she always knows when she’s needed).

Sparrow, Clinic-Cat-in-Training

Sparrow officially joined the Mariposa family in October 2021. She had a rough start as a kitten, but thanks to the dedicated care of Sue (one of our talented RVTs), she was nursed back to health and is now a thriving, confident, friendly, playful young cat!

Sherlock, Front Door Greeter

Sherlock is an Umbrella Cockatoo who was rescued by Dr. Michelle Chappell, founder of Mariposa Veterinary Center. We estimated his hatch year to be 1966, making him an early senior in bird years. His life span could reach beyond 70+ years!
Favorite color: Purple

Fun Fact: He loves piñatas! He gets a new one every few weeks.

Dislikes: Trucks (he tends to scream when he sees them in our parking lot) and people who walk “too quickly”

In Memoriam…

In the early morning hours of December, 11, 2018, Mariposa said goodbye to our dear Captain Jack. After many wonderful years of beating the odds and surpassing his estimated life expectancy, our sweet Jack finally succumbed to a genetic heart condition. He was our cheerful greeter, biscuit maker and paper warmer, and a constant friend and comfort to all who knew him. He loved everyone he met, which got him into trouble with dogs from time-to-time. There is a Jack-shaped hole in our hearts. We will miss him always.