Our Team

Dr. Neil Powell

Neil graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. He has practiced in South Lake Tahoe for most of his career. He left Tahoe briefly due to emergency work in southern California, but decided that big city life was not for him, and returned to Tahoe, where he prefers small town relationships with his clients.

In his free time, Dr. Powell mostly enjoys spending time training and racing in triathlons as well as trail running and mountain biking. In 2015, he gained the title “IronMan”. He also enjoys skiing in the winter, and spending time at the beach with his wife April, daughter Kylie, and son Dylan.

Neil has two dogs: Silas, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and Linus, a Chihuahua. Furthermore, he also has a cat, James Tiberius Kirk(J.T.), as well as a corn snake, Mango.

In addition to general medicine and surgery, Dr. Powell has special interests in the fields of reconstructive and orthopedic surgery, ultrasound, and internal medicine. He appreciates and values the strong bonds created between pets and their families.

Dr. Rachel Szumel

Rachel Szumel graduated from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. After completing a rotating small animal internship at PetCare Veterinary Hospital in Santa Rosa in 2008, practiced in the Bay Area for 3 years, and has lived in Tahoe since 2013. In 2015, she completed a two-year program at the Academy for Dog Trainers, earning her Certificate in Training and Counseling with honors. She became a Fear Free Certified Professional in 2017, the first in South Lake Tahoe.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys taking in all that Tahoe has to offer – hiking, trail running, skiing, climbing, biking, and vegetable gardening. She shares her home with her husband Leo and their two children, Tenaya and Banner. They have rescued a Chiahuahua mix named Mamacita, who does her best to set the pace on runs and hikes.

In addition to general medicine and surgery, Dr. Szumel has special interests in behavioral medicine and training, ultrasound, as well as difficult internal medicine cases.

Zoe Hill – Licensed Veterinary Technician

Zoe Hill has worked as a licensed veterinary nurse in South Lake Tahoe for 10 years, prior to joining our team. Before living in Tahoe, Zoe worked at a specialty veterinary hospital in Sacramento, assisting in cardiology, internal medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine. She has a specific interest in challenging cases, and enjoys the process of continuously gaining knowledge and learning new skills. In her free time, Zoe tries to keep up with her young grandson in addition to hiking with her Australian Shepherd.

Hannah Johnson – Licensed Veterinary Technician

Hannah was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California. She has always had a deep love for animals and has known from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. After high school, Hannah moved to Corvallis, OR where she graduated with a B.S. degree in Animal Sciences in 2013. She then moved to Las Vegas where she attended the College of Southern Nevada, and graduated with an Associates degree in Veterinary Technology in 2015. In September of 2015, she moved to beautiful South Lake Tahoe where she enjoys snowboarding, paddle boarding, hiking, and playing with her two pups, Raegan and Yogi.

At work, Hannah most enjoys surgery and dentistry. She loves having a job that pushes her to constantly be thinking and learning. She strives to provide the most compassionate care possible for our furry friends, while developing a friendly and welcoming relationship with clients. Nothing makes her happier than a smiling face or a wagging tail!

Michele Davis – Assistant/Receptionist

Michele “Mimi” Davis has been involved in small animal medicine for over 20 years as a veterinary assistant. Her vast experience with animals has also included animal rescue, as well as working with horses and wildlife. Mimi has a strong passion for veterinary medicine, and she values the ability to develop strong relationships with clients and their pets. She prides herself in giving everyone the respect, empathy, and encouragement that they deserve. Her other interests are in aromatherapy and life coaching, which play a role at the clinic. They enable her to stay balanced and positive.

She is a proud mother of two boys and a first time grandmother! Mimi moved to South Lake Tahoe in 2012 to enjoy the incredible beauty of Tahoe and to be closer to family. She counts her blessings every day that she can live in the serenity of Lake Tahoe and do the “work” that she does!

April Powell – Office Manager/Assistant

April was born and raised in Naples, Florida, but has lived in South Lake Tahoe since 2001. In that time, she has worked as a veterinary assistant, medical assistant, and bookkeeper. She moved to South Lake Tahoe to enjoy the great outdoors and snow. April met her husband Neil Powell shortly after moving to Tahoe.

In addition to work, April tries to keep up with activities of their two children, including dance, fishing, Boy Scouts, and triathlons. It’s a full-time job keeping up with her family, but she wouldn’t change it for the world.

Mae Wyatt – Licensced Veterinary Technician

Maegan “Mae” grew up in Santa Rosa, Ca. She has lived in South Lake Tahoe since 2009, and after adopting her dog Sage, realized her passion was in animal medicine. She has been working in the medical field for 8 years and after earning a Certificate of Completion in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Veterinary Technician Program she became licensed in 2016. Most of her experience is with small animals, but wanting to branch out, she helped with the Sonoma County fires aiding hurt horses and cattle. Eventually she wants to learn about wildlife care as well. Mae recently joined Blue Lake and is excited to learn from the amazing team here and build a relationship with their wonderful clients and pets.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, swimming, and bike riding (just to name a few), and enjoys traveling- she hopes her next stop is Thailand.

Rachel Haro – Assistant

Rachel grew up in Tracy, CA through high school, when she realized she wanted to do something with animals for her career. She spent her extracurricular classes in the Agriculuture program and FFA, and she knew she wanted to be involved in the veterinary field. After high school, Rachel went straight into the Veterinary Technology program at Carrington College in Stockton, CA. Graduating with an A.S. degree in Veterinary Technological science.

In May of 2015, Rachel started work at the Stockton Animal Shelter and with the San Francisco SPCA, working in shelter medicine, high volume spay and neuter, emergency and critical care, in addition to briefly working at a private practice and emergency medicine. Rachel ended her time with the San Francisco SPCA and the Stockton animal shelter to expand her career and move to South Lake Tahoe in July 2018.

Rachel enjoys spending time with her Cattle dog mix, Kiara, and Beagle mix, Sam, including hiking and going to the beach. Rachel’s other pets include Siamese mix named Craig, a Ball Python named Boophi, and a Leopard Gecko named Nutella. In Rachel’s free time, she enjoys any activities involving the beach or ocean, live music, art, and traveling.

Karla Marroquin – Receptionist

Karla has lived in Tahoe for over 15 years. She worked as a sales coordinator prior to joining our team, and as much as she loved it, she decided she wanted to start a more fulfilling career, as she has always had a passion and love for animals. She knew BLACC would be the perfect fit.

In her free time, Karla likes to go to the beach, go on hikes, and bike rides with her family as well as keeping up with both of her daughters’ activities which include dance, soccer, and gymnastics. She also loves to spend time playing and cuddling with her two furry babies, Prince and Luna.

Bianca Ramos – Licensed Veterinary Technician

Bianca was born and raised in San Diego, Ca. She began studying visual and performing arts before realizing her long time passion for both animals and science.

She worked in the service industry as a bartender for over 10 years before returning to school. She was accepted to the San Diego Mesa College Animal Health program and graduated in 2017 with an associates in Animal Health Technology. She is eager to grow in the veterinary medical field and excited to be a part of the animal community of South Lake Tahoe.

In her free time, Bianca enjoys binge-watching TV, going to live music events, and cuddling with her 2 dogs, Baretta(Boxer mix), and Bonaparte (MinPin).

Jess Addelson – Assistant