Nicole Nieman is the director of the Veterinary Technician program at DCTC. Nicole grew up in Stacy, Minnesota, and graduated from North Branch High School. She earned a B.S. in Computer Animation from the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 2004 and went on to earn an A.A.S. in Veterinary Technology from Argosy University. She became a certified veterinary technician (CVT) in 2006.
Nicole’s industry and teaching experience is extensive. She worked her way through school as a pet care specialist at PetSmart and later became the practice manager and lead veterinary technician at Banfield Pet Hospital in St. Paul. She taught in the Veterinary Technology program at Argosy from 2007 to 2010; she also worked as a lead data analyst at Midwest Veterinary Supply.
Before coming to DCTC, Nicole served as executive program chair for the Veterinary Technology program at Globe University. She has experience working as a surgical research technician at Surpass, Inc., a contract research organization (CRO) specializing in preclinical services for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biologics and combination products.
Nicole resides in Somerset, Wisconsin, with her fiancé, Jayson Palmer, who manages a PetSmart in Forest Lake, Minnesota, and her 10-year-old daughter, Paige, who loves four-wheeling, snowmobiling and riding her Honda scooter. The family has two chinchillas, Merry and Pippin, and a gray-and-white bunny called Thumper. When she’s not teaching or working, Nicole loves to work out on her elliptical machine. She also enjoys crocheting, woodworking, knitting and painting. She recently bought a Honda Rebel motorcycle; she wears a Star Wars helmet.
“The big thing is we are here for our students—they come first. I want to know their wants and desires as a way of making sure they are successful in their careers and assets to our industry.”
“I learn so much from interacting with my students. The people drawn to our profession have strange and strong personalities that really work well together.”
