Meet Our Team

Doctors

​​​​​​​
DR. KORYN

Dr. Koryn V. Swearingen


Owner/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine


Dr. Swearingen graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and purchased Village Veterinary Clinic in 2005. She and her husband have four kids and welcomed their first grandson in 2023! While her kids are now spread out across the Midwest, the Swearingen household is still full with a Golden Retriever named Ivy and a Flame Point Siamese cat named Jack Frost. In her spare time, Koryn loves time at the lake doing all kinds of water sports, horseback riding, hiking forest preserves with Ivy, traveling, interior decorating for friends and family, and playing with her grandson. A woman of many interests and talents!


Dr. Swearingen believes in practicing a combination of both traditional and holistic medicine. She is passionate about delivering the finest veterinary care, making sure both the owners and the animals feel comfortable and understood, and that you always feel at home when stepping into the clinic.


Dr. Swearingen’s favorite part of Village Veterinary Clinic is the culture. She feels incredibly grateful to practice medicine in the town where she raised her kids and where she continues to be surrounded by good people and friends. Dr. Swearingen feels passionately that the clients and the community are the foundation of the clinic.


Dr. Swearingen also prides herself and the clinic on always putting the animals first. She aims to connect with the animals on an emotional level to more deeply understand what they need. At the start of exams, animals are always greeted and comforted first.


To learn more about the story of Dr. Swearingen and Village Veterinary Clinic, check out OurStory.

DR. CINDY

Dr. Cindy Marks


Doctor of Veterinary Medicine


Having always known that she wanted to be a veterinarian, Dr. Cindy Marks attended the University of Illinois and earned an undergraduate degree in Biology before graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. She joined Village Veterinary Clinic in 2007 (check out OurStory to learn more). Dr. Marks and her husband have one son and one daughter. Their house is also filled with two dogs, named Ginger and Stella, as well as three cats, named Smokey, Milo, and Callie. When not at the clinic, Dr. Marks loves being a dance mom and track mom, walking her dogs, ATVing, and hiking.


Dr. Marks loves that being part of the Village Veterinary Clinic team means that she gets to practice the best medicine with the best staff. It isn’t always a walk in the part though. If there were one thing Dr. Marks would want all pet owners to know, it would be that the veterinary profession is filled with many emotions, and oftentimes, the team has to go through every emotion in a single day.


What a testament to the fact that Village Veterinary Clinic truly treats your pets as their own!

DR. JOE

Dr. Joe Armagno


Doctor of Veterinary Medicine


Dr. Joe Armagno has been practicing veterinary medicine for 30 years, graduating from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 with honors. He has been with Village Veterinary Clinic since its inception (check out OurStory). Dr. Aramagno has been married to his wife, Dana, for 30 years, and adores his Jack Russel Terrier named Zoey. In his spare time, he loves hunting, fishing, and traveling.


Dr. Armagno loves being part of our clinic’s team because of his co-workers and the fun that they have working together while still providing the finest veterinary care. If there was one thing that Dr. Armagno wished all pet owners knew, it would be that bad breath is a symptom of dental disease and should be checked out.

DR. RAQUEL

Dr. Raquel Carbajal


Doctor of Veterinary Medicine


​​​​​​​Dr. Carbajal is a 2020 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in the Champaign-Urbana area for 3 years. She was born and raised in northern Illinois and is excited to be back home and serving clients in the community as part of the VVC team. Dr. Carbajal has special interests in internal medicine, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery. She strives to provide compassionate and high-quality medical care to her patients, working together with clients to optimize the health and well-being of their pets.


Outside of the clinic, Dr. Carbajal enjoys spending time with her husband, their friends and family, and their clan of rescued pets consisting of a retired senior research beagle named Panchita, an energetic Border Collie mix named Willow, a Pug mix named Dozer, a Pomsky named Kai, and two spoiled cats, Oliver and Bandit. She enjoys fostering senior dogs for local rescues (with a soft spot for elderly beagles), kayaking, attending live music shows, and watching movies.

Administrative Staff

​​​​​
Nicole Bundy​​​​​​​

Nicole B.


Chief Operating Officer/Practice Manager


Nicole has been part of Dr. Koryn Swearingen’s team since 2000. She and her husband, Wade, have three sons that they love to cheer on in sports and spend as much time with as possible. They also have two Golden Retrievers named Charley and Brody as well as a fluffy orange cat named Brady. Nicole also loves to camp, travel, and cook!


Nicole’s favorite part of being part of the Village Veterinary Clinic team is the amazing patients and clients, but she also loves her co-workers and the laughter that fills the clinic throughout the day. One thing that she wishes all potential pet owners knew is the financial responsibility and time commitment that needs to be dedicated to a pet so that this is understood before the pet comes home so that each pet can live their best life!

Cheryl Novotny

Cheryl N.

Director of Client Service Representatives

Cheryl started as a receptionist at VVC in 2006 before coming on staff full-time. She loves working with clients and patients. She and her husband live in Hainesville, and she has two dogs named Karma and Brogan.

Veterinarian Technicians

ALIX M.

Alix M.


Veterinary Technician


Alix has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 10 years and joined Village Veterinary Clinic in 2014. When not at the clinic, she leads an active lifestyle where she loves to watch her son play sports, workout, and ride her thoroughbred horse named Copper! Alix also adores her mixed-breed dog named Mauser.


Alix loves the staff, the culture, and the family dynamic that make Village Veterinary Clinic so unique! If she could give one piece of advice to all pet owners, she would want you to know that pet insurance is so important to alleviate any potential stress of vet bills to ensure the highest quality care for your pet

EMILY M.

Nina P.


Veterinary Technician


Nina has been practicing veterinary medicine for nine years and joined our team in 2021. She has a Dachshund named Scooby Doo, a Doberman named Sylas, a horse named Eli, snakes, and a bearded dragon! Oh, and we can’t forget about her husband, Brandon! In her spare time, Nina loves horseback riding, kayaking, and hiking with her dogs.


One of Nina’s favorite parts of working at Village Veterinary Clinic is the atmosphere. She thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of her patients and their owners each day! If Nina could give one piece of advice to pet owners, it would be that mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise.

VALERIE B.

Valerie B.


Veterinary Technician


Valerie has been with Village Veterinary Clinic since 2008. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with friends and family, including her husband, son, and their Am Staff named Rexy. Valerie also loves to camp, kayak, and hike in her free time!


Valerie’s favorite part about being part of our clinic is the staff and the fun that they get to have together each day!

Allison V.

Allison V.

Veterinary Technician

Allison joined our team in 2020. She loves traveling to new places and taking care of her plants but also enjoys taking it easy while listening to Podcasts or watching sports. In addition to her plants, Allison has a full house with three pups! She has a Shiba Inu named Bear, another Shiba Inu named Tiki, and a Papillon named Tito.


Allison’s favorite part of coming to work at our clinic is having great co-workers that can always make her laugh. She also wants everyone to know that our veterinary staff cares for our clients’ pets just as we care for our own pets! ​​​​​​​

Rachel D.

Rachel D.

Veterinary Technician

Rachel has been in the veterinary field for over 6 years and joined our team in 2023. She loves to garden and care for her 100+ house plants! In addition to the care she devotes to her plants and animals, Rachel loves to spend time with her family, which includes her four cats: Korra, Azula, Stone, and Gutz. One hobby you may not guess of Rachel is that she is also interested in cars!

Rachel’s favorite part of working at Village Veterinary Clinic is her co-workers, who make the clinic exude a family energy that is absolutely undeniable. She feels this palpable energy allows clients to feel like they are part of the clinic family as well! ​​​​​​​

Veterinarian Technician Assistant

Jennifer M.

Jennifer M.

Veterinary Technician Assistant


Jennifer has been in the veterinary field for over 20 years and joined our team in 2023. In her free time, she loves to craft as well as watch her son play sports. Jennifer also has a hound mix named Rocky and a Cairn Terrier named Finn. Her two cats are named Emma and Spud!


If there’s one thing Jennifer wants you to know, it’s that the team at Village Veterinary Clinic treats our patients just as we would treat our own animals. Your animals really are family at our clinic.

Client Service Representatives

KERRY M.

Kerry M.

Client Service Representative

Kerry has been with Village Vet since 2007. She has lived in Grayslake for over 32 years. Kerry and her husband Terry have 4 kids, 2 Doodles, and a duck. Kerry loves being up front and helping the clients but also is a great helping hand for the techs in the back.

Karyn N.

Karyn N.

Client Service Representative

Karyn has been a client of Dr. Swearingen for 19 years and came on board as a part-time receptionist in July 2012. Karyn lives in Hainesville with her husband Jerry, three children, and their Golden Retriever Barnes. She truly enjoys assisting clients and loves to greet their furry friends. During her free time, she enjoys bike riding, going to movies, spending time with her family, and visiting with her friends.

rats3898 none 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM Closed veterinarian # # #