Meet Our Team

Dr. Koryn V. Swearingen

Owner/CEO/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 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. 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.

Dr. Sam Landry

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Sam is a 2021 graduate from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She grew up in Southeast Wisconsin and is happy to be staying somewhat local to serve clients and their furry family members. Dr. Sam enjoys doing surgery, educating clients, and has a strong interest in alternative medicine. Eventually, she would like to become certified in acupuncture and rehabilitation! She is passionate about educating clients and ensuring they always feel heard. One thing Dr. Sam adores about Village Veterinary Clinic is the homey feel it provides from the moment she walks in the door - the entire staff are always so fun to be around!

Outside of work, Dr. Sam tends to her “chaos crew!” She has three dogs -her old man Charlie who is a black Lab; Oakley, her spunky rescue who is a Great Dane mix; and Bunker, her goofy black Lab puppy. Dr. Sam and Bunker participate in competitive dock diving! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and snuggling with her puppies.

Nicole B.

Nicole has been part of Dr. Koryn Swearingen’s team since 2000.
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!

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. Nicole also loves to camp, travel, boat, and cook!

Alix M.

Alix joined Village Veterinary Clinic in 2014 as a Veterinary Nurse and has grown alongside the practice ever since. In 2025, she was promoted to Assistant Manager, and she now serves as both a Practice Manager and Chief Operating Officer. Alix brings a strong passion for team development, clinic operations, and creating an exceptional experience for both clients and patients.

Alix values the strong team culture and family atmosphere that make Village Veterinary Clinic unique. She encourages pet owners to consider pet insurance to help ease financial stress and allow for the best possible care.

Outside of the clinic, Alix enjoys staying active, cheering on her son at his sporting events, and riding her thoroughbred horse, Copper. She also shares her home with her beloved pets—Mauser, Sig, and Colt.

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.

Emily EM.

Lead Veterinary Nurse

Veterinary technician with 10 years of experience and a passion for all things animals—big, small, and everything in between. I’ve been part of the team at Village Vet since 2024, where I love combining hands-on care with building real connections with both pets and their people.

At home, I’m kept on my toes by my two dogs, Malone (boxer mix) and Letty (lab/pit mix), who make sure life is never boring. When I’m off the clock, you’ll usually find me spending time with friends and family, getting my hands dirty in my indoor and outdoor garden, or heading to the drag races with my boyfriend for a little adrenaline and a lot of fun.

Rachel D.

Veterinary Nurse/Marketing

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! ​​​​​​​

Valerie B.

Veterinary Nurse

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!

Emily JM.

Veterinary Nurse

Emily joined the Village Veterinary Team in 2015. She has worked in the veterinary field since 2008. She received an Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Rockford Career College in 2011. Outside the clinic Emily enjoys spending time with her dog, Teddy, family and friends. She is thrilled to be helping animals and making a difference in their lives.

My favorite thing about the clinic is the warm and welcoming atmosphere provided by the friendly staff. I love to ensure that every client’s experience is comfortable, educational and memorable.

Jennifer M.

Veterinary Nurse

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.

Destiny A.

Veterinary Nurse

Destiny has been in the veterinary field for over three years and joined our team in 2025. She is currently pursuing her Associate of Science degree and working toward her veterinary technician certification. In addition, Destiny enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as traveling.

Destiny really enjoys working alongside a supportive team that shares the same passion for helping animals. She loves building relationships with both patients and their owners and enjoys watching pets grow and stay healthy over time.