Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Stephen P. Heller is an animal lover at heart, whether he’s giving a home to rescued pot-bellied pigs, goats, and horses, or tending to a menagerie of the more domesticated variety that roam his home.

It wasn’t surprising that the first job in Stephen’s finance career was based in the animal field, working as a controller for a Ranch in Othello, WA, where he managed cattle, land, and agriculture. A college senior at the time, this experience was instrumental as a springboard for his career as a CPA. Stephen’s passion for accounting and finance continued to develop through leading audit, tax, and consulting teams at CliftonLarsonAllen, a top 10 national accounting firm.

From there he had the distinct opportunity to work at two renowned Seattle institutions, The Seattle Times and Starbucks. He led a variety of teams across multiple disciplines for both companies, including financial operations, data management, and business consolidation and analysis. Most importantly these experiences instilled the importance of investing in community and humanity, as both companies’ positive impacts have been felt everywhere from local neighborhoods to across the globe. It is this unique combination of professional experience and personal values that brought Stephen full circle back to the animal field, to help lead Cara Veterinary to join the ranks of these storied Pacific Northwest institutions with a positive impact on community, humanity, and pets.

Married to another born and raised Pacific Northwesterner, Stephen and his wife love chasing their two young girls and their rescue pup, Sadie, around the numerous parks and other fun outdoor areas in town. When they aren’t with family on the Washington coast, you can find them traveling to Hawaii or Arizona to chase some sunshine, or watching the Hawks on Sundays.