Dr. Edward Zak graduated from University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College in Canada in 1968.  Upon graduation,  Dr. Zak worked with large animals and in the horse racing industry on the northeastern coast.  After establishing several small animal hospitals, he and his wife, Cindy, settled in the Shenandoah Valley in 1990.  Dr. Zak has enjoyed a wonderful career in the veterinary profession.  In his free time, he and his wife spend time with their 2 children, Helen and Ryan, as well as their various pets, both furry and fowl!

Dr. Eileen Whitten came to Edgewater Animal Hospital in October 2004.  She graduated from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996 and practiced in Virginia and North Carolina before coming to Rockbridge County.  Her husband, Jim, works at Virginia Military Institute as a physical education teacher.  Together they have a 19 year old daughter, Mandolin, and an 18 year old son, Luke, as well as 3 dogs and a horse. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and riding horses.

Growing up in Rockbridge County on a horse farm, Dr. Jefferies always wanted to become a veterinarian. She got her bachelor’s degree at Virginia Tech in Animal and Poultry Sciences and received her DVM at Virginia Tech.  Being a staunch Hokie, she attends most home football games and can be heard cheering them on.   An adventurer at heart,  Dr. Jefferies enjoys snowboarding,  hiking with her two rescue dogs, scuba diving, and she has traveled  to Europe and South America. Her plans are to travel the world.

Autumn is a 2018 graduate of  Rockbridge County High School. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending lots of time on the water and in the sun. She has 3 dogs, Bentley, Durango, and Mae Mae. She is the newest addition to the veterinary technician team at Edgewater, graduating from Blue Ridge in 2021.  Autumn wants all of your pets to have the same pearly white smile that she has!

Charissa graduated from Bridgewater College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. She received her associates degree from the Blue Ridge Community College Veterinary Technology program in May 2016. Her favorite aspect of veterinary medicine is dental health and cleaning! Outside of work she enjoys traveling, fly fishing, hiking, and spending time with her husband and their dogs: Elwood and Opie.

Mary joined the Edgewater team in 2017.  She graduated in 2008 from Blue Ridge Community College with her associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology. She has been practicing as a small animal Licensed Veterinary Technician for the past 13 years. When she is not working, Mary enjoys spending time at home on her family’s beef farm with her husband, three children, and their menagerie of pets: Peyton and Fozzie, four cats, and 50 plus chickens!

​​Kristen is a sophomore at Virginia Tech. In her free time, she enjoys raising and training animals, such as horses and dogs. After graduating from VT, she hopes to attend their College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian.