Meet Our Team

  • Kim Heyning
    DVM

    Dr. Kim grew up in Memphis with her parents, brother and a menagerie of dogs, cats and pocket pets. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Memphis in 1992. She worked for the State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for 5 years before going on to veterinary school. She graduated with her DVM from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. In 2006 she joined Hickman Veterinary Hospital, Inc. part-time and went full time in 2007. She shares her Columbia home with the love of her life, as well as 2 dogs, 5 cats, 3 horses, and a tank full of fish.  When not at work she spends her time running, reading, and gardening.

  • Tonia Rochelle
    Practice Manager

    Tonia started working at Hickman Veterinary Hospital, Inc. in 2003 and has held every position along the way, taking on the responsibility as Practice Manager in 2009.  She grew up in Hickman County and moved to Dickson County in 2013.  When not working, she enjoys spending time with her four children, her husband, and their Yorkie Kipper.  Her favorite pastime is boating on the Tennessee River with friends.

  • Misty Mathis
    Veterinary Assistant

    Misty moved to Hickman County in 1994 and graduated from Hickman County High School. She started working for Hickman Veterinary Hospital, Inc. in 1998 as a Veterinary Assistant.  Misty lives in Bon Aqua with her husband and 3 children, where they all work together on their cattle farm.  She spends all her spare time traveling to watch her kids play sports and camping at the lake.

  • Bridget Cochran
    Veterinary Assistant

    Bridget grew up on a farm in Trenton, Tennessee. Her family farm raised hogs, cattle, horses, mules and used working dogs. Her first jobs as a preteen consisted of training horses on the family farm and working cattle for A-8 cattle company and the Trenton sale barn. At age 16 she started working as a veterinarian assistant at the Trenton Animal Clinic. In 2000 she graduated Bradford high school and earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at The University of Tennessee at Martin in 2005. She married in 2006 and moved to Lyles Tennessee where she began working at Hickman Veterinary Hospital. She started a family in 2014 with a son, and a daughter arrived in 2019. She has a farm that consists of dogs, cats, chickens, llamas, Paint horses and Nubian goats. She enjoys riding horses and showing dairy goats.

  • Rhonda Wilkerson
    Veterinary Assistant

    Rhonda lives in Hickman County on a family Century Farm established in 1854, along with her husband Bob. On their farm, they raise beef cattle, chickens, and quail. Rhonda is a Certified Veterinary Assistant and has been with our practice since 1996. When not at the hospital, Rhonda enjoys spending time on the farm, horseback riding, and riding trails in her Side-By-Side.

  • Kim Skelton
    Client Service Representative

    Kim was born and raised in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and relocated to Hickman County in 2013 when she married her husband.  She received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from MTSU in 2002 and lived briefly in Orlando and Atlanta before settling back in Middle TN to be closer to family.  She has two young boys and lives on a farm in Nunnelly where they raise cattle. Kim started with Hickman Veterinary Hospital, Inc. originally in May of 2018.  She spends any free time she can find trying to keep up with her “wild boys” and trying different craft projects. Her favorite thing to do in her off time is camping on the sandbar with her family on the Duck River.

  • Morgan Alderidge
    Client Service Representative- Veterinary Assistant

    Morgan was raised here in Hickman County and has always had a passion for animals. Growing up, her family raised goats, chickens, dogs, and cats. She graduated in 2017 from East Hickman High School, where she majored in FFA and Science. She started with us in September of 2020. In her free time, she loves to go hiking with her husband and their dogs.