Meet Our Arlington Veterinary Team
The heart of Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic is our team. Our veterinarians, technicians, and support staff bring deep experience, genuine compassion, and a shared love of animals to caring for dogs, cats, and exotic pets across Arlington, VA. Get to know the people who will treat your pet like one of their own.
Our Cherrydale Family
A Team You Can Trust
Meet the People Who Care for Your Pet
From our veterinarians to our technicians, coordinators, and kennel team, every member of the Cherrydale family plays a part in keeping your pet healthy and comfortable. Many have been with us for years — a continuity our clients know and trust.
Veterinarians
Dr. Robert C. Brown
Director
A native Virginian, Dr. Brown was born in Harrisonburg and raised in Luray on a small dairy farm.
Dr. Farid Boughanem
Director
Dr. Boughanem was born and raised in Algiers, Algeria, where he earned his DVM from the University of Algiers.
Dr. Allison "Sunny" House Timke
Dr. House was raised in Bethel, Connecticut, and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Leslie Meko
Dr. Meko grew up in a small town in eastern Kentucky, where she first discovered her love of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Davina Catbagan
Dr. Catbagan was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada, before moving to Colorado…
Dr. Kiki D. Christian
Dr. Christian was born in New Jersey and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She majored in Animal Sciences.
Dr. Caroline Van den Berg
Dr. Van den Berg began with us in 2010 as a veterinary technician during the summers while attending Columbia University.
Dr. Jennie Hughes
Dr. Hughes first joined Cherrydale as a technician while working toward her U.S. license.
Licensed Technicians
Marco Cifuentes, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician and Clinic Manager with more than 25 years of experience in veterinary medicine.
Ricardo Arnold, LVT
Ricardo earned his LVT credentials back in 2005 and has been making a difference for pets ever since.
Raijuenea Aravena, CVT
Veterinary Assistants
Leah A.
Jay W.
Kaatje B.
Jamie H.
Taylor H.
Jhenifer V.
Bree K.
Deybid R.
Ed G.
Ahmed R.
Talind A.
Client Care Coordinators
Daniel G.
Ashton S.
Cindy J.
Nicole G.
Sarah P.
Jennifer R.
Animal Care Attendants
Ashton B.
Carter L.
Dagny S.
Trinity D.
Andrew W.
Shannon E.
Giselle B.
Atlas D.
Administration
Dr. Robert C. Brown,
Director
A native Virginian, Dr. Brown was born in Harrisonburg and raised in Luray on a small dairy farm. He graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1971, and in 1972 he and his wife, Donna, founded Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic with a strong emphasis on wellness, preventative care, and geriatric medicine. A lifelong educator and lecturer, he received the VVMA’s “Virginia Veterinarian of the Year” award in 2012. Outside the clinic, he’s a dedicated naturalist who plants trees each year on his family’s cattle farm in Luray.
Dr. Farid Boughanem
Director
Dr. Boughanem was born and raised in Algiers, Algeria, where he earned his DVM from the University of Algiers. After moving to the DC area with his wife, Nadia, he completed his U.S. licensing while working as a veterinary assistant at Cherrydale, then focused on advancing the clinic’s diagnostic accuracy. He helped develop our telemedicine service and diagnostic ultrasound capabilities. In addition to English, he speaks fluent French and Arabic, allowing our team to connect with many clients in their native language.
Dr. Allison “Sunny” House Timke
Dr. House was raised in Bethel, Connecticut, and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and her DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been part of the Cherrydale team since 2004. Dr. House and her husband Bob, who is an elementary school teacher, have two children, Cameron and Kennedy, as well a lab mix named Rey and two cats names Benjamin Solo and Lucas Skywalker. Dr. House loves football, especially her New England Patriots, and all things Star Wars.
Dr. Leslie Meko
Dr. Meko grew up in a small town in eastern Kentucky, where she first discovered her love of veterinary medicine. She completed her undergraduate studies and her DVM at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her professional interests include internal medicine, surgery, preventative medicine, and counseling new pet owners. When she is not at Cherrydale, she spends her time with her family as well as their dogs, Cinder and Vernon. Her hobbies include watching college football, traveling, and reading
Dr. Davina Catbagan
Dr. Catbagan was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada, before moving to Colorado, where she completed her B.S. in microbiology, an M.S. in animal anatomy, her DVM, and her certification in Veterinary Acupuncture at Colorado State University. She joined Cherrydale in 2010. Her professional interests include cardiology, internal medicine, surgery, and pain management. She also loves spending time with her husband Aaron, her son, Rylan, daughter, Ariana, and her very spoiled dog named Hamilton and kitties named Haku and Horus.
Dr. Kiki D. Christian
Dr. Christian was born in New Jersey and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She majored in Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois and earned her DVM from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Her professional interests include internal medicine, oncology, and pain management. In her leisure time, Dr. Christian enjoys swimming, biking, running, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her husband, children, dog, and kitties.
Dr. Caroline Van den Berg
Dr. Van den Berg began with us in 2010 as a veterinary technician during summers while attending Columbia University. After earning her degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, she rejoined the team as a veterinarian. She is originally from Alexandria, VA, and has a border collie mix named “Fletcher” and enjoys woodworking in her free time.
Dr. Jennie Hughes
Dr. Hughes first joined Cherrydale as a technician while working toward her U.S. license. She graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Liverpool, UK, in 2005 and spent 10 years as a small animal surgeon in the Middle East before relocating to the U.S. She brings wide-ranging skills with a special interest in surgery and diagnostic imaging, and has worked with exotic animals ranging from hamsters, rabbits, turtles, and parrots to cheetahs and orangutans. A certified Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional, she serves as our clinic’s Cat Advocate.
Marco Cifuentes, LVT
Marco Cifuentes is a Licensed Veterinary Technician and Clinic Manager with more than 25 years of experience in veterinary medicine. His expertise includes small animal ultrasonography, dentistry, anesthesia, and veterinary practice management.
Marco earned his Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Northern Virginia Community College in 2008 and completed the Sound-Eklin Small Animal Veterinary Technician Ultrasound Imaging Program in 2017. Outside of work, Marco is a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo, enjoys playing adult baseball on the weekends, and loves coaching lacrosse for his children, Sebastian and Caroline. He and his family also enjoy traveling together, especially visiting Disney destinations and taking cruises.
Jody Gillanders
Operations Manager
Jody has been a proud part of the Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic community since 2002. She first discovered the clinic as a client when she and her mischievous Golden Retriever, Hannah, lived up the street and quickly became frequent visitors. After building a successful career in Multi-Media Production and exploring the Mortgage and Real Estate industries, Jody officially joined our staff in October 2016. Today, she blends her unique professional background with a true passion for connecting with our clients and supporting her fellow team members. Outside of work, you’ll find her chauffeuring her two active kids to sporting events or exploring the great outdoors with her husband and their two goofy shepherds, Loki and Star.
Denise Maddens-Gordy
Administrative Assistant
Denise has worked behind the scenes as our Business Office Administrator since 1984. She came to Cherrydale after 11 years in government service, finding it rewarding to bring her administrative talents to a business so meaningful to her. She also worked with the D.C. Academy of Veterinary Medicine for 10 years. When she’s away from the clinic, she treasures time with her grandchildren, who have become the highlight of her life.
Raijuenea Aravena, CVT
Raijuenea is an Army veterinary specialist with a long history in veterinary medicine. Her journey began with studying Animal Health and Behavior (B.S.) and Wildlife Ecology (M.S.). Then, she found that she fits best at Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic. She spends most of her free time either rock climbing, hiking, or volunteering as an EMT/Firefighter. Her long-term goal is to become an Egyptologist.
Ricardo Arnold, LVT
Ricardo earned his LVT credentials back in 2005 and has been making a difference for pets ever since. Two years ago, he traded the non-stop hustle and bustle of his hometown in the Bronx, NYC, for a fresh start and a change of pace with our team. Around the clinic, Ricardo is our resident “cat whisperer.” He has a soft spot for cats, especially the exotic breeds, and has two beautiful Savannah cats of his own. Assisting the doctors with dental procedures is one of his favorite parts of the day—he takes great pride in making sure every pet’s teeth are healthy and sparkling clean.