Dr. Fionnuala (LU) Teuber, DVM
​Veterinarian, Medical director

Dr Teuber has been serving pets and their families for over 30 years. With a passion for animals and a commitment to compassionate care, Dr Teuber is proud to be a trusted member of her hometown community. After earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from University of Illinois, she practiced in the Chicagoland area for 20 years before she happily returned to Evanston to make a difference in the lives of local pets and their owners. Whether it's keeping pets healthy with preventative care, diagnosing illnesses, or providing dental and surgical services, Lu believes in offering a personalized approach to every patient. Outside the clinic, Lu enjoys spending time with her own pets, Barney, Betty and Snoopy and spending time with friends and family.

DR. Laura Schwartz, DVm
​Associate veterinarian

Dr. Laura Schwartz happily joined the Berglund family in the Fall of 2015.  Laura grew up in Mt Prospect and began her veterinary career at the age of 15 as a veterinary assistant at a local animal hospital. She attended the University of IL where she obtained her B.A. in Animal Sciences. She loved the ILLINI so much that she stayed to receive her D.V.M in 2008. Dr. Schwartz' true love of veterinary medicine is split between the science of medicine, specifically geriatric veterinary medicine, and the bond created between families and their pets. She is the proud owner of a standard poodle named Daisy.

mandy arnswald, cvt
​lead veterinary technician

Mandy graduated from Parkland College and became a CVT in 1999. She joined the Berglund staff in 2000 and hasn't looked back. She has excellent technical skills and loves helping in dentistry and surgical procedures. She currently lives in Gurnee with her husband, James, 2 cats and a rabbit.

Francesca Randazzo, CVT
​Veterinary Technician

Francesca joined the Berglund family in August 2019. She was born and raised in the Des Plaines area and graduated in May 2019 with an A.A.S. at the Veterinary Technician Institute at Fox College where she got hands on experience with large, small and exotic animals before becoming a CVT. Francesca has dreamed of this job to help animals for as long as she could remember but became more interested in becoming a CVT after losing her Chihuahua in 2015. Francesca currently still lives in Des Plaines with her Border Collie mix, Cali. 

carrie brandel
​office manager

Born and raised in Skokie, Carrie used to bring her pets to Berglund as a little girl. In 1975, Carrie started working at Dempster Animal Hospital. In 2001, when Dr. Cosnow retired, Berglund was fortunate enough to open the door to his clients, but most importantly, Carrie decided to join the staff at Berglund as well. She has been working here ever since and has a wealth of information and experience. She loves country line dancing and checking out the local garage sales. She has a grown son, Karl, and lives in Grayslake with her husband, Bill, their dog Chester, and many pet chickens.
Paulina Algarin

SENIOR VETERINARY ASSISTANT
​
Paulina was destined to provide nursing care for cats and dogs from a young age. She always found a way to help her own pets and strays as a child and that has continued into her career. Officially joining the animal health field in 2019, we were thrilled when she became part of the Berglund team in 2022. Paulina was born and raised in Chicago, and along with caring for her 2 daughters and 3 cats, she is busy and loving working with animals and their families full-time

Derek McDonald
​Veterinary Assistant

Derek moved to Chicago from California in 2023 with his wife Trista of 5 years and their dog Panda. Derek has always had a passion for animal care and couldn't imagine doing anything else. In his spare time he enjoys cooking meals with his family and mountain biking. 

Liesl Steffenson
​VETERINARY ASSISTANT

Liesl has been a returning summer intern since 2022, and recently graduated from the University of California at Davis.  She is currently taking a gap year while preparing for further studies, and we are thrilled to have her back with the Berglund family during that time. With a lifelong love of all animals, she is excited for the opportunity to continue caring for the pets and families in her community. In her free time she loves reading and playing frisbee with her golden retriever Chance.  

elena kagan
​CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Elena joined the Berglund team in June 2021. A long time client of Berglund, she witnessed our move from Gross Point to Central Street and was so excited to join us as a client service representative. She graduated from New Trier in May 2017. She recently started the vet tech certification program at Purdue University and is looking forward to advancing her career in vet medicine. Her dog Lily and cats Alexander and Nicholas keep her busy!

Macy Murtos
​client service representative

Macy grew up in Evanston and loves living here. She graduated from Macalester College in Minnesota in 2024 and moved back here afterwards. She loves animals and is very excited to work at Berglund! She lives with her family and dog Gigi. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors (when it's not too cold)!

Nikky Ivascu
client Service Representative

Nikky is a born and raised Michigander who found the Berglund team in May 2023.  She has had a passion for animals since childhood and loves making friends with our patients. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, independent studies, and spending time with her loved ones, including her two cats Rimu and Tipsy. 

Ellie Alcorn
​client Service Representative

Ellie grew up in Roanoake, Virginia and moved to Chicago after graduating from the University of Richmond in 2023. Ellie's lifelong love of cats and her passion for helping others spurred her to join Berglund as a client service representative in the summer of 2025. When she isn't working or snuggling with her orange boy Arthur, Ellie can be found cooking, watching a movie, or performing with her improv team at The Annoyance Theater in Lake View. 

Catherine Alexander
​​OPERATIONS MANAGER

Catherine left the sunny state of Florida in 2020 to join the Berglund family.  She has degrees in Marine Biology and Conservation & Ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology. Catherine enjoyed her previous work in shelter medicine, working at a zoo caring for many animals including lions and tigers, and volunteering with sea turtles and marine mammals in the rescue and rehab field. She loves dessert, the ocean, rollercoasters, and cuddling with her cat Milo.  
​