STAFF
Tari Colarocchio
Tari is our Office Administrator/ Accounts Receivable Manager, and after 33 years working in the industry, chances are, she has had the pleasure of serving many of you. During a childhood spent growing up amongst a menagerie of animals, both large and small, and younger years spent in 4-H, her passion has always been to be involved in animal care in one respect or another. Many years ago in 1989, she answered an ad for a temporary 6 month position at a veterinary diagnostic lab in Langley. That lab was Central Laboratory for Veterinarians, and that temporary position lasted over 19 years. After leaving CVL after a change in ownership in 2008, Tari was thrilled to be invited to be a part of the True North team upon its inception in 2009.
Away from the lab, Tari shares her life with her amazing husband, John, and two furry and thoroughly spoiled housemates, pomeranians Aria and Gigi. In her spare time, she and John love to travel and return to Europe as often as the poms decide to let them go.
Nasrin Masoumi
Nasrin was born in Tehran, Iran. After completing her undergraduate studies at the Tehran Institute of Medical Laboratory, she went to the U.K. for postgraduate studies. After receiving her Masters and PhD in microbiology from Dundee University, she went back to Iran to work at Tehran University, School of Medicine, Medical Laboratory Department until she immigrated to Canada. She was an instructor at various colleges in Vancouver for a while until she joined Central Laboratory for Veterinarians in the microbiology department under Dr. Sally Lester before joining True North at its inception. Nasrin enjoys yoga, hiking, swimming, walking and quilting.
Bryelle Short
Bryelle was born and raised in East Vancouver, BC, and has been with True North since its opening in 2009, where she started in the accession department. She is now a chemistry/urinalysis/IFA tech and considers what she does to be her dream job. In her spare time she enjoys reading, thrifting, and going on adventures with her husband and two children. She also loves to travel, watch sports (especially baseball, football, and soccer) and drink margaritas.
Darcel Bushell
Darcel is our Supply Department Manager, Courier and Lab Assistant. Darcel was born and raised in New Westminster. She attended New Westminster Secondary and went on to complete a Dental Office Assistant Certificate program at Burnaby College in 1988. After moving to Langley in 1991, she started her career in the veterinary diagnostic industry in 2004, first with Central Lab for Veterinarians and following that, Idexx. Darcel made the move to True North approximately 11 years ago but eager to expand her knowledge, went back to school at BCIT in 2021 and graduated with an Associate Diploma in Medical Office Assistant. Away from the lab, she loves spending time fishing at the river with her family and enjoying time outdoors. Although she has no pets at the moment, she is an avid animal lover and has owned a multitude of cats, dogs and birds who have all since passed over the Rainbow bridge.
Brittney Mills
Brittney started working at a veterinary clinic in 2011 after completing a VOA program. Having become curious about what happens between lab samples leaving the clinic and receiving results, she eagerly joined the True North Veterinary Diagnostics team in October 2016! She lives with her husband, Colen and their two cats, Loki (black) and Oliver (tabby). She also has an Arabian gelding named Magic. In her free time, Brittney loves camping, birdwatching, horseback riding, game nights, and being creative with DIY projects.
Karen Phelps
Karen is a Registered Veterinary Technologist and worked in small animal clinical practice prior to narrowing in on her specific interest in laboratory science by joining the True North team in 2017. She primarily analyzes patient urine samples, performs serology testing, and enters data about new samples as they arrive at the lab, but can also be found working in the departments of chemistry, microbiology, and occasionally histology. Whichever department she is in, Karen wants to learn everything she can about it and takes advantage of continuing education opportunities to ensure the highest standard of laboratory results.
In addition to working at True North, Karen is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. She has always had an insatiable curiosity about the natural sciences and enjoys watching lectures on diverse topics from biochemistry to earth science. When not busy studying, Karen enjoys spending time as a volunteer retraining and rehabilitating retired racehorses so they are ready for adoption into new homes.
Over the years, Karen has adopted and cared for a wide variety of senior and special needs dogs with various histories, helping them with mental issues such as phobias, cognitive dysfunction, and separation anxiety, as well as physical conditions like arthritis, liver and kidney insufficiency, and age-related vision and hearing challenges. She finds it tremendously rewarding to ensure her dogs feel completely loved and cared from the moment they enter her home, and every day for the rest of their lives.
More bios for our wonderful staff are coming!