Owner Veterinarians 

Dr Steve M Torrence DVM

Dr. Steve Torrence has been a resident of Alaska since 1981, having first lived in Fairbanks. He studied biology and premedicine at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and received his doctorate in veterinary medicine with honors from Washington State University in 1995.

He is the past president of the Interior Alaska Veterinary Medical Association and also served as chair of the State Board of Veterinary Examiners. Dr. Torrence joined Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center in October of 2004. At the clinic, Dr. Torrence enjoys surgery as well as regulatory medicine.

Dr. Gerald G. Nance DVM

Dr. Nance was born and raised in Colorado. There, he attended Colorado State University for his undergraduate degree in Microbiology. He then went on to attend the Veterinary program at CSU and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2005. Dr. Nance has had the opportunity to live all over the country and considers Alaska his favorite place on earth.

Dr. Nance has a special interest in feline medicine and exotic animal medicine. Day-to-day, he stays busy with surgery, dentistry, and internal medicine.

Dr. Nance loves the outdoors. If there will be a good view at the top of the mountain, that is where you will find him.

Associate Veterinarians  

​Dr. Tracy Ward, DVM

Dr. Ward was born and raised in upstate New York. She graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. Dr. Ward then moved to Western Canada after graduation to begin her veterinary career in private practice. Dr. Ward has also worked in the pharmaceutical industry and has managed other veterinary practices.

In 2017, Dr. Ward visited Juneau and fell in love with Southeast Alaska! She made the decision to move here with her Labrador Retreiver, Stella. Dr. Ward feels very fortunate to have landed at Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center where she has rediscovered her love of clinical practice. She really enjoys working with her many patients and colleagues. Dr. Ward's primary veterinary interests are in wellness and preventative care. Dr. Ward appreciates being able to help educate her clients and answer their questions.

In her free time Dr. Ward enjoys hiking, kayaking, and exploring Southeast Alaska. Stella enjoys the abundance of dead fish that are available here to roll in and she also enjoys shaking hands with porcupines.

Dr. Jed Harding, DVM

Dr. Harding was born in Oregon and lived in North Africa with his family for 6 years in the 1980's. He learned the value of long hours and hard work during the summers of his high school years, working on a grass seed farm back in Oregon. When he was 18, Dr. Harding moved to Juneau to go commercial fishing and never left. He found that he enjoyed the independence of being on a boat in the waters around Southeast Alaska and he bought his first commercial fishing boat in 1997, a gillnetter that was eventually outfitted to longline and troll. Dr. Harding is grateful that he was able to explore the most beautiful place on Earth, Southeast Alaska, while making a living on the water for 20 years.

Dr. Harding eventually became a client of Dr. Torrence at SEAAMC and they struck up a conversation about veterinary medicine. Dr. Harding worked as a technician's assistant at SEAAMC while finishing his Bachelor's degree at the University of Alaska Southest, and was fortunate to have Dr. Torrence's mentorship in preparing his application to vet school. Starting in 2015, University of Alaska Fairbanks partnered with Colorado State University in a 2+2 veterinary medicine program (https://www.uaf.edu/vmed/) in which 10 students a year (preference granted to Alaska residents) spend 2 years in Fairbanks then 2 years in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Harding is proud to be a member of the inaugural class of this program.

Upon graduation from CSU, Dr. Harding returned to SEAAMC. He enjoys learning about new aspects of veterinary medicine every day, but especially enjoys surgery. He is thankful to have so many great mentors at SEAAMC. When not at work, he enjoys spending time on the local trails with his mutt Marleaux, as well as harvesting and eating the bounty of seafood and game that SE AK has to offer.

Practice Manager/Licensed Veterinary Technician

​Melissa Roulette, LVT, Lead Technician

While still in high school, Melissa began working at a small animal practice in SW Washington. Though the work was often demanding, Melissa found that she loved patient care. She went on to obtain her LVT in 2000. Her interests include reproduction, anesthesia, anesthetic monitoring, nutrition and exotic patient care.

Melissa joined Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center in 2013. Currently, she leads our technician team. She is especially skilled in working with pediatric, geriatric, exotic and medically fragile patients.

Her animal family includes 4 kitties, 1 Chinese Crested, 1 Brussels Griffon, 3 turtles, 3 snakes, 1 Black Throat Monitor, and fish. When Melissa isn’t busy with her patients or her pets, she enjoys gardening, hiking, photography and traveling.