11 Sep CVMA welcomes new Board of Directors for 2023-2024 term
Congratulations to the 2023-2024 CVMA Board of Directors! The new board was formally installed in their new roles during the virtual Annual Membership Meeting on September 10.
The 2023-2024 CVMA Board of Directors:
- President – Dr. Kelly Walsh
- President-elect – Dr. Michelle Larsen
- Secretary/Treasurer – Dr. Kayla Henderson
- Secretary/Treasurer-elect – Dr. Austin Graham
- AVMA Delegate – Dr. Curtis Crawford
- AVMA Alternate Delegate – Dr. Peter Hellyer
- Immediate Past President – Dr. Steven Dick
- Ex Officio – Diane Matt
CVMA thanks Ashley Ackley, DVM for her leadership and service on the board — her term as Immediate Past President ended on September 10 and she was formally recognized during the 2023 virtual membership meeting.
The nominees listed below were put forth by the CVMA Nominating Committee in July; no other candidates were put forth by CVMA members during the petition period, and the candidates are now declared winners of the election.
Michelle Larsen, DVM | President-elect 
Dr. Michelle Larsen was nominated by the CVMA Nominating Committee for the role of president-elect.
Dr. Larsen graduated from Virginia-Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Following graduation, she completed a 1-year small animal medicine and emergency rotating Internship at The Hope Center for Advanced Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Virginia. Prior to veterinary school, she completed her bachelor’s degree in finance from the George Washington University and worked in the financial sector for six years. Dr. Larsen worked in small animal emergency medicine for 4.5 years before she joined Abaxis as a professional services veterinarian in 2015. She also held the role of independent contractor for Nationwide Pet Insurance’s veterinary field team and traveled to veterinary colleges discussing preventative care and pet insurance. Dr. Larsen is currently the director of diagnostic platforms–medical affairs with Zoetis and continues to practice part time as a general practice and emergency relief veterinarian in Colorado. She has served on the Arizona VMA Board of Directors and as the president of the CVMA Chapter 6 Leadership Team. She was an AVMA Future Leader in 2014-2015, whose team worked on workplace wellness. Most recently, Dr. Larsen served as the chair of CVMA’s Practice Act Sunset Review Task Force. In her spare time, Dr. Larsen enjoys trail running, hiking, biking, kayaking, reading, and spending time with her husband and two children. Dr. Larsen enjoys veterinary medicine most when it is aligned with outstanding practice management.
Austin Graham, DVM | Secretary/Treasurer-elect
The CVMA Nominating Committee nominated Dr. Austin Graham to join the board in the role of secretary/treasurer-elect.
Dr. Austin Graham is a New Mexico transplant and Colorado State University DVM class of 2017 graduate. He practices exclusively small animal medicine on canine and feline companion animals. Currently, Dr. Graham works as the director of veterinary quality for Banfield Pet Hospital for the hospitals in Colorado and New Mexico. Dr. Graham enjoys developing resilient teams that utilize technicians in innovative and creative ways, allowing veterinarians more time and mental energy to focus on the cases that bring them the most joy. He enjoys camping and hiking with his husband Alex and skiing through the fall, winter and spring months.
“I am looking forward to serving on the CVMA Board of Directors and helping drive the vision for a better veterinary profession forward,” Graham says. “I am very engaged around technician utilization discussions and advocating within the state legislature to allow veterinarians to practice in the most efficient and high quality way possible.”