27 Aug CVMA congratulates board nominees; nominees will transition into new roles September 23
Congratulations to the following CVMA members for their new positions on the CVMA Board of Directors for 2021-2022!
The nominees were put forth by the CVMA Nominating Committee in early August; no other candidates were put forth by CVMA members during the petition period, and the candidates are now declared winners of the election. The nominees will officially transition into their new roles at the CVMA Board of Directors meeting on September 23, and will be formally installed at the annual member meeting on December 5, 2021.
Steve Dick, DVM | President-elect 
Dr. Steve Dick presently serves as the chief of staff for the Arvada West Banfield Pet Hospital. He is a 2003 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, he spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps in fulfillment of his Army Health Professions Scholarship, including a one year deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After his honorable discharge from the Army, he started with Banfield, initially in a chief of staff role for four years, followed by seven years as the medical director in the north and south markets of Colorado. Within his roles with the Army and Banfield, Dr. Dick had extensive opportunities to take on challenging responsibilities while leading and mentoring veterinary professionals in a variety of settings. In the Army, he was responsible for leading small teams of veterinary and food safety specialists while managing sizable inventories of equipment and resources. In 2019, Dr. Dick completed a two week veterinary mission trip to Kenya which provided preventive and basic medical care to over 9,000 pets in underserved villages south of Nairobi. When he’s not working, Dr. Dick and his wife Jennifer keep busy with their 10 year old son, Ephram, as well as a mixed breed dog, a turtle, and some fish. Dr. Dick has served as a member of the CVMA Chapter 6 Leadership Team and in the secretary/treasurer role on the CVMA Board of Directors.
Michelle Larsen, DVM | Secretary/Treasurer-elect 
Dr. Michelle 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 served 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.
Pete Hellyer, DVM, MS, DACVA | AVMA Alternate Delegate 
A 1983 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Dr. Pete Hellyer is a professor of anesthesiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the CSU veterinary college. Dr. Hellyer is a past president of CVMA and was honored by the association in 2015 for serving an additional term as immediate past president. Dr. Hellyer teaches all four years of the DVM curriculum, with most teaching done in the 3rd and 4th year anesthesia clinical rotations where veterinary students receive guidance as they create anesthetic and analgesic (pain relieving) protocols for their patients undergoing a wide variety of procedures. Dr. Hellyer also devotes a significant amount of time to small group interactions with the 1st and 2nd year DVM students in their Foundations in Veterinary Medicine courses, with a particular focus on engaging students in discussions of contemporary ethical issues affecting animal welfare and veterinary medicine. Dr. Hellyer’s research interests include understanding factors affecting clinical management of pain in animals and to understand contemporary issues that impact veterinarians, animals, and their owners.
The 2021-2022 CVMA Board of Directors
- President — Ashley Ackley, DVM
- President-Elect — Steve Dick, DVM
- Secretary-Treasurer — Kelly Walsh, DVM
- Secretary-Treasurer Elect — Michelle Larsen, DVM
- AVMA Delegate — Curtis Crawford, DVM
- AVMA Alternate Delegate — Pete Hellyer, DVM, MS, DACVA
- Immediate Past President — Jackie Christakos, DVM
CVMA thanks Stacee Santi, DVM for her leadership and service on the board — her term as Immediate Past President will end on September 23 and she will be formally recognized on December 5 during the annual membership meeting.