Dr. Ted Cohn Takes the Reins as American Veterinary Medical Association President

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., July 29 -- The American Veterinary Medical Association issued the following news release:

Dr. Ted Cohn of Lone Tree, Colo., today assumed his role as president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the largest veterinary organization in the United States.

Cohn has devoted more than 35 years of service to the people and animals of Colorado and the veterinary medical profession. Since graduating from Tuskegee University in 1975 with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Cohn has distinguished himself as a leader both locally and nationally.

"I am honored to serve as the next president of the AVMA, and I am ready to help us navigate these exciting - and challenging - times in veterinary medicine," Cohn said. "Things are changing rapidly in the world of veterinary medicine, and I believe the AVMA is well-positioned to help us adapt to these changes and to advance animal and human health, and the veterinary profession. Throughout my career, I have learned that there are many very bright and committed people working to serve the veterinary profession. I know that by working together there is little we can't do."

Cohn cites many AVMA initiatives, including the recent formation of the AVMA Economics Division, its Strategy Management Process and the Partners for Healthy Pets program, as critical elements of the AVMA's overall plan to help guide the association and the profession into the future.

"The Economics Division will allow the AVMA to learn the economic facts of life for this profession and put us in a better position to understand the economic challenges we are facing," Cohn says. "Our Strategy Management Process will allow us to better meet our members' needs by providing to them the services and products they want and value, and our Partners for Healthy Pets initiative will not only prolong pet lives but also strengthen the relationship between veterinarians and pet owners."

Born in Little Rock, Ark., Cohn attended the University of Colorado and then the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in pursuit of his Bachelor of Science degree in biology. After achieving his veterinary degree, Cohn completed an internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Mass. More recently, Cohn graduated from the certification course in veterinary acupuncture at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University.

Cohn began his career in private practice in 1976 as an associate veterinarian at Aspenwood Animal Hospital. He continues his career today at University Hills Animal Hospital in Denver as a partner and hospital director. From 1983 to 1988, Cohn served as a consulting veterinarian for the Denver Zoological Gardens.

Cohn was named Western Region Practitioner of the Year in 1997 by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), an organization with which he has been active for more than 35 years. He served on the AAHA leadership council from 1996 to 2008 and as an AAHA media spokesperson.

Prior to his election to the AVMA Executive Board in 2006, Cohn served on and chaired several AVMA task forces, committees and subcommittees, and he spent seven years in the AVMA House of Delegates, representing Colorado veterinarians. While serving on the Executive Board, he chaired the Insurance Liaison Committee, the Task Force on Strategic Planning and the Economic Vision Steering Committee. Cohn was also the vice chair of the AVMA Task Force on Future Roles and Expectations.

Cohn has been a leader in veterinary medicine from the time of his veterinary school days, when he represented Tuskegee in the Student AVMA's House of Delegates. He has served as the president of both the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society (1986-1987) and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) (1996-1997). Cohn was honored as the recipient of the CVMA President's Award in both 2003 and 2012 and was named as the Colorado Veterinarian of the Year for 2006. In 2009, the Colorado Association of Veterinary Technicians honored him with their Technician Advocate Award. Tuskegee University presented Cohn with their Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013.

For many years, Cohn served on the Dean's Advisory Council at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is a long-standing member of numerous professional organizations, including the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the Association of Amphibian and Reptile Veterinarians and the Association of Veterinary Informatics. He served for six years on the Board of Directors for the Animal Assistance Foundation, a group that actively supports, through grant making, improvement of animal welfare in the state of Colorado.

Cohn has been married to his wife, Becky, since 1970. Becky runs her own business and has been an active member of the Colorado VMA Auxiliary for many years. The Cohn family includes two grown daughters, Corinne and Jen, and cats Muffie and Bijou.

[Category: Medical]

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