AAHA welcomes new President, Directors at Connexity® conference

Lakewood, Colo. (September 19, 2022) — NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) welcomed a new president and a new director to the AAHA Board of Directors during the sold-out Connexity(R) by AAHA conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The AAHA Board is committed to investing in the future success of our members and with their support AAHA staff are bringing our purpose to life, to simplify the journey toward excellence for veterinary practices,” said AAHA Chief Executive Officer Garth Jordan, MBA, CSM, CSPO.

He explained AAHA's three-year strategic plan involves significant investment in infrastructure and new offerings. These include an improved process of accreditation; competency-based learning opportunities to support practitioners' application of AAHA's well-respected guidelines; and state-of-the-art benchmarking tools.

The president and new directors on the 2022-2023 AAHA Board of Directors include:

Margot Vahrenwald, DVM, president
Margot Vahrenwald grew up primarily in Los Alamos, New Mexico and still considers the Land of Enchantment her home state despite moves all over the country. A career-changer, Dr. Vahrenwald earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia and then a master’s degree in Communications at American University while working in public relations and public affairs in Washington, D.C. She transitioned to working as a veterinary receptionist at Friendship Hospital for Animals before moving to Colorado to take prerequisites and apply for veterinary school. Upon graduating from Colorado State, she completed an internship and then worked as a staff veterinarian at Friendship before moving back to Colorado. In 2011, she opened Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center which is now a six-doctor small animal practice in northeast Denver. When not working, she plans and dreams about travel while being entertained by her husband Chris and two small rascal dogs.

Lynn Happel, DVM, new director
Lynn Happel graduated from Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. After graduation, she practiced small animal medicine in a three-doctor practice in Muskegon for two years and then at an eight-doctor practice in Grand Rapids for six years. In 2010, she decided to open her own practice in Grand Rapids, MI, and on June 1, 2011, Eastown Veterinary Clinic was born. Dr. Happel participated in the American Veterinary Dental College and now has over a decade of experience and specialized training in small animal dentistry. She is on the Board of Directors of Eastown Business Association Board and the Uptown Business Improvement District Board. When she is not busy performing the work she loves, she spends quality time with her husband and sons, or cuddling with her own pets.

See the full AAHA Board of Directors and learn more about the association at aaha.org.

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About AAHA
Since 1933, the American Animal Hospital Association has been the only organization to accredit veterinary hospitals throughout the United States and Canada based on standards directly correlated to high-quality medicine and compassionate care. Accreditation in veterinary medicine is voluntary. The AAHA-accredited logo is the best way to know a practice has been evaluated by a third party. Look for the AAHA logo or visit aaha.org.