By Francisco Garcia III
Every once in a while we come across individuals who seem to have a natural ability to adapt to any situation. They exude a genuine confidence that can have a positive effect on those around them, inspiring others to reach new heights and realize their own limitless potential. The new TVMA president is one of those individuals.
Dr. Lori Teller has an exceptional understanding of the current needs of the veterinary community in Texas and has been very active within different areas of the profession to influence positive change for its advancement. Her public contributions are just as engaging, from educational and domestic issues to promoting animal health and responsible pet care. She is committed to everything she does and shows the same loyalty to her clients, colleagues, friends and family.
Since receiving her doctor of veterinary medicine, cum laude, from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990, Dr. Teller has explored every available avenue of knowledge to learn more about what veterinarians in Texas can do to stay current and up-to-date in today’s socioeconomic conditions. Whether it is through her practice, associations, media or volunteering, she has taken the initiative to bring veterinary medicine to focus within the public eye. It is with this mindset that she looks to guide TVMA into the new decade.
“TVMA has always encouraged progress and innovation and has been open to new ideas,” explained Dr. Teller. “The association wants to adapt to the ever-evolving environment that we live in.”
Dr. Teller was first recognized by TVMA for her unwavering commitment to veterinary medicine by being honored with the Recent Graduate Award. At that time, she was also actively involved in the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association. It was with the HCVMA that she began producing pet health care segments for radio and television broadcasts. To this day, Dr. Teller has continued to have a strong presence in various media on behalf of the veterinary community in Texas. She is the chair of the Board of Certification of the American Society of Veterinary Journalists and currently is in her fourth year as a contributing reporter for the Veterinary News Network. She also provides helpful pet health insight for the TVMA TexVetPets podcast series and has recently become very active on various social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
On her journey to becoming the president of TVMA, Dr. Teller was a member of the association’s Board of Directors from 1999 to 2004, after which she became a member of the Executive Committee until she earned her appointment to the presidency of TVMA. She has also given her time to other organizations such as the Southwest Veterinary Symposium Women in Veterinary Medicine Task Force and the American Veterinary Medical Association, including the Animal Welfare Committee. She served on the HCVMA Board of Directors and the HCVMF Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1998, culminating in the office of president in 1997. In 2005, she co-founded the Texas State Animal Resource Team, an endeavor of which she says she is very proud.
“I think veterinarians should play a huge role in any sort of animal response to a natural disaster in this state, and TXSART is a way to bring all of the interested parties together to organize those efforts,” she said.
As with every position in leadership, it is important to recognize opportunity. These opportunities require thoughtful attention and strategy. Dr. Teller has the unique advantage of having industry experience and media influence to create a formidable voice for TVMA to further solidify itself as a significant proponent of change and innovation in the veterinary community. For her, all the media effort she puts into the profession outside of practice stands as a way of educating the public about important issues like responsible pet ownership, proper pet care and animal welfare.
“We always have the opportunity to educate the public better,” said Dr. Teller. “In the current social climate, there are so many different groups. Whether it’s people practicing without a license or humane groups who want to dictate how we practice or even people whose hearts are in the right place but don’t fully understand the issue, we need to do a better job of educating them.”
As a regular guest host on the radio program “Your Pet’s Health,” education is her main focus. While covering topics like geriatric pet care, feline diabetes and hypothyroidism, Dr. Teller utilizes her on-air time to provide listeners with vital information that can save them lots of stress and heartache. For her volunteer work in child abuse prevention, she was recognized as the KTRH 740 AM Every Day Hero in 1996.
In 1997, the American Board of Veterinary Practice certified Dr. Teller in canine and feline medicine. For her, she says the board certification was an incredibly worthwhile endeavor and was important because she really just loves to learn. It was a way for her to push herself and stay current on things going on in her area of practice.
“It was a goal I felt I should try to achieve, and I certainly encourage others to become board certified,” said Dr. Teller.
With Dr. Teller’s certification and her drive to continue her education, it shows she understands that the future of TVMA is dependent not only upon the support and advancement of its members, but also on the confidence of the student body at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Teller leads by example and wants to work with students and recent graduates to help keep TVMA relevant to them. The association is constantly searching for new ways to incorporate the students into its agenda and has done so recently with new additions like the Texas Veterinarian column “The Student Scoop,” which is written by a student at Texas A&M.
For those who may have difficulty juggling the commitments of work, school and family, Dr. Teller has a few words of advice:
“Know yourself. Know what’s important to you and have an incredible support system. If you are lucky enough to live near family, that helps, but if you don’t, you need to go out and make a support system for yourself. You need to know that there are people in your life that will be there for you when you need them,” she explained.
Part of Dr. Teller’s balance includes her many travels with her husband, dermatologist Dr. Craig Teller. At her last count, they have visited 34 states, Puerto Rico and 33 foreign countries, with her two favorites being Botswana and South Africa. She’s also fond of the Galapagos Islands and Italy. She hopes her next travel plans include New Zealand, Australia and Asia.
“We love to travel with our son, Austin, because it’s such an amazing way to teach him about the world,” she said.
As for her goals while TVMA president, Dr. Teller intends to make CE more easily accessible for members. She also aims to complete the strategic planning process and begin implementation of the plan, which will no doubt involve an increase in communication to members and creating innovative ways to educate the public within TVMA’s budgetary restraints. Another item on her list addresses the association’s legislative agenda so we are well prepared when the 2011 session begins.
Knowing her history within the veterinary profession, Dr. Teller’s commitment to veterinary medicine in Texas is as clear as her commitment to Meyerland Animal Clinic. She is currently an associate veterinarian at the clinic and has been working there in some form since she was 12 years old. Now, as your new TVMA president, her commitment is still as strong as ever, and she is more than prepared to lead the way in facing whatever challenges may lie ahead.
