Dr. Liesa Stone, of Cedarville, was named OVMA’s 2024 Veterinarian of the Year, Dr. Kevin
Corcoran, of Xenia, received the Distinguished Service Award and Dr. Michelle Harcha, of Grove
City, received the president’s gavel from outgoing OVMA President Dr. Diana Cron.
Veterinarian of the Year
Veterinarian of the Year is considered OVMA’s highest honor, and is bestowed annually to one
individual in recognition of outstanding contributions to veterinary medicine.
Stone has served on the OVMA board of directors, including president in 2018, for over a
decade. She has also served as president of the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine
alumni association, and has represented OVMA on the American Veterinary Medical
Association’s house of delegates for the past six years.
Stone has worked for The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s advancement
team since 2012. As assistant dean of external relations, she develops and implements
strategic initiatives to achieve college fundraising goals while enhancing legislative and
corporate relationships.
Stone started her career teaching in Texas and Florida, and also worked as brand manager for
Iams/Procter & Gamble Co., and led the veterinary technical services team at Bayer Animal
Health.
Distinguished Service Award
OVMA’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes Corcoran’s longstanding service and
dedication to the veterinary profession.
Corcoran has provided his veterinary expertise to a variety of organizations throughout his
career, including Procter & Gamble Co., the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, Central State University,
4 Paws for Ability, American Horse Shows Association and Springborn Laboratories.
As an OVMA member since 1980, Corcoran has participated in a variety of committees, and
served as the treasurer of OVMA’s board of directors from 2018-2024. He is active in several
veterinary associations and has held leadership roles with the American College of Laboratory
Animal Medicine.
Corcoran also invests his time mentoring youth as a longtime 4-H advisor and science fair
judge. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling to national parks and cheering on The
Ohio State Buckeyes.
New OVMA President
At the OVMA Annual Members Business meeting held during the Midwest Veterinary
Conference Dr. Diana Cron reflected upon the past year before passing the gavel to Dr. Michelle
Harcha, of Grove City.
“It’s been a very busy year, and we’ve worked on a lot of issues that affect our profession,” Cron
said. “But if you look around you at this amazing well-organized conference, you can see the
power of the OVMA as we work together to better our profession.”
“I know that Dr. Harcha will be an exceptional OVMA President”
“As president-elect, it has been my privilege to work side-by-side with Dr. Cron,” said Harcha.
“She provided exceptional mentorship, and I feel well-prepared to serve as president and
continue the important work she accomplished during her presidency.”
Harcha, who said she was inspired to become a veterinarian by her grandfather, received a
bachelor of science and doctorate of veterinary medicine from The Ohio State University. She
practiced for 10 years in Cincinnati before working for Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
In 2007, Harcha became the director of alumni services and professional development
education at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she led the
professional development curriculum for veterinary students. She held that position until 2017,
when she formed LeadYourShip, a coaching and consulting company that specializes in
teaching leadership, communication, well-being and emotional intelligence.
She is a Board Certified Coach and an ICF Associate Certified Coach
COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 4, 2025) — The Ohio Veterinary Medicine Association (OVMA) awarded
its highest honors, while its newest president assumed leadership during the association’s
annual Midwest Veterinary Conference Feb. 20-22 in Columbus.
A 1993 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Diana Cron is co-owner of Glenway Animal Hospital in Cincinnati. She sits on the OVMA Board of Directors and served as president in 2024. Prior to veterinary school, she worked as a high school science teacher and a clinical chemist for the Cincinnati Health Department. With a special interest in treating small mammals, Dr. Cron is an educator at Large House Rabbit Society and previously served on the OSU Small Animal Veterinary Practitioner Board. She is a graduate of OVMA’s Leadership Development Program and a past president of Cincinnati VMA. She and her husband Brian, also a veterinarian, live in Cincinnati with their daughter Elizabeth and a menagerie of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits and fish.
Inspired to become a veterinarian by her grandfather, Dr. Michelle Harcha received her bachelor’s and DVM degrees from The Ohio State University, after which she spent more than 10 years in Cincinnati as an emergency, relief, and small animal veterinarian. Wanting to better understand the business side of veterinary medicine, she completed a Master of Arts in business management at Antioch University McGregor in 2001. Her career took her to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, where she held a variety of positions over 12 years that included working with veterinarians, technicians, staff, faculty, and students in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In 2007, she returned to her alma mater and became the director of alumni services and professional development education. Developing curriculum to help students acquire leadership and communication skills helped her to see the next phase of her career, and in 2017, she formed LeadYourShip, LLC, which provides veterinary practices with training in leadership, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. An OVMA member since 1985, Dr. Harcha currently serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary and sits on the Animal Abuse Recognition & Reporting Task Force. A cancer survivor, she is a strong advocate for Pelotonia, the Stefanie Spielman Fund, The James at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, and the Komen Race for the Cure. She resides in Grove City, Ohio, with her yellow lab, Colby.
Dr. Liesa Rihl Stone joined the College of Veterinary Medicine as the Chief Advancement Officer in 2012. In 2018, she was promoted to also serve as the college’s Assistant Dean of External Relations. She works actively to support the university advancement model, bringing together alumni engagement, communications/marketing and fundraising at the college. Dr. Stone is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to achieve campaign and annual college fundraising goals as well as enhancing legislative and corporate relationships.
In addition to 13 years of private practice experience, Dr. Stone taught at both Texas A&M University and St. Petersburg Junior College. She was employed in the animal health industry for more than 15 years, spending 10 years with The Iams Company/Procter & Gamble working in technical support and brand marketing. Just prior to joining Ohio State, Dr. Stone spent six years at Bayer Animal Health leading the Veterinary Technical Services team, responsible for technical support of the companion animal business.
Dr. Stone is a double alumna of The Ohio State University. She received her BS in Animal Science in 1980 and her DVM in 1983. After receiving her DVM, she completed one year of graduate work in clinical pharmacology at Texas A&M University.
Dr. Kevin Corcoran has offered his veterinary expertise to a variety of organizations, including Procter & Gamble Co., the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, Central State University, 4 Paws for Ability, American Horse Shows Association, and Springborn Laboratories. An OVMA member since 1980, Dr. Corcoran has participated in a variety of committees as well as the Board of Directors, on which he currently serves as Treasurer. He has also held leadership positions with the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. In addition, Dr. Corcoran is active in AVMA, Miami Valley VMA, and American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Corcoran spends time judging school science fairs and is a 20+ year 4-H advisor. He also enjoys exploring the national parks with family, cheering the Scarlet and Gray, and beekeeping.
ABOUT OVMA
The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) is a non-profit trade organization providing services to its members in the areas of continuing education, public outreach, advocacy, and professional resources. Known for hosting the fifth-largest veterinary convention in North America, OVMA represents more than 2,800 veterinarians practicing in various fields and specialties and 600 veterinary students. The OVMA’s principal purpose and mission is to foster lifelong learning, stewardship, compassion and community in veterinary medicine.
