Dr. Ross Clark - DVM 1963
Western Veterinary Conference 2002
Dr. Ross Clark received Alumni Recognition Award at the K-State alumni reception held in conjunction with the Western Veterinary Conference. The awards ceremony took place February 11, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was recognized for time and effort devoted to advancing the profession of veterinary medicine and for being an exemplary role model for future alumni of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.
Originally from Onaga, Kansas, Dr. Clark earned both a bachelor's degree in 1961 and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1963 from Kansas State University. After initially working as a staff veterinarian, Dr. Clark founded Woodland PetCare Centers in Tulsa, Okla. in 1966, where he has practiced as a veterinarian and hospital owner since its inception. It would be the first of many private animal practices to be founded by the veterinarian and business entrepreneur.
Dr. Clark co-founded National PetCare Centers with five other successful veterinarians in 1996. He contributed seven of his private animal hospitals to the company upon its formation. Headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., National PetCare Centers operates 75 animal hospitals in 12 states. Dr. Clark serves as Vice President of Development and Regional Vice President of Operations for the organization. He and his wife Linda have three children and three grandchildren, all living in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Dr. Clark also remains active in his other passion: presenting seminars in practice management and practical canine and feline genetics. He formed Veterinary Management Concepts in 1981. As president and owner, his speaking tours have consisted of 45 states, multiple presentations to all major National professional veterinary organizations and to most veterinary colleges and more than a dozen foreign countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia, France, Argentina, Chile, Spain and Canada. Additionally, he has been the Practice Management Editor for Veterinary Economics magazine since 1982 and has also published multiple books and articles on practice management and genetics.
In addition to his many business endeavors, Dr. Clark finds time to remain active in several professional organizations. A member of the American Animal Hospital Association since 1972, he has served on membership and management committees. He served as director, vice-president, president elect and president of the Western Veterinary Conference from 1991-1999. The WVC, along with the North American Veterinary Conference, are the world's largest annual continuing education conferences for veterinarians. He is a longtime member of the American Management Association, American Veterinary Medical Association and Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, having served as president in 1984. He also served on the board of directors of the Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Alumni Association, where he served as president from 1992-1994. His community involvements include Sunrise Rotary Club of Tulsa and Boy Scouts of America.
Dr. Clark has received a great deal of recognition for his work. He received the Veterinarian of the Year award for the Western Region of the American Animal Hospital Association in 1987 as well as AAHAs National Award of Merit for pioneering contributions to veterinary practice management in 1991. Recognized for his dedication and service to youth, Dr. Clark received the William H. Spurgeon III Award from the Boy Scouts of American in 1979.