Meet Dr. Cooksey: Championing representation and always making time for nature

Dr. Tonya Cooksey has always believed that the best medicine starts with the best education. As NVA General Practice's newest Clinical Learning DVM, a role she stepped into in January 2026, she's bringing that belief to life every day, designing training programs, mentoring veterinary teams across the country, and showing up for the next generation of veterinarians in ways that go far beyond the clinic.

In June, Dr. Cooksey took the stage at the National Association for Black Veterinarians (NABV) Conference, where she presented on imposter syndrome. A topic close to her heart.

Reflecting on the experience, she shared: "Depending on which study you look at, Black veterinarians make up only 1.2 to 2% of the field. A drop in the bucket, but I was able to network with techs, vets, and students who face similar struggles in this field we love."

We asked Dr. Cooksey 10 rapid-fire questions about training, mentorship, and life outside of work.

Address imposter syndrome head-on 💬 or let experience build belief over time ⏳?

Head on is best! Imposter syndrome is a mindset that you have to acknowledge so you can challenge those thoughts. Building experience over time helps but acknowledging your skills and talents in the moment is also important!

Mentor one-on-one 🤝 or lead a group session 👥?

Group sessions. Smaller group sessions can bring out different ideas and perspectives.

Small animal medicine 🐾 or exotic animal care 🦎?

Small animal medicine. I have spent all my time working on cats, dogs, and the occasional pocket pets. Props to exotic vets cause that is an area I do not excel.

Preventive care 💉 or emergency medicine 🚨?

Preventative care. The inner “overplanner” in me likes the consistency of preventative care. I’m a strong C on the DiSC scale so not knowing my schedule will kick in my anxiety for sure!

High school students 🍎 or veterinary professionals 🩺?

Though I love my high schoolers (if only for their blunt honesty and open mindsets), I enjoy working with my fellow vet professionals.

Teach the science 🧬 or teach the soft skills 💬?

It would be nice if vet school taught both, but soft skills are important, especially in a field where most of the time we have to communicate effectively with coworkers and pet parents.

One more episode 📺 or one more chapter 📖?

I’m back on a reading kick so one more chapter. If it’s a dystopian young adult series, I’m all about it.

City break 🏙️ or nature escape 🌿?

Nature escape. Living in Louisville, KY, I am in the heart of the city and I am landlocked (no ocean views for me), so I prefer a nature escape. I went to my first beach at 25, and that is now my chosen happy place.

Podcast 🎧 or music 🎵?

Music for everything – working, cleaning, relaxing. And like a true millennial, my playlist has a little bit of everything.

Binge the whole season 📺 or pace yourself one episode a night 🛋️?

Binge! After growing up with commercials and having to wait a whole week (or a whole summer!) for a new episode? I will gladly watch every episode I can until 2am.

More about Dr. Cooksey:

Dr. Tonya Cooksey joined NVA General Practice in January 2026 as a Clinical Learning DVM, bringing with her a background in veterinary medicine, clinical education, and leadership development. In her role, she leads the design and delivery of clinical education programs for general practice veterinary teams, including e-learning, workshops, simulations, and CE initiatives, and partners with clinical and operational leaders to align training with organizational goals. She also coaches and mentors hospital teams in the field, helping drive adoption of best practices across NVA's geographically distributed network.

A former teacher at heart, Dr. Cooksey is passionate about representation and mentorship in veterinary medicine.