President's Podium

Abstract

Leading up to assuming the presidency in July, and in the subsequent months, 1 have been asked numerous times what my personal goal is to achieve during my term. My style is to be a consensus builder, and as leader of our team I want 10 ensure that we are all pulling in the same direction. As a profession, we are too small a group to allow ourselves to be seriously divided. That Is why I am very pleased that we have completed a strategic planning process, observing the priorities expressed by our members, and identifying goals that will enable the CAO to best serve our members. My goal is to facilitate the CAO's ability to manifest our strategic plan, through good governance, effective financial and administrative management. and productive relationships, bo1h internal and external to our profession.

We had a very strong response to our members' survey from individual optometrists as well as provincial associations. It identified five highly consistent priorities:

1. Educate government
2. Educate the public
3. Unregulated internet sales
4. Sight testing
5. Children's vision

The participants in the strategic planning process kept those priorities In mind in their deliberations. They identified rive goals to work towards over the next three years:

1. To be the voice of doctors of optometry on federal vision care issues.
2. To support doctors of optometry nationwide in practicing successfully through working in conjunction with the provincial associations.
3. To facilitate dialogue about the future of the profession.
4. To provide support for students as they prepare to enter the workforce.
5. To manage an effective and efficient organization that enables high performance.

Like a budget, a sm11egtc plan Is a living document. guiding our work, but not ty­ing our hands. We will adapt and adjust as needed as we go along.

For their contributions. I would like 10 offer many thanks 10 our council members. our new Executive Director Laurie Clement, Marcel Brir from OSI, recently graduated optometrists. Drs. Justine Fung and Vick Chan, student association presidents Zoe Lacroix (University of Montreal) and Raj Mistry (University of Waterloo), president of NLAO D' Mark Smith, and facilitator Dr. Jane Cooke-Lauder.