Leadership
The AOA Leadership is responsible for meeting the needs of our members and advocating for the profession.
A House of Delegates and an 11-member Board of Trustees govern the American Optometric Association (AOA). The House is comprised of affiliated association representatives, doctors of optometry in federal service, District of Columbia and optometry students. It meets at AOA's annual Optometry's Meeting® to:
- Conduct AOA business.
- Establish AOA policy.
- Elect officers and trustees to the board of trustees.
The board of trustees consists of six trustees plus these officers: President, president-elect, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and immediate past president. It is empowered to conduct AOA business when the House is not in session.
2024-2025 AOA Board of Trustees
AOA Officers
President Steven T. Reed, O.D.
President-elect Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D.
Vice President Teri K. Geist, O.D.
Secretary-Treasurer Terri A. Gossard, O.D., M.S.
Past President William T. Reynolds, O.D.
AOA Trustees
Steven T. Reed, O.D.
President
Mississippi
Steven T. Reed, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the 119th Annual AOA Congress & 46th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting® in July 2016 and recognized as president during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As the president of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Reed serves as a member of the Executive Committee, Personnel Committee, and AOA Advocacy Roundtable Committee. Dr. Reed is the liaison trustee to the Federal Relations Committee, Advocacy Committee, the Future Practice Initiative, the American Academy of Optometry, the National Optometric Leadership Conference, the National Association of VA Optometrists, Great Western Council of Optometry, North Central States Optometric Council, East/West Eye Conference, Southern Council of Optometrists and Universidad InterAmericana. He also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Kentucky, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming. Additionally, he is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including Pacific University College of Optometry and Southern College of Optometry.
Dr. Reed is a past president of the Mississippi Optometric Association (MOA) and the Southwest Optometric Society. In his role with the MOA, he served as chair of the Long-Range Planning Committee, Optometry for Progress PAC, the Legislative Committee, the Assistance to Graduates and Undergraduates Committee and the Nominations Committee. He was also chair of the Board of Trustees at Southern College of Optometry and Mississippi's Trustee for SECO International.
A graduate of Southern College of Optometry, Dr. Reed was the 2010 and 2016 recipient of the MOA James P. Brownlee Optometrist of the Year Award.
In Mississippi, Dr. Reed owns and operates private practices in Magee, Collins and Prentiss and is co-owner of practices in Clinton, Flowood, Forest and Vicksburg.
Jacqueline “Jacquie” M. Bowen, O.D.
President-elect
Colorado
Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D., was initially elected to the AOA Board of Trustees at the 119th Annual AOA Congress & 46th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting® in July 2016 and elected to the office of president-elect during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Bowen serves as chair of the Investment Committee and is a member of the 401(k) Committee, Executive Committee, Personnel Committee, Agenda Committee, the AOA Advocacy Roundtable Committee and the Center for Independent Practice. She is also the liaison trustee to the Contact Lens and Cornea Section, the Federal Relations Committee, the Advocacy Committee, the Future Practice Initiative, the Council on Research, the Meetings & Member Experiences Committee, American Academy of Optometry, the AOA-PAC, Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety and National Optometric Leadership Conference. She also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Furthermore, she is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry.
Dr. Bowen is a past president of the Colorado Optometric Association (COA) and also served on the COA Board from 1998-2005. She is a member of the Northern Colorado Optometric Society and the Colorado Optometric Glaucoma Society and a legislative keyperson to Colorado. Dr. Bowen was awarded the Colorado Young Optometrist of the Year in 2000, Colorado Optometrist of the Year in 2012 and Colorado Distinguished Service Award in 2023.
She is a graduate of Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University and completed a residency in ocular disease at Omni Eye Specialists in Denver. Dr. Bowen has owned and operated a private practice clinic where she recently partnered with MyEyeDr. in Greeley, Colorado. She has provided eye care to the community for more than 30 years. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and continues to be active in her community, serving with numerous civic, faith-based and music groups. She has been married to her husband, Doug, since 1990 and they have two adult sons and one daughter-in-law.
Teri K. Geist, O.D.
Vice President
Nebraska
Teri K. Geist, O.D., was elected to the AOA Board of Trustees at the 122nd Annual AOA Congress & 49th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting® in June 2019 and elected to the office of vice president during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Geist serves on the Investment Committee, Personnel Committee, Executive Committee and the 401(k) Committee. Dr. Geist serves on the AOA Foundation's Board of Directors and is the liaison trustee to the Education Center Committee, Advocacy Committee, the Future Practice Initiative, AOAExcel®, New Technology Committee, Industry Relations Committee, Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief and Accreditation Council on Optometric Education. Additionally, Dr. Geist is the Speaker of the House of Delegates Pro Tem. She also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington. Additionally, she is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University and Indiana University School of Optometry.
Dr. Geist is a past president of the Nebraska Optometric Association (NOA) and also served on multiple NOA committees including as legislative chair. She served as president of the North Central States Optometric Council and was the director of the Healthy Eyes Healthy Children grant aimed to address gaps in awareness and public policy in vision care that present impediments for underserved students in Nebraska schools. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. Additionally, Dr. Geist has been a consultant for the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education and chaired the Nebraska Foundation for Children’s Vision. Dr. Geist was awarded the NOA Young Optometrist of the Year in 2001, the NOA Optometrist of the Year in 2005 and 2019, NOA Distinguished Service Award in 2015, and four presidential citations.
She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned her doctor of optometry degree from Pacific University in 1996. Dr. Geist practices at Midwest Eye Care, PC in Omaha, Nebraska. She lives in Omaha with her husband Rod. They have two adult sons, Noah and Zachary, and daughter-in-law Caroline.
Terri A. Gossard, O.D., M.S.
Secretary-Treasurer
Ohio
Terri A. Gossard, O.D., M.S., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the 122nd Annual AOA Congress & 49th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting in June 2019 and elected to the office of secretary-treasurer during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Gossard is a member of the Investment Committee, the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee, the 401(k) Committee and the AOA Advocacy Roundtable Committee. Dr. Gossard is the liaison trustee to the Health Policy Institute, the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, and the National Optometric Association. She also serves as liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California, and Texas. Additionally, Dr. Gossard serves as the liaison trustee to schools of optometry including the The Ohio State University College of Optometry and Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry.
Dr. Gossard is a past president of the Ohio Optometric Association (OOA) and also served on the OOA Board and chaired its Children’s Vision Task Force and Legislative Committee. She serves on the executive project team for the OneSight Vision Center at Oyler School and volunteers for the RealEyes Save Our Sight classroom initiative. She is on the selection committee for the Young Investigator Student Fellowship Awards for Female Scholars in Vision Research, as well as Healthy Eyes, Healthy Children. Dr. Gossard was awarded the OOA’s Optometrist of the Year in 2017.
She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Optometry with doctor of optometry and master’s degrees in physiological optics in 1996. She practiced for 20 years in Cincinnati, Ohio, 17 of them in a multidisciplinary practice, and consulted for the Eye Care Provider Network, Primary Eyecare Network and the Northmark Integrated Eyecare Network. Dr. Gossard is the Midwest director of professional relations for Cincinnati Eye Institute Vision Partners.
Dr. Gossard lives in Cincinnati with her husband Ted. They have two adult children, Maggie and Will. She enjoys snow skiing and rooting for her hometown Buckeyes, Bengals and Reds.
William T. Reynolds, O.D.
Past President
Kentucky
William T. Reynolds, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees during the 115th Annual AOA Congress in June 2012 and is serving serves as past president as of the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54thAnnual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
Dr. Reynolds served as AOA president from 2020-2021. As past president, he serves on the Executive Committee. He previously served as chair of the Executive Committee and served on the Personnel Committee. He has been liaison trustee for the American Academy of Optometry, Great Western Council of Optometry, North Central States Optometric Council, Southern Council of Optometrists, East/West Eye Conference and Universidad InterAmericana. Dr. Reynolds’ past board work included serving as liaison to the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the AOA Investment Committee, Advocacy Committee, Meetings Center Committee, the AOA Political Action Committee, VisionWeb, Content Review Board, Industry Relations Center Committee, New Technology Committee, and Sports & Performance Vision Committee.
Prior to his election to the board, Dr. Reynolds served on the AOA Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Committee and spoke at the AOA's School Readiness Summit. He also has served on the AOA State Government Relations Center Executive Committee. Dr. Reynolds has been active in the Kentucky Optometric Association (KOA) for more than 25 years. He served as president of the KOA in 2001-2002. Dr. Reynolds has a long history of service on the KOA Legislative Committee and served as its chair from 2005-2011. He has been instrumental in the passage of access, children's vision and scope legislation. Dr. Reynolds has also served on the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners since 2009, as well as serving as chair of the Kentucky Optometric Medicaid Technical Advisory Committee and as president of the Kentucky Vision Project (VISION USA). Dr. Reynolds has been clinical director for Kentucky Special Olympics Opening Eyes program and the clinical co-director of the St. Pius X Vision Clinic in Kingston, Jamaica.
Dr. Reynolds is an adjunct faculty member at Southern College of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, Indiana University School of Optometry and the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry.
Dr. Reynolds is president and chief executive officer of Eye Care Center Optometrists, PSC in Richmond, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife Ann.
Curtis A. Ono, O.D.
Trustee
Washington
Curtis A. Ono, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the annual meeting of the House of Delegates on June 22, 2020, and he was reelected as trustee during the 126th Annual AOA Congress & 53rd Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2023.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Ono is a member of Investment Committee, Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the Finance Committee. Dr. Ono also serves on the AOA Foundation's Board of Directors. Dr. Ono is the liaison trustee to the Sports & Performance Vision Committee, Third Party Center Executive Committee, Coding and Reimbursement Committee, Faculty & Student Membership Liaisons, Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, World Council of Optometry and American Board of Optometry. He also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services. Additionally, he is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Optometry, New England College of Optometry and Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions College of Optometry.
Dr. Ono is a past president of the Optometric Physicians of Washington (OPW) and also served as chair of the Annual Convention Planning, Awards, Children’s Vision, Legislative Grassroots, Membership Development and VISION USA committees. In 2017, OPW recognized his optometric and community contributions with the Jack Hale Award for lifetime achievement. In addition, he was the recipient of the Optometric Physician of the Year Award in 2016 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 and 2016. Dr. Ono also served as president of the Great Western Council of Optometry (GWCO) Board of Directors. Additionally, he was chair of the Congress Planning, Industry Relations, Leadership Development, Medical Grants, Nominating, Education, Executive Director Search, President’s Council Planning and Student Program committees. In 2017, he was awarded the GWCO President’s Leadership Award. In 2019, Dr. Ono received the AOA President’s Award.
Before moving to Washington state, Dr. Ono was a member of the Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) and served as the Metro-area Legislative Grassroots Coordinator and chair/co-founder of the Minnesota Vision Project, part of the national VISION USA initiative. The MOA awarded Dr. Ono the President’s Award in 1994.
Dr. Ono is a co-owner of Puget Sound Eye Care in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington. He lives with his spouse, Wendy, and has an adult son, Alex, who is a student at the Southern California College of Optometry.
Belinda R. Starkey, O.D.
Trustee
Arkansas
Belinda R. Starkey, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the 124th Annual AOA Congress & 51st Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2021.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Starkey is a member of the Investment Committee and Finance Committee. She is the president of the AOA Foundation and is the liaison trustee to the Telehealth Council, Strategic Communications Committee, Leadership Development Committee, Quality Improvement & Data Committee, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety. She also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Wyoming. Additionally, she is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including State University of New York College of Optometry and University of Houston College of Optometry.
Dr. Starkey served as a member of the AOA’s Industry Relations Committee and the House of Delegates Credentials Committee. She served on various volunteer committees for the Arkansas Optometric Association (ArOA) where she was a past president and former co-chair of the State Legislative Committee. Dr. Starkey served as treasurer of Arkansans for Healthy Eyes, a coalition group advocating for Arkansas’ scope expansion law during the state’s recent referendum battle.
A founder and former chair of Networking Optometric Women (NOW), Dr. Starkey received the ArOA’s Optometrist of the Year and Special Service awards in 2020, the Theia Award in 2020 from Women of Optometry and the AOA’s Optometrist of the Year Award in 2021.
A graduate of Southern College of Optometry, Dr. Starkey is a partner at Parenti-Morris Eyecare in Rogers, Arkansas. She lives in Rogers with her husband, Clay, and dog, Jett. Dr. Starkey enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and is an avid Razorbacks fan.
Marrie S. Read, O.D., M.B.A.
Trustee
Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services
Marrie S. Read, O.D., MBA, of the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS), was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the 125th Annual AOA Congress & 52nd Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2022.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Read serves on the AOA Foundation Board of Directors and is the liaison trustee to the Education Center Committee, the State Government Relations Committee, the Membership Development Committee, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Opportunities in Optometry, the Optometric Historical Society, Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety and National Board of Examiners in Optometry. She also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Additionally, she is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry, Midwestern University of Arizona College of Optometry, Salus at Drexel University Pennsylvania College of Optometry and the American Optometric Student Association.
Dr. Read is a past president of AFOS and also served on the AFOS Board and chaired the AFOS Awards Committee. Prior to her election to the AOA Board of Trustees, she chaired the Nominating Committee and served on several AOA committees including Quality Improvement & Data Committee, Registry, Federal Relations, Federal Advocacy Representative and Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety. Dr. Read was awarded the AFOS Navy Optometrist of the Year in 2013.
She is a graduate of Saint Louis University, earned her doctorate of optometry from Southern College of Optometry, completed a residency in primary care and ocular disease from the Harry S. Truman Veterans Hospital, earned a master of business administration from Naval Postgraduate School and completed a legislative fellowship on Capitol Hill. For more than 25 years, Dr. Read served in the U.S. Navy in various leadership and clinical positions until her retirement. She practices in Virginia and is licensed in Virginia, Tennessee and Florida.
Dr. Read lives in Virginia with her husband John. They have three children: Joby, Emma and David.
Paul M. Barney, O.D.
Trustee
Alaska
Paul M. Barney, O.D., of Alaska, was elected to the AOA Board of Trustees at the 125th Annual AOA Congress & 52nd Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2022 and was reelected as trustee during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Barney serves on the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the AOA Foundation's Board of Directors. He is the liaison trustee to the Vision Rehabilitation Committee, Telehealth Council, Third Party Center Executive Committee, Leadership Development Committee, Scholarship & Awards Committee, the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry, and the Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association. He also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Additionally, he is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry and Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry.
Dr. Barney has dedicated more than 20 years of volunteer service to the Alaska Optometric Association (AKOA), where he has held almost every leadership title, including president, chair of the Education Committee and chair of the Legislative Committee. He also has served as a member of the Board of Examiners in Optometry for the state of Alaska for eight years, including five years as chair. Dr. Barney has devoted countless hours over many years advocating for the advancement of the practice of optometry in Alaska so that the needs of optometric patients in the rural areas and villages of the vast state can have access to the best care possible. He currently serves as chair of the Legislative Committee for the AKOA. He was instrumental in passing H.B.103 in 2017, a statute which gave the Alaska Board of Examiners in Optometry the autonomy and the authority to write regulations for anything that is taught at an accredited school or college of optometry.
Dr. Barney served as Alaska’s director to the Great Western Council of Optometry for several years and served as its president from 2014-2015.
Tad R. Kosanovich, O.D.
Trustee
Florida
Tad R. Kosanovich, O.D., was elected to the AOA Board of Trustees at the 126th Annual AOA Congress & 53rd Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2023 and was reelected as trustee during the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Kosanovich is a member of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the Center for Independent Practice. Dr. Kosanovich is the liaison trustee to the Research and Information Committee, the State Government Relations Committee, the Paraoptometric Resource Center, Commission on Paraoptometric Certification, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Optometric Extension Program. He also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Additionally, he is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry and University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry.
Dr. Kosanovich entered private practice in Englewood, Florida, in 1992, having received his doctor of optometry degree from the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University in 1986 and completing an ocular disease residency at Omni Eye Services in Baltimore, Maryland. He has a history of leadership dating back to his time at Michigan College of Optometry, serving as class president for two years before being elected president of Ferris Optometry College Union of Students and representing Michigan by attending the AOSA national meeting. Dr. Kosanovich became active in his local Manasota Optometric Society in the 1990s, serving as president, and first became involved with the Florida Optometric Association (FOA) when he served on the FOA Charities Board, 1999-2004. Dr. Kosanovich was elected to the FOA Board in 2011, ascending to president for 2017-18.
He served as the AOA Third Party Center State Coordinator from 2014-2023. The state political action committee grew during his chairmanship for FOA ODEYEPAC from 2020-2023. He was appointed to the AOA State Government Relations Committee (SGRC) in 2018 and served through 2023.
During his tenure of service on FOA’s Legislative Committee, Florida achieved success by passing pro-optometry bills and stopping a multitude of anti-optometry pieces of legislation. As a member of the AOA SGRC, Dr. Kosanovich provided assistance to other state affiliates in their own legislative challenges.
In his community, Dr. Kosanovich has served on the board of his local YMCA and the Englewood Youth Foundation, chairing the latter’s Scholarship Committee. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Englewood, serving as president in 2003-2004 and Rotary Area Governor for his district, 2009-2012.
Karoline L. Munson, O.D.
Trustee
Kentucky
Karoline L. Munson, O.D., was elected to the American Optometric Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the 127th Annual AOA Congress & 54th Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting in June 2024.
As a member of the AOA Board of Trustees, Dr. Munson is the liaison trustee to Ethics & Values Committee, the Evidence-based Optometry Committee, the Commission on Ophthalmic Standards, InfantSEE & Children’s Vision Committee, and the American Association of Corporate Optometrists. She also serves as the liaison trustee to affiliate associations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York and Vermont. Additionally, she is the liaison trustee to optometry schools including University of California Berkeley School of Optometry, Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and Illinois College of Optometry.
Dr. Munson has dedicated over 15 years of volunteer service to the Kentucky Optometric Association (KOA) and the AOA. On the state level, Dr. Munson served on the KOA board, in addition to serving as legislative co-chair since 2021, treasurer of the KOA Political Action Committee since 2006, as a member of the Kentucky Medicaid Technical Advisory Committee since 2018 and treasurer of the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners since 2023. On the national level, she has served the AOA as a volunteer to the Third Party Center Executive Committee, New Technology Committee and Federal Relations Committee, as well as serving as a Federal Advocacy Representative since 2019.
Dr. Munson graduated from the Indiana University School of Optometry in 2001 before going into practice in Frankfort, Kentucky, where she practices to this day. She also is adjunct faculty at the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry.
Dr. Munson has been honored with numerous awards, including KOA Young Optometrist of the Year (2005) and Optometrist of the Year (2020), as well as having received the KOA’s President’s Award twice (2014 and 2016) and has been named to Vision Monday’s “Most Influential Women in Optical” in 2014, in addition to being awarded the honor of Kentucky Colonel in 2006 and 2012.
Past Presidents of the American Optometric Association
Mobilizing against myopia
The AOA is on the march to close the gap in access to children’s eye care and improve outcomes for families across the country.
Keeping your practice (and finances) safe
Long-term disability insurance provides protection from the financial fallout of illness or injury.
Seeding change
The AOA Foundation advances eye health and vision care through its key programs, including InfantSEE®, Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief, student scholarships and the AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry Grant.