AOA Closes Out Largest Intergenerational Optometry’s Meeting with Induction of New AOA Board of Trustees and President, Dr. Teri Geist

Phoenix, Arizona – June 20, 2026 – The American Optometric Association (AOA) closed out a landmark Optometry’s Meeting® in Phoenix with the election of its 2026-2027 Board of Trustees and the installation of Teri K. Geist, O.D., of Nebraska, as the 106th president of the AOA.

The profession’s premier annual event, this year’s record-setting meeting brought together more than 6,000 attendees, including more than 3,000 students, residents, new doctors and faculty. The strong turnout underscored the momentum across the profession and the shared commitment of doctors of optometry, future doctors, educators, advocates and industry leaders to advancing patient care and shaping the future of optometry.

In her installation address, Dr. Geist called on doctors of optometry to meet a rapidly changing health care landscape with unity, purpose and a continued commitment to patient-centered care.

“The past taught us who we are,” Dr. Geist said. “The leaders who came before us built the foundation of who we are and how we stand here today. But leadership requires us to spend more time looking toward possibility than toward nostalgia. The future deserves our attention. And there has never been a more exciting time to imagine what optometry can become.”

Dr. Geist emphasized that optometry’s future will require bold advocacy, collective strength and continued focus on patients, noting that membership is more than a renewal form; it is a commitment to access, reimbursement fairness, advocacy and professional unity.

“When we work together, our collective voice becomes stronger than any individual voice could ever be,” Dr. Geist said.

As she begins her term, Dr. Geist said her commitment is “to listen carefully,” “to lead humbly,” “to advocate boldly,” and to help ensure optometry’s future is “not only more advanced, but more human.”

“The future of optometry begins with helping people see what they didn’t know they were missing,” Dr. Geist said.

2026-2027 AOA Board of Trustees

During the House of Delegates’ concluding session, the following doctors of optometry were elected to serve on the AOA Board of Trustees:

Officers

President: Teri K. Geist, O.D., of Nebraska
President-elect: Terri A. Gossard, O.D., of Ohio
Vice President: Curtis A. Ono, O.D., of Washington
Secretary-Treasurer: Paul M. Barney, O.D., of Alaska
Immediate Past President: Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D., of Colorado

Trustees

Amy A. Puerto, O.D., of Louisiana
Shane A. Foster, O.D., of Ohio
Steven P. Eiss, O.D., of Pennsylvania

Continuing to serve as AOA trustees are Marrie S. Read, O.D., of AFOS in Virginia; Tad R. Kosanovich, O.D., of Florida; and Jon F. Pederson, O.D., of Colorado.

The AOA Board of Trustees works in support of the association’s mission to advance the profession of optometry and advocate for the quality eye health and vision care doctors of optometry provide to patients nationwide.

For more information, visit AOA.org.

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About Optometry’s Meeting®

Optometry’s Meeting, the annual meeting of both the AOA and AOSA, aligns optometric and industry professionals for a four-day experience to advance optometry and engage the association’s official business. Optometry’s Meeting renowned educational program supports every member of the care team with progressive continuing education and professional development opportunities. Simultaneously delivering an impactful conference experience, Optometry’s Meeting promotes networking and connection through the expansive exhibit hall, as well as a dynamic program of special events.

About the American Optometric Association

The American Optometric Association (AOA) represents more than 50,000 doctors of optometry, students and professionals who provide the majority of eye health and vision care in over 10,000 U.S. communities. As the leading voice for quality eye care, the AOA advances the profession through cutting-edge education, practice-changing resources, singular advocacy, and public education about the profession, ensuring patients nationwide have trusted access to essential, in-person eye health and vision care with member doctors of optometry.