AOA Leadership Institute

About the Leadership Institute

The AOA Leadership Institute program was developed by the AOA Leadership Development Committee to inspire the next generation of leaders within the AOA and its affiliates. The AOA Leadership Institute is a 12-month program with virtual components throughout the year as well as in-person lectures, focus groups and a reception at Optometry’s Meeting^®.

The aim is to energize and equip the next generation of champions for optometry, who will then be ready to step in and lead at all levels—local, state and beyond. The goal is to have a diverse leadership class each year that accurately represents the demographics of our rising generation of doctors of optometry. The Leadership Institute program will provide valuable lessons that can be applied to participants’ personal and professional development.

The purpose of the AOA Leadership Institute is to:

• Engage emerging leaders for optometry and the AOA.
• Provide training and personal growth opportunities.
• Provide leadership opportunities on local, state and national levels.
• Strengthen relationships between AOA, faculty and affiliates.

The vision of the AOA Leadership Institute is to:

• Activate and empower participants in the program.
• Foster cohesiveness within the class.
• Build friendships and support for each other as they advance in their careers and leadership roles.

Nomination and application process

Who would be an ideal participant?

We are looking for applicants who have demonstrated dedication and leadership in our profession and meet the following criteria:

• Active AOA membership.
• Five to 10 years in practice.
• Show interest or potential in leadership roles.

Review process

Nominations and applications are reviewed by a committee comprised of experienced doctors, champions and leaders of optometry.

We will be accepting nominations and applications for the 2023 Leadership Institute in late 2022. If you would like to nominate someone or apply for the program, please contact leadershipinstitute@aoa.org. 

Participant resources

Participant resources and recorded sessions can be found on EyeLearn Professional Development Hub, the AOA’s member-exclusive, centralized education portal.

How to access EyeLearn

1. When prompted, log in with the same username and password you use to login to this website. This will then direct you to your account profile.
2. Accessing the My Courses and Learning Plan feature provides access to your AOA Classroom. 
3. Once you have advanced to My Courses and Learning Plan, you can view all available, on-demand courses.
4. Select Leadership Institute to access your program resources. 

EyeLearn

Visionary supporters

The AOA Leadership Institute is supported by our longstanding Visionary Supporter, Johnson & Johnson Vision, and AOA’s newest Visionary Supporter, EssilorLuxottica.

Johnson & Johnson Vision

Personal development is a valuable part of becoming the best you can be, and all of us at Johnson & Johnson Vision stand behind you in your specific goal of leadership development. We are proud to be a Visionary sponsor of the AOA and to have the opportunity to work with programs like the Leadership Institute. It is an honor to support you as you step out of your comfort zone to explore the value of leadership development.

EssilorLuxottica

At Essilor, our mission is improving lives by improving sight. We achieve this through our innovative products, industry-leading programs, and partnerships to grow the eyecare industry. We are thrilled to partner with the AOA on the Leadership Institute, so together; we can help develop leaders that reflect the profession’s demographics. Strong leadership will ensure the continued growth and evolution of our industry, and we are excited to take part in this important initiative.

Contact us

If you have questions about the AOA Leadership Institute please contact us at leadershipinstitute@aoa.org.