I am honored to serve as the president of the Orange County Optometric Society for 2023. Our society has persevered despite the many challenges faced over the past few years. I am grateful for the support of our members and sponsors as we navigated through difficult and uncertain times. I look forward to a productive and inclusive year for all of our members.

I would like to acknowledge our board members for their countless hours of work to help our society run smoothly and efficiently. Our continuing education team has worked hard to bring high quality education virtually. As we move forward, we plan to continue offering virtual continuing education as well as host a few in-person events. Our legislative team has been busy with scope expansion efforts in the state. Despite the roadblocks our profession faced this year legislatively, our organization will not give up until our patients have timely and equitable access to eye care providers. Our membership committee has been actively recruiting new members by demonstrating the value that organized optometry can bring to our profession. The success of our society would not be possible without the optometrists on our board that volunteer their time and resources.

I am also grateful for our sponsors, who have continued to support our profession and our society despite difficult times. Our sponsors have been flexible and adaptable as we navigated changes in how we run our society over the past few years. Their gracious support and generosity to the optometric community should not go unnoticed. Please consider supporting our sponsors by supporting the products and services they provide.

The strength of our society lies within our members, both new and old. I thank our members for serving our community and advocating for our patients. Thank you for stepping up when there is a call to action regarding legislative issues. Your voices are instrumental in our scope expansion efforts and improving the care of our patients. I encourage our members to participate in all the events we offer. Whether it’s a CE meeting, House of Delegates, Legislative Day, or a social event, there is something for everyone to take part in.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your OCOS president. I am proud to be a part of this incredible organization that advocates for our profession and the well-being of our patients.

Best,

Shora Ansari, OD, MS, FAAO