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Team regroup
AOA bylaws changes
Western Regional Conference
Saturday, September 20 at UC Berkeley
For consideration: Eye Spy Talent
Quick recap
The meeting focused on introducing and familiarizing participants with the updated tech and team portal, including demonstrations and discussions about society roster features and membership management. The team reviewed various membership updates and changes to AOA bylaws, particularly regarding life and retired membership categories, while also planning educational events and panel discussions on private practice management. The group concluded by discussing strategies to increase engagement and membership retention, including plans for new initiatives and communication efforts through various channels.
Next steps
Summary
Tech Portal Introduction and Updates
The meeting served as a catch-up session to introduce and familiarize participants with the updated tech and team portal. COA demonstrated how to access the team portal, which consolidates information for society leadership and team collaboration, and encouraged attendees to explore and report any issues. The group also discussed the society roster feature, allowing liaisons to view and manage membership details.
Society Membership and Events Update
The meeting focused on society liaison activities and membership updates. Jasdeep reported that all board members in their society are now actual members and will receive stipends, while Munish shared details about Inland Empire’s spring social event which included a speed-dating style mixer. The team discussed the importance of keeping society rosters updated in the team portal, with COA noting that some information was outdated. They also addressed the process for handling dropped members and discussed membership FAQs, including the availability of maternity leave waivers. Finally, COA mentioned upcoming AOA bylaws changes, particularly regarding life membership, which will not take effect until 2027.
Membership Category Changes Discussed
COA discussed changes to membership categories, particularly for life and retired members. The AOA’s definition of life membership will now require members to be retired or not earning compensation from optometric practice. Post-grad dues for residents will increase from $35 to $50 annually. COA will continue to follow AOA’s criteria for life membership without needing bylaw changes. The team was asked to consider recommending a bylaws amendment to remove the 55-year age cap for retired members, as this restriction had been problematic for members retiring at younger ages.
New OD Boot Camp Planning
COA announced the need for volunteer leaders to host virtual boot camp sessions, with Munish offering to lead a leadership training session in early October. The group discussed organizing educational events and panels on private practice management and myopia control, with Jasdeep offering to participate in a panel discussion at Vision Expo about the experiences of new graduates. They explored the possibility of hosting in-person events at Berkeley and other locations, with Jenn expressing interest in participating given her experience in private practice. The conversation concluded with plans for a Western Regional Conference panel focused on private practice experiences, with AOA support for this initiative. The group discussed organizing several upcoming events, including panel discussions on cold start and Kaiser HMO practices, with COA planning to follow up with Munish, Jasdeep, and Jen about scheduling.
Event Planning Overview
They also planned for the Western Regional Conference at Berkeley on September 20th, where Britney agreed to help with the leadership lunch and exhibit hall, and discussed the possibility of an in-person pop-up session on myopia control. Munish offered to connect with Will Toe about participating in the Berkeley event, and COA mentioned that Christina would be coordinating insights programs and boot camps for 2026.
COA Member Benefit Proposal
Jasdeep proposed a new member benefit for COA, offering his recruiting services to help COA members find jobs and increase COA’s membership and profits. The team discussed the potential benefits and concerns, with Munish suggesting further financial analysis and considering the value proposition for members. COA will escalate the proposal to the board for review, pending feedback from the membership team within a week.
Enhancing Membership Engagement Strategies
The membership team discussed strategies to increase engagement and membership retention, with Jenn highlighting the need to communicate the value of membership benefits to members. COA reported that membership numbers are flat but stable compared to declining trends in other associations, while Munish suggested creating short videos to highlight advocacy wins and promote membership. The team agreed to improve communication efforts through various channels, including social media, newsletters, and outreach to local societies, with plans to launch a new newsletter next month.
Breakout Sessions and PC Planning
The group discussed holding breakout sessions during the upcoming September 10th meeting to connect with society lead liaisons and board liaisons, with Sarah and Jodi agreeing to explore using breakout rooms for these discussions. Rich shared challenges with reaching out to societies via email and suggested using text messages instead, which the group supported. The conversation ended with COA announcing that new information would be posted to the portal and requesting any private feedback about Eye Spy Talent before it’s presented to the board, with the next meeting scheduled for August 17th at noon.
Quick recap
The COA team meeting covered various aspects of membership management and communication strategies. They discussed ways to improve outreach to members and non-members, including the introduction of a monthly email, boot camps, and personalized contact with dropped members. The team also reviewed membership data, explored potential new offerings, and planned for upcoming events while addressing technical issues and introducing new staff.
Next steps
COA team to create a template for monthly membership communication and share with the team for feedback.
Summary
Call to Order
Jodi introduced COA’s new staff member, Christina Anderson, who will be handling data and communications management. The agenda for the meeting was shared, and the team was set to discuss various topics related to their membership.
Improving COA Communication and Transparency
The team introduces themselves and discusses their backgrounds in optometry and involvement with COA. They set goals for the year, with a focus on improving communication and transparency about COA’s activities and benefits to members. Jen highlights feedback from focus groups indicating that members want more information about how their dues are being used and what COA is actively working on. The team aims to address this by increasing outreach and making COA’s efforts more visible to members.
Improving Communication and Member Engagement
The team discussed the need for more effective communication with members and non-members. They agreed to send out a monthly newsletter with key updates on membership, events, advocacy, and special events. The team also considered using social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to reach a wider audience. They planned to create an infographic template for the newsletter and track its success. Additionally, they discussed the idea of hosting a monthly boot camp to provide resources and support to members. The team agreed to build a library of boot camp topics to be available on their website.
Boot Camp Accessibility and Resource Guide
The team discussed the accessibility of their boot camp and OD resource guide. They considered offering the boot camp to all Young ODs, while making the resource guide a member-only benefit. The idea of a hybrid version, where the second half of the videos are for members, was proposed. The team also discussed the challenge of providing value to members and non-members, and the need to offer exclusive content to members. They agreed to explore the possibility of limiting access to the resource guide after 10 minutes and encouraging non-members to become members for full access.
Membership Offerings and Outreach Strategies
The team discusses potential improvements to the membership offerings, including relocating the library to the Resources section and exploring additional services consulting or mentorship programs. COA presents membership data, noting that numbers are currently flat, and expresses a desire to involve the team and board in outreach efforts to dropped members. The group considers implementing communication boot camps and other new offerings to add value for members.
COA Yearly Membership Comparison
COA presented a year-over-year comparison of major categories, noting a .2% increase in dues-paying members. COA expressed satisfaction with the 19% year-over-year increase in new graduates converting to paid membership. The new OD boot camp was introduced to provide value to new graduates. The pilot program, which tested dues at $100 a month, was not found to improve retention. The retired with no benefits category was noted to be growing. COA also mentioned that AOA might cancel the pilot program and that there were several membership amendments to be voted on at the AOA house of delegates.
Outreach to Dropped Members Discussed
COA proposed outreach to members who were dropped for non-payment, suggesting that the team could reach out to them individually. The team discussed the response rate to previous outreach efforts, with Jenn suggesting a more personalized approach could lead to better results. COA offered to provide scripts and talking points for the outreach. The team was asked to consider how many people they could reach out to on a monthly basis, with no specific number agreed upon.
Society Liaisons and Membership Reports
Jenn and COA discussed the process of reaching out to society leaders and the potential benefits of having liaisons for societies. COA proposed assigning 8 to 10 people to each team member and suggested the idea of having society liaisons. Jenn and Jasdeep expressed their thoughts on the matter, with Jenn suggesting that it might be easier for her due to her previous experience on the board. COA also mentioned giving team members access to membership reports and guidance. The team agreed to fill in the form linked on the agenda and COA promised to set up access for them to get the membership reports.
New Boot Camp for Doctors
The team discussed the idea of a new boot camp for new doctors, focusing on topics such as licensure, job networking, and CE. They considered involving current committee team leads to present on specific subjects. The team also discussed the possibility of targeting employers and entrepreneurs for topics related to business management and mental health. The idea of having a consistent monthly boot camp was well-received, with the team expressing interest in contributing to the program.
COA Meeting: Webinars, Graduation, and Resources
COA discussed the need for a webinar on how to get dues paid for Kaiser docs and suggested recording sessions for extra use. COA also mentioned the upcoming graduation events and the need for help at the Berkeley and Western events. COA introduced the new website and the use of the app for communication. COA also mentioned the Society Leader Portal and the OD resource guide, which require login. The team agreed to have their meetings on the second Wednesday of every month at 12 PM.
Member vs Non-Member Event Split
Danny discussed the split between members and non-members attending their events, with a 60-40 split in favor of members. COA mentioned that they provide incentives for non-members to join, such as crediting their registration fee towards their membership. Danny suggested offering perks to members, such as discounted rates on hotel rooms or free upgrades. COA agreed to consider this idea and mentioned that they have a free CE event in May. They also discussed the possibility of tiered memberships, but noted that they cannot control the AOA dues portion. The team agreed to discuss these ideas further during their next meeting.
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Chief Strategy Officer
Dr. Lance Anderson is the Chief Strategy Officer at PECAA, where he is engaged in all aspects of company strategy. He co-founded PECAA in 2007 and helped lead the organization as it grew from a small local Portland study group to a national alliance of independently owned eye care practices. He served as a board member of Rev-360 from 2015 – 2021 and helped oversee the management and successful sale of Revolution EHR, Visionary Partners, and eventually PECAA.
He earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University in 1991. He started his own optometry practice in 1993 in Hillsboro, OR, and was able to grow the practice into a busy three-doctor clinic. He retired from clinical care in 2021 and then moved to New York City where he was tasked with helping to integrate PECAA with the HEA buying group. He recently moved to Nashville, TN where he will continue to be actively involved in creating the future vision for PECAA as it is integrated into the VSP family of businesses.
Chief Member Experience Officer
Dr. Justin Manning is the Chief Member Experience Officer at PECAA, where he leads the member experience team, encompassing member education, the Member Business Advisory services, Events, and the Cold Start program. He is the founder and host of the Practice Advantage podcast. Prior to joining PECAA, he founded The Keratoconus and Scleral Lens Institute at Bettner Vision in Colorado Springs, and eyeLeader, a consulting company focused on leadership development, technology in eyecare, and population health.
He has contributed to Review of Optometric Business and has lectured nationally and internationally on specialty contact lenses, design thinking, population health, and the patient experience. He earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from The Ohio State University and completed a residency in Geriatric Optometry at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Tacoma, WA, a Master of Public Health degree at Salus University, and a graduate certificate in Customer Experience from the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business. He is driven to help all independent eye care professionals grow their businesses and enjoy their practices every single day.
About information
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