Dear Members of the IOA,
First I want to thank the IOA for allowing me to serve as President and be part of an association that represents one of the passions of my life: orthoptics. As I step into the role of IOA president I want to thank you for your support over the past years as representative on Council on behalf of the Netherlands. I am following the footsteps of some great Presidents in the IOA. The association was founded in 1967 and the past presidents and council members who formed the last half century were motivated and persistent in pursuing the goal of success for the profession of orthoptics.
The next four years will become challenging as the association will become even more professional and is subject to new legislation as we saw with the recent introduction of privacy regulation (GDPR) and the upcoming change of the Articles of Association and our handbook. Over the coming years we will see more of these new challenges that we will solve together.
We can all agree that the nature of the correspondence with our members is changing rapidly. Social media and online communication is now an integral part of the IOA, and it is moving so fast it is hard to know how it will sort out. I will do my best to follow these new needs, both in privacy legislations as in the latest technology and online platforms.
I would like to thank outgoing President Karen McMain for her great work and tireless service to the council of management and the members of the IOA. Her input and insights have helped the IOA on a path to growth. Karen will take over form Cindy Prichard, who has done a wonderful job, to lead the volunteer program of the International Cooperation Program. She will also be involved in the smooth passing of the new version of the Articles of Association.
Those of you who have attended the latest IOA congress in Rotterdam know how our congresses bring international perspectives to our members. I am pleased to announce that the preparations for the congress in Liverpool, UK June 20-23, 2020 have already started. Please mark your calendars for the most important event of the orthoptic profession.
For our current members and perspective members I want to assure you that the intention of this council of management is to flourish as the global advocate for orthoptic learning, research and professional excellence. We will stay focused to be communicative, transparent and accountable to our members and as an association we will act ethically, fairly and with integrity. I look forward to a productive successful term of President and invite each of you to participate, and most important become involved in the IOA.
Best regards,
Jan Roelof (JR) Polling
President International Orthoptic Association (IOA)
