Optometrists Currently Have No Voice in the Affairs of the  American Optometric Association

First, and perhaps foremost, the AOA's proposal for Board Certification was passed despite what appears to be an overwhelming majority of ODs being against it. For instance, in California the COA (California Optometric Association) took a survey. Of the COA members that responded 76% with an opinion were against the proposal, and less than 15% were in favor of it, yet the COA voted all 191 of its votes -- the largest voting block in the AOA House of Delegates -- FOR board certificaiton.

This kind of non-representative voting reflects a fundamental structural problem with the AOA as a "representative" organization. It shows that the "members" -- the ODs that pay dues to the AOA -- do not actually have any voting power or say in what the AOA does. Delegates from each state have the only voting power, and members of the state optometric associatins don't get to vote for which delegates will represent them at the national House of Delegates. So, unless your state association has their moral compass working (and, make no mistake about it, many states DID respect the wishes of their membership, but many others did not), the reality is, the way the AOA and the state associations are designed, individual ODs have no voice whatsoever in the affairs of optometry. It is ripe for political quid pro quo and other self-interest abuse, as was seen in the board certification process, especially in states like California.