AOA inducts new Board of Trustee members, Dr Jacqueline Bowen as president

The AOA president and Board of Trustees being sworn in during the House of Delegates meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Image credit: American Optometric Association

A brand new American Optometric Association (AOA) president and the 2025-2026 Board of Trustees were officially recognized and inducted at Optometry’s Meeting 2025 on June 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the annual AOA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting.¹ Jacqueline “Jacquie” M. Bowen, OD, is the AOA’s new president, with Steven T. Reed, OD, as the immediate past president, according to a news release.

Bowen was previously elected to the AOA Board of Trustees in July 2016 and was then elected to president-elect in June 2024. She is now the 105^th AOA president.¹

“Our always-on volunteer leadership, full-time staff, and industry advocates will continue to have your back, even when you don’t realize it, for decades to come,” Bowen said in her inaugural address as stated in the release.

During her address, she stated that her priorities for her term include pushing back against vision plan abuses, continuing support of independent practice owners through programs including the AOA Center for Independent Practice, and fostering referral relationships with optometrists.¹ Bowen stated that the issue of reimbursement and coverage fairness is more than revenue; it’s about fair treatment.²

“We’ve helped doctors get paid for improperly denied YAG procedures, reversed inappropriate contract terminations, and fought to remove providers from unjust downcoding programs,” Bowen said in her address, according to a news release.² “Every day, we’re directly interfacing with plans to resolve credentialing problems, claim delays, and coverage inconsistencies.”

Bowen is a graduate of Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University, and completed a residency in ocular disease at Omni Eye Specialists in Denver upon graduating. She is a past president of the Colorado Optometric Association and served on the COA Board from 1998 to 2005. Now, she has served over 30 years as an eye care provider in the community.¹

Bowen has been awarded with the Colorado Young Optometrist of the Year in 2000, Colorado Optometric of the Year in 2012, the Colorado Distinguished Service Award in 2023, and 1 of the Vision Monday’s “Most Influential Women in Optical” in 2024. She is also a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.¹

As for the Board of Trustees, delegates were inducted during the final HOD session and include Teri K. Geist, OD, of Nebraska, as president-elect; Terri A. Gossard, OD, MS, of Ohio, as vice president; Curtis A. Ono, OD, of Washington, as secretary-treasurer; Steven T. Reed, OD, of Mississippi, as immediate past president; Marrie S. Read, OD, MBA, of the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services, as reelected trustee; and Jon F. Pederson, OD, of Colorado, and Amy A. Puerto, OD, of Louisiana, as newly elected trustees. Those not up for election this year but continuing their service as AOA Trustees include Paul M. Barney, OD, of Alaska; Tad R. Kosanovich, OD, of Florida; and Karoline L. Munson, OD, of Kentucky.¹

References:

1. American Optometric Association president and Board of Trustees inducted at Optometry’s Meeting. News release. American Optometric Association. June 30, 2025. Accessed July 1, 2025.

2. House of Delegates highlights association strength and advocacy successes. News release. American Optometric Association. June 26, 2025. Accessed July 1, 2025.