Kristine Hammond, new ODOB chair

The Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB) has appointed Kristine Hammond its new chair and Annette Morgan as deputy chair.

Long-term board member and former deputy chair Hammond is the first dispensing optician to chair the ODOB since its inception. “Her role as a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland in the School of Optometry and Vision Science leaves her well placed for a unique perspective on both professions,” said the board. Optometrist Morgan is also a long-term board member and has held several board committee convenor roles.

The board welcomed both and thanked outgoing chair Jayesh Chouhan for his outstanding leadership and tremendous hard work during the last few years, noting his role in developing and expanding the registered scope of optometry in New Zealand. “He also brought consistency in the board’s standards and regulation for optometrists and dispensing opticians alike and was instrumental in the implementation of the changes due to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act of 2003 Amendment Bill of 2019.”

Chouhan also led the board’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic on behalf of the industry. “His leadership throughout this difficult time has been appreciated by everyone in the sector,” said the board. Chouhan became a board member in 2015, before becoming deputy chair in 2016 and chair in 2018; he will remain on the board during the transition to the new leadership.

Other board members include Ross Tayler (optometrist), Ravi Dass (optometrist), Zoe Ross (dispensing optician) and lay members Irene Durham and Sean McKinley.