Our management committees greatly assist in ensuring our services are led by optometrists, for optometrists. Committee members bring a range of expertise and skills to the role and provide leadership and operational insights to advance specific projects and activities, and to support the work of the secretariat.
Committee Purpose Committee members
Early Career Optometrists Victoria South Australia Tasmania Committee Early Career Optometrists Victoria South Australia Tasmania (ECOVSAT) enables early career optometrists to grow professionally, through the provision of continuing professional development and networking opportunities specifically targeted to the needs of early career optometrists.
Early career optometrists are defined as students and registered optometrists who are practising within ten years from graduation.
In Victoria and South Australia and Tasmania early career optometrists face unique challenges in establishing their careers within the profession. With several optometry schools across the three states, there will continue to be an increase in graduate numbers creating greater job competition within the states.
There are also specific learning and development requirements that may not necessarily be met through existing CPD offerings as well as a risk of professional isolation due to the dispersed nature of the workforce.
Our committee members bring a range of skills and expertise to their roles, and endeavour to guide you through these varied challenges and opportunities.Grace Hand (Chair)
Kaavya Nair
Lynn Qian
Ava Ward
Jessica Healey
Erica Barclay
Esmeralda Stefanopoulos
Claire Ong
Liam Hua
Dominique Birbeck
Hannah Ellis
Timothy Nguyen
Nicholas Willson
Sophie Bach
State Advisory Committee Victoria South Australia The State Advisory Committee Victoria South Australia Tasmania (SACVSAT) provides advice and insights on emerging issues in optometry, including:
SACVSAT provides information and advice to the OV/SA & OTas Secretariat regarding the above-named matters at an operational level. It will provide Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian-based members with an opportunity to have input into the work of their association. Committee members are encouraged to advocate for membership renewals and OV/SA and OTas's policy agenda more broadly.
Membership of SACVSAT should reflect the diversity of the optometry sector and include representatives from independent optometry, public health optometry, corporate optometry, rural and regional locations, metropolitan locations, early, mid and late career optometrists and optometrists from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds or those working in areas with a large proportion of CALD populations.
SACVSAT meets twice a year with regular email communication between meetings. In recognition of regional, rural and remote members, meeting attendance may occur in person or via video conference. Meeting secretariat support is provided by OV/SA. Saumya Anand
Mitchell Anjou (Co-Chair)
James Armitage
Adam Barresi
Luke Burns
Loucia Calder
Jessica Chi
Jo Croft (Co-Chair)
Jelle de Bock
Mark DePaola
Phill Fent
Lisa Ho
Stuart Holden
Tamra Karolewicz
Graham Lakkis
Paige Lynch
Senthil Murugappa
Viki Nikas
Daniel Thompson
Nicholas Willson
Optometry Victoria South Australia CPD Committee The Optometry Victoria South Australia CPD committee’s role is to provide ideas and advice about the OV/SA CPD program, including O=MEGA and Blue Sky, to ensure Optometry Victoria South Australia continues to provide a high quality clinical education program which appeals to a broad range of delegates. Timothy Lo (Chair)
Andrew Anderson
Anthea Cochrane
Isaac Curkpatrick
Jose Estevez
Suit May Ho
Mitch Walker