A new Chief Executive has been appointed to the Optometry Association of Australia’s Queensland / Northern Territory Division. Cristy Ross will take over the role formerly held by Greg Johnson on 12 September.
Having worked with the OAA QLD/NT Division in communications six years ago, Ms. Ross says she is looking forward to returning to the group.
“I know the team very well and I’m very excited about the opportunity. Over the past years, I’ve stayed in touch with the Division, I’ve attended their conferences and events and helped out whenever I could. The team is really proactive, and it’s always wonderful to work with a proactive group of people,” she told mivision.
Since working with the OAA QLD/NT, Ms. Ross has furthered her experience in marketing, communications, public relations and media relations. She says she will put the skills gained to good use in her new role.
I want to look at the Division’s existing communications to review how we can improve them… how we can take advantage of new communication channels
“I want to look at the Division’s existing communications to review how we can improve them… how we can take advantage of new communication channels – to deliver integrated information that is useful and manageable for busy optometrists… We will look at how we can make See Magazine more interactive – with links to information and different websites so that when optometrists open it up they can interact straight away.”
Ms. Ross said she will also look at increasing community awareness of optometry services. “Many of our optometrists are already out there providing volunteer community services. So what we now need to do is educate the community about what’s available to them… what they can access an optometrist for,” she said.
Ms. Ross is currently employed by Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL). Having worked to meet the marketing and communication objectives of both the 2007 and 2010 federal elections and the 2009 Queensland state election campaigns in previous roles, she has gained valuable experience in liaising with key decision makers and relevant industry stakeholders.
