Program Participants
About the Program
Program Goals
Ophthalmic Industry Support
This Year's Program
Program Recognition
Nomination Submissions
Additional Information

Program Participants
The Academy congratulates the following Eye M.D.s who have been selected to participate in the Leadership Development Program Class of 2012 (LDP XIV):

	Natalie A. Afshari, MD Durham, North Carolina Ocular Microbiology & Immunology Group
	Ronald A. Braswell, MD Birmingham, Alabama Mississippi Eye Ear Nose & Throat Association
	Susan K. Burden, MD Winston-Salem, North Carolina North Carolina Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
	Geoffrey G. Emerson, MD, PhD Minneapolis, Minnesota American Society of Retina Specialists
	Sidney K. Gicheru, MD Irving, Texas Texas Ophthalmological Association
	Neeru Gupta, MD, PhD Toronto, Canada Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
	Don O. Kikkawa, MD La Jolla, California American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
	Alan E. Kimura, MD Denver, Colorado Colorado Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
	Mark R. Melson, MD Nashville, Tennessee Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology
	Tatyana Milman, MD New York, New York American Association of Ophthalmic Oncologists and Pathologists
	Daniel E. Neely, MD Indianapolis, Indiana American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus
	Millicent Palmer-Johnson, MD Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
	Jeff H. Pettey, MD Salt Lake City, Utah Utah Ophthalmology Society
	Nathan M. Radcliffe, MD New York, New York American Glaucoma Society
	William W. Richardson II, MD Georgetown, Kentucky Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
	Prin Rojanapongpun, MD Bangkok, Thailand Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand
	Eric R. Thomas, MD Sioux Falls, South Dakota South Dakota Academy of Ophthalmology
	Anthony J. Viti, MD Winchester, Virginia Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons

About the Program
Each spring, state, subspecialty and specialized interest ophthalmology societies are invited to nominate an Eye M.D. member to participate in the program. About 18-20 program participants are selected from the nominations submitted. Over the course of their year in the program, participants attend four education sessions that address a variety of leadership, advocacy and association governance topics.

Program Goals
The goals of the Academy's Leadership Development Program include:

• Identifying ophthalmologists with the potential to become leaders in ophthalmology societies.
• Providing orientation and skill development to developing leaders in order to promote ophthalmology locally and nationally.
• Facilitating the promotion of program graduates into leadership positions both locally and nationally.

Ophthalmic Industry Support
Since the program's inception, the Academy has had the support of ophthalmic industry in implementing the Leadership Development Program. Over the course of the program's existence, industry partners have included ALCON, Allergan, AMO, Bausch & Lomb, Becton Dickenson, Genentech, Merck, Pfizer Ophthalmics and Santen. The Academy recognizes these industry partners for their collaboration in developing future leaders in ophthalmology.

During the Academy's 2011 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Santen, Inc. sponsored a Global LDP Alumni Reception for graduates of the Academy’s Leadership Development Program as well as graduates of the national and supranational LDP programs from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East/Africa, Asia and India.

This Year's Program
LDPXIV participants began the Leadership Development Program with an orientation session in conjunction with the 2011 Annual Meeting in Orlando. They next visited the Academy's San Francisco headquarters and participated in an interactive two and one-half day meeting in January, 2012. A session in April, 2012 at the Academy's Mid-Year Forum in Washington, D.C., will focus on developing participants' advocacy skills. Participants will graduate at a final session at the 2012 Joint Meeting in Chicago.

Program Recognition
The Leadership Development Program was honored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as a trophy winner in its 2001 Gold Circle Awards program for excellence and innovation in association management, and was recognized in ASAE’s April 2002 edition of Association Management magazine.

Nomination Submissions
Each spring, the Leadership Development Program solicits nominations for the upcoming program year. State, subspecialty and specialized interest ophthalmic societies are invited to nominate a member who has demonstrated a commitment to their society and who has shown potential to become a leader of their organization. The Selection Committee will begin soliciting nominations for LDP XV, Class of 2013 in March 2012.

Additional Information
For more information about the Academy's Leadership Development Program, see the online brochure (PDF 104KB), or contact Gail Schmidt, director of Ophthalmic Society Relations.