Gibbins, who has a background as a CEO of various associations and societies, said she was excited about starting the role and was confident her experience would help her settle into the position.“I feel really equipped to charter this organisation into a really good position in the future. The main thing is to grow the awareness of glaucoma blindness – to launch into the Australian market, and make people aware of their risk factors,” she said.{{quote-a:r-w:430-I:2-Q:“For me it’s about imagining the opportunity to actually prevent people from contracting blindness that they otherwise previously would have had.”-WHO:Annie Gibbins, new Glaucoma Australia CEO}}“The strategy moving forward for this board and this organisation is to go directly to the relatives of people with glaucoma and make th realise they have a one in four chance of developing that disease. For me it’s about imagining the opportunity to actually prevent people from contracting blindness that they otherwise previously would have had.”Retiring CEO Pollard said he was pleased with the position he was leaving the association in, having raised its profile, established a new website and doubled its assets during the seven years he was at the helm. However, he also said there was still much to be done in the fight against glaucoma.“Diagnosis rates have stubbornly refused to move for decades and if we’re going to fulfil Glaucoma Australia’s mission to eliminate glaucoma blindness, we have to diagnose people earlier, when they’re more asymptomatic and don’t have significant vision loss, to be able to actually keep th sighted for the rest of their life,” he said.In a release announcing the change, GA president Mr Ron Spithill commended Pollard on his contribution, and also welcomed Gibbins’ appointment as CEO.“Geoff steps down with GA in a stronger position than any other time in its almost 30 year history. I congratulate Geoff on his considerable achievents in the role and wish him all the best in his upcoming retirent,” he said.“It is a great pleasure to welcome Annie Gibbins as our next CEO. I am confident that under her stewardship our organisation will be a powerful force for change in the war against the blinding impact of glaucoma.”Gibbins’ previous roles include CEO of the Australian Institute of Ultrasound, CEO of the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine, National Education Manager of the Australian Orthopaedic Association and Senior Nurse Educator TAFE, NSW.Pollard will rain in the role until Gibbins takes over on February 1 2018.
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