Appointment of Public Members
Appointed public members are appointed by the provincial government. The Health Professions Act requires that appointed public members make up persons from the general public and that the Council consists of at least one-third of public members.
There are 3 Public Members on Council
| Public Members |
City |
Term |
| Judy Hierlihy |
St. Albert |
Appointed 2008 |
| Sibylla Lane |
Calgary |
Appointed 2008 |
| Pam Crosby |
Calgary |
Appointed 2011 |
Public members are appointed on their personal attributes and competencies. They are committed to acting in the public interest and possess the necessary experience and skills to contribute to board decision making.
All Public Members are initially based appointed for the term of one year. Public members are considered for re-appointment at the end of their first term based on their participation, commitment to the public interest and contribution to the Council. Public members are first re-appointed for a second term of 2 years, and as appropriate, for a third term of 3 years. The maximum cumulative term of service for a Public Member is 6 years.
The COA also has Public Member on its Discipline Committee.
Importance of Public Members:
Public members on the Council play an integral role in ensuring that the public interest is at the forefront of the AOA's work. They are appointed to the Council by government as non-Opticians, they represent the voice of the public at the Council level.
Public members often bring professional expertise (i.e. accounting or legal) to the Council and they complement the expertise of the elected Directors who have in-depth knowledge and insight into the profession.