ODOB welcomes new board members Melinda Calderwood (left) and Kirsty Pienaar

The Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB) has appointed optometrist Melinda Calderwood and dispensing optician Kirsty Pienaar for a three-year term, replacing Zoe Ross and former chair Jayesh Chouhan.

With a background in both independent and corporate optometry practice, Calderwood has been a professional teaching fellow and the associate head of student affairs with the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland (UoA) since 1999. She graduated from UoA in 1993 and completed her postgraduate ocular therapeutics qualification in 2005. She also holds a graduate diploma in science in psychology from Massey University.

Wanaka-based Pienaar is the operations manager for Ocula. She joined the industry as an optical assistant in South Africa in 2005 but has since become a fellow of British Dispensing Opticians, awarded by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians. Pienaar has served on several association continuing professional development (CPD) committees, as well as presenting at CPD events.

ODOB chair Kristine Hammond thanked former chair Chouhan and Ross for their time on the board. She also extended the board’s thanks to optometrist Ravi Dass, who ended his term earlier this year. Both Ross and Dass joined the board during lockdown and are recognised for their dedication and commitment, she said.

As chair, Chouhan led several initiatives, including the review on both the optometrist and dispensing optician scopes of practice following the 2019 HPCA Act amendments, the updates on the clinical standards for optometrists, the updates on the cultural competence and safety standards, and the development of the telehealth standards, said Hammond. “Throughout 2020 and 2021, he led the ODOB’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and provided great leadership to the sector. He was a longstanding board member and will be missed.”