Dear NECO Colleagues and Friends,

The New England College of Optometry (NECO) mission to change the way people see the world is one of the reasons I serve as Board Chair. NECO changed the way I see the world when I was a student, and continues to change me further as an alumnus, an optometrist, a trustee, and as Board Chair. This is in great part due to the network of students, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, health center collaborators, and our many friends. We have so much to be proud of and so much to do.

The needs of students, patients, and the world continue to change. Telehealth has become more broadly accepted and remote learning and remote work have become expected options. We aggressively pursued accreditation of the Hybrid OD Program; however, due to stringent requirements around clinical education, we have not yet achieved success. This doesn’t mean we’ve given up on expanding NECO’s reach, including more students with limited geographic access or resources to pursue an optometric education, or the need for more flexible ways of learning. NECO will continue to innovate, to challenge what is expected, and to help others see things differently.

NECO’s Board of Trustees continues to challenge me and support our mission. They are a tremendous resource to me and to NECO leadership. I especially want to acknowledge Joe Zolner for his 12 years of service to NECO as a trustee. He has been an amazing moderator, a very strong collaborator with our development team, and a tremendous asset across so many areas of NECO. I also want to thank Rich Small, Steve Kirnon, and Bob Ryan for their service to NECO. They have provided excellent business and financial advice. Several new trustees will be added in the coming year.

One of the key concerns for the college and the Board of Trustees is managing the costs for students to attend NECO. A NECO education should be accessible to all who academically qualify without the burden of overwhelming debt. For this to be the case, we must increase contributions and identify, pursue, and deliver on commitments to additional revenue streams. I look forward to working with you to move NECO forward in this next year.

A very special thank you to our faculty and staff for the effort they continue to put forth as creative educators, compassionate clinicians, innovators, and collaborative problem-solvers. You inspire me to continue to change the way people see the world and to ensure the longterm leadership position of The New England College of Optometry.

Sincerely,

Kristen Griebel, OD ‘97 Chair, NECO Board of Trustees