The mid-March deadline for the Q1 Insight President Report came and went while in Washington, D.C., for AOA on the Hill 2026: our annual opportunity to meet with Florida Senators and Representatives regarding federal policies affecting optometry. This article was unfortunately submitted post-deadline. Here is where we detour on a personal sidebar:

I have an affinity for any word that includes my name, “Nate.” While there are many, the absolute pinnacle is "procrastinate." This should explain much, particularly to those who know me well. I will have the Q2 article to you all on time.

The annual AOA on the Hill is a rewarding event—an opportunity to strategize with AOA leadership, collaborate with like-minded optometrists from around the country, and engage with the Floridians representing our state on federal matters. While FOA leadership is innately involved, any Florida optometrist can be a “keyperson,” or primary contact, for our Representatives. If you have a desire to be involved in this process, please reach out to the FOA office and we can enlist you as a keyperson.

While repping in D.C. is all well and good,  the vast majority of the matters that affect your day-to-day practice in Florida are anchored in Tallahassee. Your optometric license is regulated by the Florida  Board of Optometry, which operates  within the Florida  Department of Health. Chapter 463 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Optometry Practice Act, is the regulatory law governing optometry in Florida. All of this is “Florida Optometrist 101”; we have all passed a Florida Laws and Rules exam and fortunately get our refresher every biennium with jurisprudence courses. The reason  for revisiting the basics is this:

Any substantial changes in your capacity to practice modern optometry are going to emanate through the Florida legislative process. The FOA has a rolling five-year strategic plan. Being an election year, part of that plan is to be  determined by the players in Tallahassee for 2027. The important relationships are already in place. Moving forward, here are the top three  objectives for every Florida optometrist to ensure legislative success:

3.  FOA membership. This should alternately be #2, or debatably #1. Having said such, this verbose drivel caught your attention due to your FOA membership; an appreciation for that commitment cannot be understated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2:  Grassroots legislative support. The secret sauce to Florida optometric legislative advancements (or the historic prevention of bad stuff—the 2023 veto) is our personal connection with state legislators. We have a stout grassroots  network, but it could always be stronger. Being an election year, we  will need to germinate relationships with newly elected officials. The time to create those relationships is now: most Florida state districts fall under areas of super-majority for one party or another. This makes  the primary elections, typically in August, more important than the November ballot. These candidates are out in your neighborhoods now, and for the next few months, engaging on a personal level. The most substantial grassroots relationship I have made occurred on my front porch on a Sunday afternoon with a future State Representative running in a primary. If you are civically inclined and have pride in your community and your profession, seek these candidates out. Answer the front door on a weekend afternoon for a well-dressed person between now and November. Mention that you are an optometrist and share your priorities and concerns. If you make a connection or have a pre-existing relationship with a candidate, please reach out to your local society leadership or the FOA office.

1: Optometry PAC. Yes, our  collective rally cry in every corner of the Sunshine State. The message FOA persistently presents at every optometric event. And if we can be honest, the only  individuals more uncomfortable than those absorbing the Optometry PAC commercial are your  colleagues presenting it. This is, however, reality. Optometry PAC is the conduit through which modernization of Florida optometry will occur—PAC investments allow for an avenue for strategic communication with key legislators. When  the grassroots is in place, said communication filters through the House and Senate to best effect. A passionate THANK YOU to all Optometry PAC investors!

I look forward to seeing everyone at priority #4, our 2026 FOA Convention “Down the Shore” at the beautiful JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. Do not procrasti"nate" booking your stay!

Threw a “Nate” word in each paragraph, as if this article was not tedious enough…

Nate Etten, O.D.
FOA President