Accreditation Council on Optometric Education Announces New Leadership

ST. LOUIS—The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) has announced changes at the leadership level with the appointments of Julie DeKinder, OD, as chair, and Michelle Welch, OD, as vice chair. Former chair, G. Timothy Petito, OD, served as ACOE chair from 2022 to 2025 and will remain on the council as a member and key resource, according to the announcement. The 13-member ACOE is the only accrediting body for professional optometric degree (OD) programs, optometric residency programs, and optometric technician programs in the U.S. and Canada and ensures the continued educational rigor necessary for optometry’s expanding role in health care, the announcement said.