Dr. Christine Cook.
NEW ORLEANS—During the 99th annual SECO International meeting last week, the House of Delegates unanimously elected Dr. Christine Cook of Virginia Beach, Va., as president. In addition, the delegates unanimously elected the following officers to serve along with Dr. Cook: Michelle Cooper, OD, of South Carolina as president elect; Horace Deal, OD, of Georgia as vice president; Tim Barry, OD, of Louisiana as treasurer; Dave Rouse, OD, of Florida as secretary; and Richard Durocher, OD, of Tennessee as immediate past president.

SECO International, host of the SECO meeting, which is widely recognized as the leading continuing education meeting for optometrists and allied health care ophthalmic professionals, held its annual Congress from March 9 through March 13 in New Orleans.

Dr. Cook earned her Doctor of Optometry degree (cum laude) at Southern College of Optometry in 1998 and currently owns and practices at The Eye Specialists in Virginia Beach, Va. Dr. Cook is a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

“Our organization has faced some challenges navigating the ever changing pandemic landscape over the previous two years, but our dedicated staff and volunteers, and continued support from our industry partners, have made it possible for us to continue to advance our mission,” Dr. Cook said in the SECO announcement. “SECO proudly offers in-person education and opportunities to evaluate new technologies and treatment modalities on site and has developed extensive virtual/web-based education opportunities via SECO University to meet the needs of the eyecare community worldwide.”

Dr. Cook is a distinguished member of the Southern Council of Optometrists, where she has served as president-elect from May 2021 – present, vice president from March 2020 – May 2021, treasurer from February 2019 – March 2020, secretary from March 2018 – February 2019, board of trustees from March 2016 – March 2018, nominating committee from March 2016 – March 2018, finance committee from October 2016 – February 2017, strategic planning meeting trustee representative from October 2017.

In addition, Dr. Cook is a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), past president of the Virginia Optometric Association, past president of Tidewater Optometric Society, committee member of Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation, and enjoys horseback riding, reading and attending movies with her husband and son in her spare time.

In 2023, SECO will host its 100th annual Congress in Atlanta. SECO International LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Council of Optometrists.