Who is the Board?
As a self-regulating profession, the COBC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of elected and appointed members. Of the 9 board members, 6 are elected from the profession and 3 are appointed by government. Each board member serves a three-year term commencing at the beginning of the calendar year.
The COBC Board is responsible for ensuring that the duties and objectives of COBC are met. The Board is also responsible for ensuring that the vision needs of the public of British Columbia are met by B.C. Licensed Opticians through safe and effective means. In addition, the Board forecasts the long-term needs of the public in order to guide educational priorities and practice standards for B.C. Licensed Opticians.
In the course of performing its duties and exercising its powers under the Health Professions Act and other enactments, the Board is required to promote and enhance collaborative relations with other provincial entities including other colleges established under the Act, post-secondary academic institutions and the government.
The Board is also required to promote and enhance inter-professional collaborative practice between its registrants and persons practicing other health professions; as well as to promote and enhance the ability of its registrants to respond and adapt to changes in practice environments, advances in technology and other emerging issues.
COBC Board meetings are open to the public and provide a forum for discussion of a wide range of issues affecting the governing of the profession.
Current Board Members
| Electoral District | Representative | Term |
| District 1 (Lower Mainland) | Kim McEachern | 2021-2023 |
| District 1 (Lower Mainland) | Karl Chua | 2021-2023 |
| District 2 (Vancouver Island) – Appointed | Raheem Savja | 2020-2022 |
| District 3 (Okanagan and Kootenays) – Appointed | Crystal Pollard | 2022-2024 |
| District 4 (Cariboo) – Appointed | Sue Randhawa | 2020-2022 |
| District 5 (Contact Lens Registrant) | Martin Semaniuk, Vice-Chair | 2022-2024 |
| Public Appointee Location | Appointee | Term Expiry |
| Vancouver | Piotr Majkowski | January 31, 2023 |
| Burnaby | Peter Luongo, Chair | January 31, 2023 |
| Burnaby | Barbara Larkin | January 31, 2023 |
How do you become a Board Member?
Elections of Membership of the Board are normally held at the end of each calendar year. Notices of upcoming elections are announced 150 days before the election date.
Each registrant who is eligible to vote is eligible to vote both in Electoral District #5 and in one of Electoral Districts #1 to #4, being the electoral district in which the registrant principally resides.
| Districts | Description | Next Election |
| Electoral District 1 | Lower Mainland | 2023 |
| Electoral District 2 | Vancouver Island | 2022 |
| Electoral District 3 | Okanagan and Kootenays | 2024 |
| Electoral District 4 | Cariboo | 2022 |
| Electoral District 5 | Contact Lens Fitter | 2024 |
A registrant is eligible for election to the Board in an electoral district if on the date of the election she/he is:
- A registrant in good standing
- Engaged in practice of Opticianry or, is a resident in the electoral district for which she/he is nominated
- Not a candidate for election in, or already a member of the Board for another electoral district
- In the case of Electoral District 5, must currently be registered as a Contact Lens Fitter with the College
The term of office is three years. Call for nominations occur in August – September of each year, and the elections are held in December.