SAN FRANCISCO—David W. Parke II, MD, has taken the helm of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) as the Academy’s new executive vice president and chief executive officer this month. He succeeds H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, who led the AAO since 1993 and is now retiring.

“I am looking forward to working with and representing the Academy’s members,” said Dr. Parke. “It is an honor to be able to serve the profession I love. Ophthalmology faces opportunities and challenges in the coming months and years, and I pledge to dedicate my best efforts to address both. I am especially indebted to Dr. Hoskins, whose skill and commitment has left the Academy well positioned to face the tasks ahead of us.”

Dr. Parke has served on the Academy’s Board of Trustees since 2000 and was the 2008 Academy president. He was president and CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute in Oklahoma City and professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

Dr. Parke holds many leadership positions, including being a founding member of MedEncentive, a company integrating evidence-based medicine into a pay-for-performance structure. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC).