Texas Optometric Association
The Texas Optometric Association (TOA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1900 that serves licensed optometrists across Texas through legislative advocacy, continuing education, and practice support. It operates as the state affiliate of the American Optometric Association and represents members in all 254 Texas counties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Texas Optometric Association does
The Texas Optometric Association (TOA) is a private nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1900 and headquartered at 3011 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 300, Austin, TX. It is the state affiliate of the American Optometric Association (AOA), with membership structured so that Texas optometrists automatically receive both TOA and AOA membership. TOA's core function is collective advocacy and professional support for Doctors of Optometry practicing in Texas, operating through a staff of approximately 5–6 led by Executive Director Sherry Ballance, MS, CAE, and an elected Executive Committee and Board of Trustees. The organization serves its members via 23 local societies covering all 254 Texas counties plus Student TOA chapters at University of Houston and University of the Incarnate Word, delivering advocacy, continuing education, managed care resources, legal helpline access, career center classifieds, and a public Find a Doctor referral directory.
TOA's product and service portfolio centers on recurring annual membership dues (tiered from $0 for graduation-year students to $2,111.44 for fully licensed therapeutic optometrists), three signature continuing education events (Summer CE Escape, EyeCon, TOA Summit) at $275 per member attendee, and a sponsorship program with Platinum and Gold tier industry partners including PPP, Adit, EDO, MacuHealth, TEEM, Hoya, Vision Elements, ZEISS, and Zocular. Distribution is direct via the texas.aoa.org website integrated with AOA's SSO/SAML authentication and through the local society network; no resellers or distributors are used. Technology is limited to standard association website infrastructure, member portal (MyTOA), and event registration platforms — no proprietary technology products, APIs, or data assets are developed.
The organization's revenue model is subscription-recurring (membership dues) supplemented by event registration fees and corporate event sponsorships. Its go-to-market is sales-led via direct membership outreach emphasizing advocacy value, the exclusive legal helpline, managed care resources, and discounted CE. TOA's strategic differentiator is its regulatory monopoly on optometric advocacy in Texas, evidenced by a multi-decade legislative track record including Medicaid inclusion (1989), scope of practice expansions (1991, 1999, 2021), first-in-the-nation VBM reform (2023), and any willing provider legislation (2025), all achieved through TOPAC, described as among the largest and strongest healthcare PACs in Texas.
Texas Optometric Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Texas Optometric Association
- Legal name
- Texas Optometric Association
- Website
- https://texas.aoa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Texas Optometric Association (TOA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1900 that serves licensed optometrists across Texas through legislative advocacy, continuing education, and practice support. It operates as the state affiliate of the American Optometric Association and represents members in all 254 Texas counties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Texas Optometric Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Texas Optometric Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues paid by optometrists, with tiered pricing based on career stage (graduation year). First year: $210.05, building to $2,111.44 annually for fully licensed therapeutic optometrists. Optional monthly payment plans available.
- Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for continuing education events including Summer CE Escape, EyeCon, and TOA Summit. TOA member rate: $275; Non-member rate: $375 for Summer CE Escape.
- Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (Platinum, Gold tiers) support TOA events including Summer CE Escape. Supporters include Adit, EDO, MacuHealth, PPP, TEEM, Hoya, Vision Elements, ZEISS, Zocular.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | First Year Member (post-graduation) |
| Subscription | Annual | Second Year Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Third Year Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Fourth Year Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Full Therapeutic Optometrist with TPA |
| Freemium | Annual | Graduation Year (May-December) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Summer CE Escape - TOA Member |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Summer CE Escape - Non-Member |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Texas Optometric Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TOA sells annual professional membership to Texas optometrists that bundles state and national (AOA) advocacy, continuing education access, legal helpline, managed care resources, classifieds/career services, and political action committee support. It also runs three major annual continuing education conferences (Summer CE Escape, EyeCon, TOA Summit) and operates the public Find a Doctor referral directory.
Product overview
The Texas Optometric Association is a professional membership organization that offers a unified membership platform providing advocacy, clinical resources, and continuing education services. The core offerings include TOA Membership (with automatic AOA membership), three major CE events (Summer CE Escape, EyeCon, and TOA Summit), a Career Center with classifieds, Find a Doctor referral service, MyTOA member portal, Managed Care Plan Resources, TOPAC political advocacy, Student TOA (STOA), Paraoptometrics Resources, and Legal Helpline. The association also supports local societies across Texas through the TOA Societies network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TOPAC (Texas Optometric Political Action Committee): The Texas Optometric Political Action Committee supports legislative efforts to benefit the safe and effective practice of eye and vision care in Texas. TOPAC is among the largest and strongest healthcare PACs in Texas.
Products and services
- TOA Membership Annual professional membership providing Texas optometrists with advocacy, clinical resources, continuing education, legal helpline access, managed care resources, and automatic membership in the American Optometric Association (AOA). Dues are tiered by career stage from $0 (graduation year) up to $2,111.44 annually for full therapeutic optometrists with TPA certification.
- Summer CE Escape Annual summer continuing education conference for optometrists offering CE credits, vendor exhibits, and networking, held at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, TX.
- EyeCon
Quantifiable outcome
- First-in-the-nation VBM reform passed in 2023 prohibiting anti-competitive behavior including steering to self-owned retail locations
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Texas Optometric Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Texas Optometric Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Texas Optometric Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Practice Performance Partners (PPP)coreCo-presenter of Summer CE Escape annual event with TOA, providing practice management expertise and CE programming. Platinum supporter of Summer CE Escape 2026.
- AditsupportingPlatinum supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event, contributing to TOA's continuing education programming funding.
- EDOsupportingPlatinum supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event.
- MacuHealthsupportingPlatinum supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape. Sponsors CE content including 'Nutrition and Neuroprotection in Athletes' presentation.
- TEEMsupportingPlatinum supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event.
- HoyasupportingGold supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event, lens technology partner.
- Vision ElementssupportingGold supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event.
- ZEISSsupportingGold supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event, optical technology partner.
- ZocularsupportingGold supporter of 2026 Summer CE Escape event, ocular health products.
- American Optometric Association (AOA)coreJoint membership structure where TOA members automatically receive AOA membership. AOA provides national clinical resources, advocacy, and organizational infrastructure; TOA provides state-level advocacy and local society network.
- InfantSEEsupportingNational program offering no-cost infant eye assessments. TOA promotes and connects members to InfantSEE provider program.
- Texas Optometry Cares (TOCT)supportingTexas charitable arm providing vision care outreach. TOA supports and promotes Texas Optometry Cares initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Texas Optometric Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Optometric Association (AOA): National professional membership association for optometrists and TOA's parent affiliate. Operates the same membership/advocacy/CE model at the federal level and provides the joint membership structure TOA is part of; directly comparable business model.
- American Dental Association (ADA): National professional membership association for dentists with parallel state-affiliate structure to AOA/TOA. Relevant benchmark for nonprofit professional association scale, revenue mix (dues + events + publications), and advocacy-driven member value.
Direct peers
- New York State Optometric Association: State-level optometric professional association providing advocacy, CE programming, and member services to New York optometrists. Closely parallel structure to TOA in mission, revenue model, and event programming.
- Florida Optometric Association: Florida's state optometric association with comparable scope-of-practice advocacy focus, membership tiers, and annual convention programming. Operates in the largest optometry market in the Southeast, providing a peer benchmark for TOA.
- Pennsylvania Optometric Association: State optometric membership association serving Pennsylvania optometrists with advocacy and CE programs. Same operating model and revenue structure as TOA.
- California Optometric Association: State-level optometric membership association with the same advocacy, CE, and member-benefit structure as TOA. Comparable operating model — state legislative advocacy, tiered dues, annual conventions, continuing education events.
- Ohio Optometric Association: State optometric association providing professional advocacy, continuing education, and member services to Ohio-licensed optometrists. Functionally equivalent peer with parallel governance, events, and PAC.
- Michigan Optometric Association: State optometric association serving Michigan optometrists with advocacy, continuing education, and member benefits. Closely analogous peer in scale, structure, and scope-of-practice focus.
- Illinois Optometric Association: State optometric association delivering advocacy, CE, and member benefits to Illinois optometrists. Similar nonprofit membership organization structure with tiered dues and PAC-supported legislative work.
Others
- Texas Medical Association (TMA): Texas statewide medical professional association advocating for physicians in the same Texas legislative environment. Highly relevant comparable for association operating model, PAC mechanics, and state-level advocacy strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Texas Optometric Association social profiles
Digital presenceTexas Optometric Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Texas Optometric Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Texas Optometric Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Texas Optometric Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Texas Optometric Association
What does Texas Optometric Association do?
TOA sells annual professional membership to Texas optometrists that bundles state and national (AOA) advocacy, continuing education access, legal helpline, managed care resources, classifieds/career services, and political action committee support. It also runs three major annual continuing education conferences (Summer CE Escape, EyeCon, TOA Summit) and operates the public Find a Doctor referral directory.
Is Texas Optometric Association a public or private company?
Texas Optometric Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Texas Optometric Association founded?
Texas Optometric Association was founded in 1900. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Texas Optometric Association based?
Texas Optometric Association is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Texas Optometric Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Registration Fees and event Sponsorships.
Who are Texas Optometric Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Optometric Association (AOA) and American Dental Association (ADA). Direct peers are New York State Optometric Association, Florida Optometric Association, Pennsylvania Optometric Association, California Optometric Association, Ohio Optometric Association, Michigan Optometric Association and Illinois Optometric Association. Texas Medical Association (TMA) is listed as an others.
Does Texas Optometric Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Texas Optometric Association.