Women In Optometry regularly recognizes the awards and accomplishments of women ODs in the profession and in their communities in the “Women in the News” series. Have you received an award or acknowledgement for your contributions to optometry or your community? Send us a note: MBijlefeld@jobson.com.
Congratulations to all honorees.
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Tindall Morrison, OD, was named the recipient of Mississippi State’s Emerging Leader award. |
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Stephanie Woo, OD, FAAO, of Woo U, was named Optometric Educator of the Year for 2023 by the Nevada Optometric Association. |
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Mary Kate Walters, OD, FAAO, was appointed to serve on the Texas Optometric Association’s Board of Trustees. |
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The 2024-2025 Association of Armed Forces Board was installed at the 54th Annual Business meeting.
Pictured front row:
Jenae Thomas, OD
Jacqueline Hallauer, OD
Meghan Elkins (AFOS President), OD
Sara Bustamante (Vice-President), OD
Loralie Hodges, OD
Jeanette Varanelli, OD
Greg Smith (Immediate Past President), OD
Pictured back row:
Adam Preston, OD (President-elect)
Micah Kinney, OD
Brian Williams, OD (Secretary-Treasurer)
Dr. Hanna Fylpaa, OD
Dr. Kimberly Woideck, OD
Not pictured:
Michelle Aaron, OD
Randy Cox, OD
Kevin Hoang, OD
Marcelo Moya, OD
Jeffrey Wilson
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Brooke Messer, OD, FAAO, FSLS, of West Fargo, North Dakota, is the recipient of the 2024 Naomi “Jo” Svochak GP Practitioner of the Year award from the Gas Permeable Lens Institute. |
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At the Birmingham Optometric Area Society in Birmingham, Alabama, outgoing president Kacey Climberg, OD, welcomed incoming president Ashley Savage, OD. |
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Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, FOWNS, CFMP (left), and Roya Attar, OD, MBA, DHA, FAAO (right), presented at the Iowa Optometric Association’s meeting. |
| Alabama Optometric Association award winners (all pictured with immediate past president Howard Day, OD) | |
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Allen Dunn, OD, Optometrist of the Year |
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Bonnie-Kim Schwertz, OD, Young OD of the Year |
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Terri Call, OD, Educator of the Year |
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Madison Rice, Paraoptometric of the Year |
| SECO award winners | |
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Selina R. McGee, OD, FAAO, founder and owner of BeSpoke Vision in Edmond, Oklahoma, was honored as the Optometrist of the South Award during the SECO meeting. |
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Diane F. Drake, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FNAO, was honored as Optician of the South. |
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Savanna Johnson, CPOA, OSC, was given the 2024 SECO Paraoptometric of the South award. |
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SECO honored Ronald R. Foreman, OD, with the 2024 President’s Award; Joel Byars, OD, with the Distinguished Service Award; and Christian Wyler, OD, of Lancaster, Kentucky, with the Young OD of the South Award. |
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SECO honored Bryan Markowitz of the Georgia Optometric Association as SECO’s Executive Director of the Year. |
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Karen L. Ling was appointed to Bausch + Lomb’s Board of Directors. |
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Kara Dunkle, optometry student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, won the 2024 Bill Mattingly Memorial Scholarship-Top Student. |
Women in the News – February 2024 | Women In Optometry
Women in the News – January 2024 | Women In Optometry
Women in the News – December 2023 | Women In Optometry
To view more newsmaker stories from WO, click here.
Featured photo credit: Getty Images, Jasmin Merdan
