2014

Bronze Award - World Sight Day Challenge

We are proud to share with all the employees and customers of Vision Source that we have been recognized with a World Sight Day Challenge Bronze! Our company feels proud for what we’ve done to help people in the developing world also have access to vision care services.  We will again participate in the 2014 World Sight Day Challenge throughout September and October as one way we show corporate social responsibility.

Most Influential Women

Several Vision Source® members received recognition as the Most Influential Women in Optical, published on Dec. 15 in Vision Monday:

• April Jasper, OD, FAAO, of West Palm Beach, Fla., who was recently appointed as the Benedict Professor at University of Houston College of Optometry, was honored in the Executive Suite.
• Katie Gilbert Spear, OD, MPH, of Pensacola, Fla.
• Lauren Joy Stone, OD, of Newport, Tenn., who is also a Captain in the Tennessee Air National Guard, and Gina Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO, of Medina, Minn., were recognized as Rising Stars.
• Heather Suggitt, of Kingwood, Tx, was also recognized as a Rising Star as Vision Source® social media and public relations manager.

Awards and Honors

At the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Denver in November, several Vision Source® members achieved recognition. Jason Jedlicka, OD, FAAO, FSLS, of Jordan, Minn., became a Diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies section.The following were inducted as 2014 Fellows:

• Jennifer Lynn Capstick, OD, FAAO, of Hackensack, N.J.
• Keirsten Eagles, OD, of Silverton, Ore.
• Kristen Gaus, OD, MEd, of Bend, Ore.
• Jon F. Pederson, OD, FAAO, of Centennial, Colo.
• Laura Marie Suppa, OD, FAAO, of Charleston, W.V.
• Greg R. Waldorf, OD, FAAO, of Lincoln, R.I.

Michael Frier, OD, of El Dorado, was named Missouri Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year

The Illinois Optometric Association (IOA) named Timothy Cundiff, OD, of Peoria, as its Young OD of the Year. Brian Plattner, OD, of Galesburg, recently became  president elect of the IOA, and Matthew Jones, OD, of Effingham and Pana, is a new IOA legislative trustee.

Coby Ramsey, OD, of Rock Springs, WY, was recently awarded the 2014 OD of the Year award from The Great Western Council of Optometry.

William Ference, OD, of Pompton Plains, became vice president of the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians (NJSOP). Dawn Arnold, OD, of Union, is a new member of the NJSOP Board of Directors

Jo Anne Brilliant, OD, of Annapolis, received the Melvin Waxman Award from the Maryland Optometric Association.

Moes Nasser, OD, of Houston, was featured in 002 Houston Magazine. He was interviewed about his passion for helping those who are less fortunate.

Todd Smith, OD, from Peoria, became vice president of the Arizona Optometric Association. Tara DeRose, OD, from Littleton, became president of the Colorado Optometric Association. Vision Source® members Paul Heersink, OD, of Monte Vista, became past president, and Jon Pederson, OD, of Centennial, became secretary/treasurer. Zoey Loomis, OD, of Fort Morgan, was honored as Key Person of the Year.

Valerie Foytik, OD, from Virginia Beach, was honored with the Vanguard of the Year award by the Virginia Optometric Association.

Cheryl Schmitt, OD, from Tucson and Douglas, became president of the Arizona Optometric Association.

Rob Janot, OD, of Sulphur, was awarded the Dr. James Sandefur Distinguished Service Award from the Optometry Association of Louisiana.

April Jasper, OD, FAAO, of West Palm Beach, became vice president, and Tad R. Kosanovich, OD, of Englewood, became secretary-treasurer of the Florida Optometric Association.

Brian Wadman, OD; Matt Forgues, OD, of Worchester; and Gail Marchetto, OD, of Boston, were installed as president, president-elect and second vice president, respectively, of the Massachusetts Optometric Society.

Paul Hodge, OD, FAAO, of Allegan, became president of the Michigan Optometric Association.

David A. Cockrell, OD, of Stillwater and Pawnee, Okla., became president of the American Optometric Association (AOA) at Optometry’s Meeting in Philadelphia. Steven A. Loomis, OD, of Littleton, Colo., was elected as president-elect of the AOA. James P. DeVleming, OD, in Pullman, WA, was elected to the board for the first time and will serve a one-year term.

Ronald G. Seger, OD, FAAO, of Mountain View, was elected as a trustee to the California Optometric Association (COA) at its House of Delegates earlier this year. Several Vision Source® doctors were also appointed at the conference to chair COA committees:

• Lee Dodge, OD, of Sherman Oaks, became chair of the California Optometry Editorial Board.
• Cindy Wang, OD, FAAO, of South Pasadena, became chair of the Communications Committee
• Stevin Minie, OD, of Canoga Park, is now chair of the Finance Committee.
• Dr. Seger and Dr. Minie were also appointed as co-chairs for the Presidents’ Council Committee.
• Two of the four recipients of the Young Optometrist of the Year award were also Vision Source® doctors: Ranjeet Singh Bajwa, OD, FAAO, of Ventura, and Jeffrey Nishi, OD, of Glendale

These Vision Source® doctors were recognized as Docs of Distinction in the fourth annual Optometric Business Innovators report from Vision Monday and Review of Optometric Business:

• Peter Cass, OD, of Beaumont, Texas (Contact Lens Dispensing category)
•  Bobby Christensen, OD, of Midwest City, Okla. (Influencer category)
• Greg Aker, OD, of Titusville, Fla. (Patient Experience category)
• Maria Higgins, OD, of Frederick, Md. (Digital Media and Marketing category).

Susan DeBlack, OD, in Conway, was elected as the president of the Arkansas Optometric Association during its Annual Spring Convention.

Darren L. Minnich, OD, who practices in Nappanee, was elected president of Indiana Optometry at its Annual Spring Convention. Karon Nowakowski, OD, of Muncie, was elected secretary-treasurer.

Cheryl Schmitt, OD, of Tucson and Douglas, became president of the Arizona Optometric Association at its Spring Congress. Todd Smith, OD, in Peoria, stepped into the role of vice president

April Jasper, OD, FAAO, of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Katie Gilbert Spear, OD, MPH, of Pensacola, Fla., were named as professional co-editors of Women In Optometry magazine.

Gary Litman, OD, FAAO, in Dresher, Pa., was inducted as a board member of the newly formed The Optometric Society.

Wesley Kemp, OD, in Bolivar, was named Optometrist of the Year by the Missouri Optometric Association at its annual Legislative Conference earlier this year.

M.K. Randhawa, OD, from Vancouver, was named 2014 Optometrist of the Year by the British Columbia Association of Optometrists.

Two Vision Source® doctors took on new leadership roles within the Connecticut Association of Optometrists (CAO) this year.

• Elizabeth McMunn, OD, of East Lyme, became CAO president,
• Christian Swenby, OD, of Guilford, moved into the position of vice president.