2022 OD Awards

2022 Optometrist and Young Optometrist of the Year Awards

Do you know an outstanding optometrist who should be recognized for their efforts in the field of optometry? Consider nominating them for the 2022 Optometrist of the Year or Young Optometrist of the Year awards. The Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an individual for performance of outstanding services on behalf of the profession and to the visual welfare of the public. The Young Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an optometrist who, within their first decade of practice, has shown leadership skills when serving their profession, their patients, and their community.

A nomination may be made by a member in good standing or by a society. Nominees must be current members of the IOA. Nominations for each award should be submitted online via the links below.  A head and shoulders photograph must be included with the nomination. Nominations must be submitted by August 15, 2022.  

Optometrist of the Year

ELIGIBILITY FOR OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR
·         Any member in good standing who has been practicing for 11 years or more.
·         Cannot be a current member of the Board of Directors or a Past President of the Association that has served in the last 5 years.

CRITERIA FOR OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR

PUBLIC SERVICE (30 point maximum)
·         the country, state, or other political subdivision in any capacity.
·         education.
·         the community.
·         religious or service institutions.
·         charitable causes.  

SERVICE TO THE VISUAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC (20 point maximum) 
·         with sight-saving groups. 
·         legislative activities beneficial to the visual welfare of the public. 
·         participation in governmental health care programs. 
·         participation in public service programs such as visual screening projects, etc.  

SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (30 point maximum)
·         Contributions of personal effort and time on behalf of the profession's advancement.  

SERVICE TO IOA (20 point maximum)
·         Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
·         Promotion of the association's goals and programs.
·         Activity in support of association's projects.
·         Involvement in public information activities.  

Submit an OD of the Year Nomination 

Young Optometrist of the Year

ELIGIBILITY FOR YOUNG OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR 
·         The nominee must be a member in good standing and be in active optometric practice 10 years or less (including residency or fellowship).
·         Cannot be a current member of the Board of Directors.

CRITERIA FOR YOUNG OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR

SERVICE TO OPTOMETRY (40 point maximum)
·         leadership roles (include titles and dates).
·         major accomplishments.
·         initiating and/or implementing unique plan, program, or action on behalf of optometry.
·         published professional articles or research findings.
·         outreach to potential students, or assistance to optometry students and/or recent graduates.  

SERVICE TO THE VISUAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC (35 point maximum)
·         sight-saving groups or charities.
·         service efforts in the community.
·         participation in government health care programs.  

SERVICE TO IOA (25 point maximum)
·         Service as an officer, committee chair or member, etc.
·         Promotion of the association's goals and programs.
·         Activity in support of association's projects.
·         Involvement in public information activities (media spokesperson, etc.)  

Nominate a Young OD of the Year

2021 Optometrist and Young Optometrist of the Year Award Winners

	OD of the Year 2021 Mary Lou French, OD
	Young OD of the Year 2021 Brigette Colley, OD

Previous Optometrist of the Year Winners 

1961 - Charles Hagener, OD 
1962 - Don Frantz, OD 
1963 - Floyd Mizener, OD 
1964 - Paul Randolph, OD 
1965 - James Molenaar, OD 
1967 - Jack Potter, OD 
1968 - Stanley Maer, OD 
1969 - Harold Weinberg, OD 
1970 - Albert Bucar, OD 
1971 - James Gardner, OD 
1972 - Lawrence Vogel, OD 
1973 - Robert Collins, OD 
1974 - Irving Kernis, OD 
1975 - James Strieter, OD 
1976 - Herbert Smith, OD 
1977 - Dean Ambrose, OD 
1978 - Al Rosenbloom, OD 
1979 - Joseph Ebbesen, OD 
1980 - Henry Luckhardt, OD 
1981 - Lamar Wells, OD 
1982 - Alfred Fontana, OD 
1983 - Richard Stratton, OD 
1984 - Gene Ossello, OD 
1985 - Wayne Gordon, OD 
1986 - Richard Bursua, OD 
1987 - Joe Meloan, OD 
1988 - Charles Schoen, OD 
1989 - Allan Baker, OD 
1990 - Derrald Taylor, OD 
1991 - Donald Gordon, OD
1992 - George Lever, OD
1993 - Floyd Woods, OD
1994 - Martin Sikorski, OD 
1995 - Thomas Lawless, OD 
1996 - Jordon Beller, OD
1997 - Gary Blackman, OD
1998 - Gary Lasken, OD
1999 - Walter Zinn, OD
2000 - Karla Kraeszig, OD 
2001 - Pete Kehoe, OD
2002 - Gary Gray, OD
2003 - R. Tracy Williams, OD 
2004 - Vincent Brandys, OD 
2005 - Mark Esarey, OD
2006 - Pamela Lowe, OD
2007 - Arol Augsburger, OD 
2008 - Louise Sclafani, OD 
2009 - W. Gregg Eubanks, OD 
2010 - Charlotte Nielsen, OD 
2011 - Millicent Knight, OD 
2012 - Dennis Rabe, OD
2013 - Leonard Messner, OD 
2014 - R. Scott Wooley, OD 
2015 - Robert Steinmetz, OD 
2016 - Dennis Brtva, OD
2017 - Geoffrey Goodfellow, OD
2018 - Robert Blumthal, OD 
2019 - Brian Plattner, OD
2020 - Stephanie Johnson-Brown, OD
2021 - Mary Lou French, OD

Previous Young Optometrist of the Year Winners

1994 - Paul Williams, OD
1995 - Pamela Lowe, OD
1996 - Steven Steinmetz, OD
1997 - Millicent Knight, OD
1998 - Louise Sclafani, OD
1999 - Vincent Brandys, OD
2000 - Charlotte Nielsen, OD
2001 - Brian Sehy, OD
2002 - Valerie Kattouf, OD
2003 - Sandra Bury, OD
2004 - Tim Williams, OD
2005 - Geoffrey Goodfellow, OD
2006 - Robert Steinmetz, OD
2007 - Paul Stauder, OD
2008 - Deana LaBrosse, OD
2009 - Jeffrey Kempf, OD
2010 - Brian Plattner, OD
2011 - Angela Oberreiter, OD
2013 - Matthew Jones, OD
2014 - Tim Cundiff, OD
2015 - Karina Nikogosian, OD
2016 - Nicole Jensen, OD
2017 - Andrew Neukirch, OD
2018 - Chelsey Moore, OD
2019 - Mark Burke, OD
2020 - Jon Reid, OD
2021 - Brigette Colley, OD