There is no question that the inspirational leaders I encountered while at the OSU College of Optometry helped set the course for a fantastic voyage in this rewarding profession. They were mentors for professionalism, clinical excellence, effective communication, and service to Optometry. A point of pride is my uninterrupted service as a volunteer in the American Optometric Association (AOA) since 1983. Dr. Tim Kime appointed me to an AOA task force to increase student awareness of the importance of a lifetime of association membership. From that came chairmanships of the following: Diabetes Project Team, Optometric Executives Project Team, Information and Member Services Group Executive Committee, Non-Dues Income Committee, and Assistance to Graduates Project Team. Other AOA service includes time on the Glaucoma Project Team, Communications Technology Project Team, the Resolutions Committee, the Leadership Institute, and 10 years as the President’s Council Moderator. I was the AOA Optometrist of the Year in 2006. Similar volunteer positions in the Ohio Optometric Association (OOA) led to service as President in 2002, its centennial year. I participate in the RealEyes Classroom Initiative, serve as the liaison to the Northwest Ohio Regional Extension Center/Health Information Partnership, and was chairman of the East-West Eye Conference. The OOA has recognized me with its Outstanding Senior Student, Young Optometrist of the Year, Key Optometrist of the Year, and Warren G. and Ruth P. Morris Optometrist of the Year Awards. Service to the community has included past president of the West Toledo Kiwanis Club, Toledo Jaycees, and assistant scoutmaster to Boy Scout Troop 87. There are three thriving practices in the Toledo area that I had a hand in starting from scratch, and my current partner is an awesome OSU grad from the class of 2010, Dr. James Hardie. Barb and I have four children, Robbie, Kristi, Molly, and Andrew, who also share a great appreciation for the gifts of the optometric family in Ohio and across the country.
