EB presents the sixth annual #EBGameChanger Awards to 10 highly respected optometrists, opticians, and optical retailers who delivered support, guidance, and vision to change the eyecare arena this year for good—and usher in positive change.
The 2023 awardees were photographed virtually by top Los Angeles photographer Jurgen Reisch, who worked with an expert production coordinator, the EB team, + the award winners using the CLOS photo app to access the awardees’ iPhones to set up the shots and press the shutter remotely.
Meet the inspiring 2023 #EBGameChanger Awardees—they are catalysts of change in vision care.
Photography: Jurgen Reisch » Production Coordinator: Jan Dörrie » Project Direction: Erinn Morgan » Project Associate: Kerri Ann Raimo » Art Direction: William Pfaff
Danielle Richardson, O.D.
Wellness and vision. Of course they’re interconnected, and Dr. Danielle Richardson has found a way to address both. As director of clinical care and the primary optometrist at Zak, a high-end Los Angeles boutique, she focuses on eye care. As founder and CEO of Fierce Clarity, her holistic wellness and lifestyle company, however, she creates and organizes yoga classes and retreats, activewear, and wellness programming for clients that have included Netflix, Whole Foods, and Morgan Stanley.
Dr. Richardson earned her doctor of optometry degree from Indiana University. In addition to her practice, she currently provides optometric consulting services to Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and is a board member of the National Optometric Association. She previously worked for Texas State Optical, America’s Best, and LensCrafters and has contributed to Rolling Stone magazine and the Los Angeles Times. —Stephanie K. De Long
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
Continuing to build relationships with current and future optometric students to show them the flexibility and possibilities of being an optometrist, so our profession continues to grow.
Best advice for success in
vision care today?
Explore the different career paths available and find what’s in alignment for you. There are several modes of practice, so get clear about the best fit for you.
What will you be focusing on in the year ahead to adapt to the current climate in the industry?
I will continue to blend my passions of wellness and optometry. How can we treat the whole patient? How can we bring new technologies to our office? How can we upgrade the patient experience?
Ashley Wallace-Tucker, O.D., FAAO, FSLS
Dr. Ashley Wallace-Tucker has her finger on the pulse of myopia management, which she calls her primary passion today. “It’s imperative to stay abreast of what’s happening in our profession,” she says.
Dr. Wallace-Tucker is a partner at Bellaire Family Eye Care and The Contact Lens Institute of Houston and adjunct faculty at the University of Houston College of Optometry. Through her affiliation with the university, she regularly provides continuing education on anterior segment disease, specialty contact lenses, myopia management, and ophthalmic optics. She also serves as the public education chair for the Scleral Lens Education Society, is a member of the advisory board for the Gas Permeable Lens Institute, serves on the American Optometric Association Contact Lens and Cornea Section, and is on the Program Committee for the Global Specialty Lens Symposium. —Kerri Ann Raimo
Main focus in your profession?
Currently, my main focus and passion is myopia management. Myopia is a condition that is affecting our children more significantly than ever, and I feel so fortunate to be practicing in a time where we have many options that will positively impact our patients’ vision and long-term eye health.
Best advice for success?
Continuously learn and be willing to evolve professionally. It is our responsibility to stay up to date on the newest technologies and standards of care within optometry because our patients depend on us and deserve to be provided with the best care available.
What’s your focus for 2024?
Because of my love for myopia management, I plan to focus on reaching more families and educating them on the need for intervention. This can happen within my own practice but also through community outreach and educational opportunities with schools, sports clubs, and other health care professionals.
Edward S. Bennett, O.D., M.S.Ed., FAAO, FSLS
With more than a dozen industry awards to his name, it’s no wonder that Dr. Ed Bennett was inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation in 2022 and was elected as an inaugural member of the Academy of Optometry Hall of Fame that same year.
He currently serves as president and executive director of the Gas Permeable (GP) Lens Institute, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry, and as the features editor for Contact Lens Spectrum, EB sister publication.
Active across many optometric organizations throughout his career, he’s also lectured at hundreds of scientific and continuing education symposia and authored more than 200 publications.
The most surprising change he’s seen in the industry?
“It truly has been contact lenses,” he says. “The advancements in special designs have been nothing short of outstanding.” —K.A.R.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
GP contact lens education has always been my professional focus and passion. Being associated with the GP Lens Institute has allowed me the opportunity to work with so many outstanding contact lens specialists who share this same passion.
Advice for success in vision care?
Broaden your horizons by pursuing outside activities, such as presenting CE courses, writing articles, or obtaining leadership training through the American Academy of Optometry or other professional organizations.
What’s your focus for 2024?
To introduce new resources and programs to help ECPs, staff, and students feel more confident with both GP and custom soft contact lenses. As all ECPs are leaders, I’m helping in the building of a comprehensive leadership community for online leadership training.
Johnna Dukes, ABOC
Johnna Dukes, ABOC, has seen many sides of the eyecare space, all leading to her current role as president of the Opticians Association of America. She’s worked in private practice, corporate retail, and then, in 2010, Dukes opened the optical dispensary she operates today, Optique, in Spirit Lake, IA. She often writes about the importance of and her commitment to opticianry—a dedication that’s reflected in her role as the current president of OAA, an OAA board member since 2014, and the previous president of the Opticians Association of Iowa.
She gained her ABO certification in 2001, and, in addition to being an ABO-approved speaker, she has been a contributor to several industry publications. Most of all, Dukes says that she enjoys making a difference in her patients’ lives by helping them create eyewear that will positively impact them every day. —S.K.D.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
Advocating for the importance of opticianry within our industry is something I’m very passionate about. A stronger opticianry segment equals better patient care, bar none.
What’s your best advice for success in vision care today?
My best advice for success in vision care is to remember to have fun. I find that when my patients have fun with the process, they feel better cared for, and when I get to have fun in our interaction, I feel better about it too. That’s truly a win-win!
What will you be focusing on in the year ahead to adapt to the current climate in the industry?
I will be focusing on more widespread initiatives for advocacy within the opticianry space and looking for more avenues in which our industry can collaborate. We don’t all always agree on everything, but there’s an awful lot we do all agree on. We need to focus there and try to maximize those initiatives.
Carissa Dunphy, ABOC
After working in private practice optometry for 14 years, ABO-certified optician Carissa Dunphy, ABOC, is now a marketing specialist at PECAA, where she has a bird’s-eye view of the industry.
“Working as a clinician for so many years then transitioning to a corporate role, the macro-scale of the industry was eye-opening,” she says. “It’s something you don’t give a second thought about in private practice, yet now I see how companies in the industry are intertwined and interdependent.”
Dunphy is the founder of Optician Now, a critical resource for those seeking certification or licensure. She also further connects the industry as the co-host of the Optical Women’s Association (OWA)’s podcast, “OWA Talks.” Her commendable influence earned her a 2022 OWA Leadership Scholarship Award. —K.A.R.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
I have a strong will to listen to the industry, forge relationships and develop ideas to collaboratively improve others’ lives, professional standards, and the industry as a whole, for future generations.
Best advice for success in vision care today?
While we do know that change is certain, we don’t know what we don’t know. It’s important to maintain a sense of curiosity and eagerness to learn, as well as the willingness to be taught.
What will you be focusing on in the year ahead to adapt to the current climate in the industry?
I am fortunate that I work for a company that cultivates curiosity and promotes idea-sharing—a culture I thrive in. In the year ahead, I aim to set specific career goals for the next one, five, 10, and more years, as well as create a strategy to gain the skills and resources I’ll need to get there.
Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D.
“It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy…Let’s go exploring!” That classic quote from the “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip also graces the signature lines of Dr. Jeffrey J. Walline’s emails. The signature reflects the varied interests and passions of the optometrist, who is also associate dean for research at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
In addition to earning his doctor of optometry degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, he received his master’s degree and doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Among his varied areas of interest, Dr. Walline has led several pediatric contact lens studies and is the study chair of the Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids (BLINK) Study, a National Eye Institute-sponsored trial. Dr. Walline is also the president-elect of the American Academy of Optometry. —S.K.D.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
I am a research scientist and an educator. The goal for my research is to provide evidence that doctors can put into practice the day after they read the science. As an educator, I hope to provide students with the foundational knowledge that allows them to provide the latest evidence-based care.
Best advice for success in vision care and optometry today?
Use science to provide optimal care, educate the public, and advance our profession.
What will you be focusing on in the year ahead to adapt to the current climate in the industry?
Over the next year—and beyond—I will continue to encourage optometrists to pursue lifelong learning, so that we can provide optimal care for our patients and adapt to the constantly evolving eyecare profession.
Sydney Madrigal, O.D., MPH
Dr. Sydney Madrigal may be a new kid on the proverbial block, but she’s already deeply immersed in her profession—and speaks up against discriminatory legislative action.
In May, she joined other optometrists in taking a stand against Florida Senate Bill 230, which would have prohibited optometrists from calling themselves a physician.
“I am proud to be a member of this profession and to provide quality eye care to the people of Florida,” she shared in a video post on her Instagram, @latinaoptometrist. “Senate Bill 230 would make it more difficult for patients to find and access affordable eye care.”
Earning her doctor of optometry degree in 2020 and a master’s degree in public health a year later, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she now practices at The Eye Center in Pembroke Pines, FL. She’s also a Transitions Change Agent and, not surprisingly, was invited to share her journey at a VSP Leadership Academy student event.
Fluent in Spanish, she was recently featured in a podcast discussing cultural differences within an optometric practice and how to improve communication with Hispanic/Latino patients. She has appeared on her local TV station’s “Health Cast” segment as well. —S.K.D.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
Diving into eye care beyond refraction. I am creating specialty lenses, treating the root cause of dry eye in office, preventing myopic progression, and providing comprehensive ocular disease care.
Advice for success in vision care?
Always welcome change and adapt. I am proud that our profession is dynamic and that we are continuously seeking new treatments and investing in the latest technology to improve care.
What’s your focus for 2024?
Beyond patient care, it will be advocacy for the profession. Each of us can make an impact. We can all reach out to representatives or legislators and be active in local optometric associations. We need to show the vital role optometrists play.
Tiffany McIntosh
Tiffany McIntosh’s extensive background working for fashion-forward eyewear brands sparked her desire to launch Eye Candy Creations in 2013, designed for consumers who want access to affordably luxurious eyewear with modern styling.
Fast forward to today, and Eye Candy Creations has three brick-and-mortar locations in California, plus a wide-ranging worldwide customer base: independent and multichain optical retailers, department stores, opticians, duty free, and military bases. No matter the end consumer, the message remains the same.
“We want our customers to have positive, memorable experiences at our optical store and with our products,” says McIntosh. “Our customers need personalized services to feel appreciated and understood on a personal level. They want to be seen as an individual with unique needs, rather than just another client that walks through your door.” —K.A.R.
Main passion in your profession?
I have been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. Creating new collections and being a successful businesswoman runs deep through my veins. My focus and passion lie in innovation and being a purveyor within the industry to bring about change and design eyewear collections that are all-inclusive and affordable yet luxurious. I’ve learned that when you focus on your passion and not your emotions, you will succeed.
Advice for success in vision care today?
Success is not about climbing over colleagues or up the corporate ladder; it’s about rising to your full potential and tackling challenges with enthusiasm. It’s about being authentic and understanding your patients and customers' pain points.
What will you focus on in 2024?
Each day is a reminder of how far I’ve come, and yet I’m filled with anticipation for what lies ahead. Amidst great global competition and rapid technology shifts, continuous innovation is what drives long-term impact and success. My focus is to continue to innovate, build, and adapt for the future. Innovation is the lifeblood of every great company. The key is to identify it and then nurture it to success.
Valerie Vittu
On the road again. Willie Nelson may have written those words, but optician Valerie Vittu is living them. Literally.
In September 2020, smack in the middle of the global pandemic, she embarked on renovating a vintage Airstream. Today, it stands transformed, serving as a mobile optical boutique. While remaining dedicated to her loyal Philadelphia and Bucks County clientele, she is expanding her services to include senior citizens and customers with limited city access.
French Parisian, Vittu worked at Alain Mikli on Madison Avenue in NYC before founding Margot & Camille Optique in Old City, Philadelphia, in 2005. Specializing in European eyewear, her boutique earned numerous business accolades.
Building on that experience, navigating the challenges of a mobile operation has opened doors to numerous consulting opportunities. Her expertise in business, design, branding, and marketing is valued and sought by many local businesses across a variety of industries. —S.K.D.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
Revolutionizing customer perception through unique eyewear designs, emphasizing both frame originality and perfect fit. Maintaining a superior optical quality standard is essential.
Best advice for success in vision care today?
Prioritize your passions; don’t succumb to trends. Stay true, even if it challenges business. Integrity brings peace. Focus on what fulfills you. Genuine honesty outdoes fleeting gains.
What will you be focusing on in the year ahead to adapt to the current climate in the industry?
Offering unparalleled originality and exclusive services, our mobile approach prioritizes privacy and enjoyment. Emphasizing the essence of fun and enhancing the overall experience were the driving forces behind transitioning to a mobile platform.
Steven J. Ferguson, O.D.
If it weren’t for breaking his glasses while playing basketball at age 13, Dr. Steven J. Ferguson might never have added “O.D.” to his title. He subsequently became one of the first soft contact lens patients in his doctor’s practice.
Fast forward to 1988, and Dr. Ferguson, who’d recently graduated from the University of Houston School of Optometry, founded Heartland Eye Care Centers in Minnesota.
Named the state’s first “Young Optometrist,” he later served as president of the Minnesota Optometric Association. Part of a task force that created a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recognized conference, Diabetes and the Eye, at the Mayo Clinic, he also helped launch therapeutic legislation for optometry.
He is currently director of clinics and LASIK surgery services at Dunes Eye Consultants and Dunes Lasik Center in Dakota Dunes, SD. In addition to several advisory roles, Dr. Ferguson is an accomplished author, sought-after lecturer, and participant in several U.S. Food and Drug Administration-monitored and clinical dry eye studies. —S.K.D.
What is your main focus + passion today in your profession?
I continue to have passion for learning and reviewing research and science. When these principles are combined into innovative technology, it can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Advice for success in vision care?
Be not afraid to offer the best treatment options and products. The guiding principle is: Would you offer these options to family members?
What will you focus on in 2024?
Implement breakthrough technology in migraine treatment, continue leadership in interventional MGD treatment, maintain my role for AI-driven digital human technology in health care delivery, and an advisory role for smart wearable eyewear.
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