- Elevating optometry by advocating for dry eye patients
- Inspiring optometry’s next generation
- A passion for grassroots
- Bringing the optometric community together
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- Remembering Debbie Hettler
- Part of the solution
- ‘Changing the face of how we practice’
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- ‘Advocacy is our history and our future’
- Putting the spotlight on optometry’s stars
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- Intentional leadership
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- Honoring Charlotte Ferris’ dedication to optometry
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- Seeing potential
- Taking eye care advocacy to a global scale
- Embracing the journey
- Born to serve: Active duty paraoptometric professionals provide critical care
- ‘Raising the ceiling’
- Honoring the profession’s finest at Optometry’s Meeting 2023
- Why proper documentation is vital
- Change agent
- The power of ‘yes’
- AOA immediate past president: Our biggest challenges
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- Congratulations to the AOAs 2023 award winners
- Andrew Kemp AOA’s 2022 Educator of the Year transitions students from talking in question marks to talking in period
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- Successes in diabetes care
- Shantia-Hinderlider-humanitarian-heart
- Glen Steele honored in retirement
- Art Epstein
- Next-level-Loretta-Eriks-CPOT
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- Leader to leader
- Chicago things to do
- The next generation of optometrys leaders
- 2022 Hall of Fame
- Sullins Award Winner
- A great fit
- Ukrainian refugees find succor in AOA doctor executive director
- Candidates announce bids for Board of Trustees elections
- annual award winners
- women in optometry
- Care close to home
- Emerging leader
- How one doctor lives a life of service
- Jerald Combs Obit
- Connecting with patients as paraoptometrics
- Building relationships
- Persistence pays off
- Advocacy from academia
- Women make giant strides
- AOA Board of Trustee Resolutions 2020
- C Clayton Powell O.D. Obit
- James A Boucher Obit
- Irving Bennett O.D. leaves legacy
- Janet Millis finding her place
- Changing of the guard 2020
- AOA 2020-21 election
- AOA doctors frontline care
- 2020 hall of fame inductees
- members carry the message 2020EyeExam into the future
- When student becomes teacher
- Jeni Kohn Vision Quest Young Optometrist Year
- AOA Board resolves advocacy public awareness in New Year
- nominate Hall of Fame
- AOA honors active-duty sacrifice of Army doctor of optometry
- From small-town to big deal
- AOA Board of Trustee Resolutions 2019
- How doctors of optometry contribute to Air Force mission
- Kneib longtime AOA leader leaves legacy
- Morrow Optometric Family
- AOA member has a super role for NFL team
- Taking pride in what you do
- Longtime AOA volunteer member Frank Fontana OD dies
- a profession of their own
- Doctor of optometry on MasterChef
- Hawaii doctor takes volcano in stride
- A patient person
- Pick Up the Pieces
- Removing the barriers
- Another New Year happily practicing optometry
- 101 years all in the family
- Doctor Levin Obit
- Family tree blooms with doctors of optometry
- Reaping what we sow
- AOA offers condolences to family of Richard L Wallingford Jr OD
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- Civil rights leader remembered as heroic and selfless by one doctor of optometry
- All in the family The Castellanos
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Congratulations to the AOA’s 2025 award winners
March 27, 2025
The winners will be honored at a ceremony during Optometry’s Meeting® 2025.
Tag(s): Inside Optometry, Member Spotlight
The AOA is proud to honor several members with its prestigious awards.
AOA Excellence Awards
The AOA thanks its longstanding Visionary Supporter Johnson & Johnson for their recognition of these exemplary individuals. The generous support of the AOA's industry partners makes it possible to honor its outstanding members.
The Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes James Hardie, O.D., for his outstanding service on behalf of the profession and the visual welfare of the public.
The Young Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes Annabelle Storch, O.D., who has been in practice less than 10 years and demonstrates remarkable leadership when serving the profession, patients and her community.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes Richard Soden, O.D., for his unusually significant contributions to the profession of optometry.
The Optometric Educator of the Year Award recognizes Aaron Zimmerman, O.D., M.S., for outstanding service on behalf of the profession, optometric education and the visual welfare of the public.
The Student of the Year Award recognizes Cori Dorrell for her leadership skills in serving the profession, patients and her community.
The Apollo Award, the highest honor given to individuals or organizations outside the optometric profession, recognizes Napua Rich for her exceptional contributions to the visual welfare of the public.
Paraoptometric Awards
The Paraoptometric of the Year Award recognizes Jennifer Stroupe, CPO, for her significant contributions to the profession of paraoptometry.
The Paraoptometric Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Tamara (Tami) Franklin, CPOT, for serving the profession of optometry by continually giving in the areas of patient eye care, office management, mentoring colleagues and in service to the paraoptometric profession.
The Paraoptometric Community Service Award recognizes Kimberly Pickle, CPOA, for generously donating her time and talents to the profession of optometry, patients and the public.
More honors
The National Optometry Hall of Fame recognizes and honors optometrists who are luminaries of the profession—those who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the optometric profession. The award is administered through The AOA Foundation. This year’s winners include:
The AOA Foundation also awards the Dr. W. David Sullins, Jr., InfantSEE Award, recognizing an individual doctor of optometry who has made significant contributions to optometry or the community for outstanding public service involving the InfantSEE program. This year’s winner is John Tassinari, O.D.
The Dr. Jerry P. Davidoff Vision Care Award recognizes Tracy Matchinski, O.D., for actively serving in a clinical vision rehabilitation practice setting, giving back to optometry through education and demonstrating a long-standing contribution and sharing knowledge with fellow practitioners for the betterment of vision rehabilitation eye care.
The AOA congratulates all 2025 award nominees.
The Optometrist of the Year and Young Optometrist of the Year were selected from a robust field of nominees from state associations and the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services. Each of these AOA-member doctors of optometry and paraoptometric professionals have distinguished themselves, and the profession, and are deserving of recognition and appreciation.