Young Optometrist of the Year
The Young Optometrist of the Year Award is presented to an optometrist who has been in practice less then 10 years and has shown leadership in the areas of service to optometry, service to the visual welfare of the public and who has demonstrated a commitment to public service. Nominations are submitted by WOA members which are then reviewed by an Awards Committee. The award is given to the doctor who best meets the criteria listed above. The WOA Young Optometrist of the Year is then nominated for the AOA Young Optometrist award the following year.
Dr. Ryan Ames
2009 Young Optometrist of the Year
Dr. Ames graduated from Drake College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology, with minors in chemistry and philosophy. He received his Doctorate Degree in Optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry, where he was awarded membership in the Golden Key International Optometric Honor Society, the highest leadership honor society attainable by a student doctor of optometry.
Dr. Ames owns his practice, Northshore Eye Care, with father, Dr. Richard Ames. They have offices in Oshkosh and Omro, Wis. In addition to his practice, Dr. Ames has established two separate corporations, Lake Shore Vision Technologies, in which member doctors share expensive diagnostic equipment and rotate them on a weekly basis from north of Appleton to Fond du Lac, and Centralis Solutions, an optometric software development business. He will soon be announcing a third entity within the optometric profession.
Dr. Ames supports children’s vision through his participation in InfantSEE. He is an active member of the WOA, serving as president of the Lake Winnebago Society, chair of the new optometrist committee, and most recently elected as a director on the WOA Board. He has also been voted president-elect of the Oshkosh Morning Rotary.
Dr. Ames and wife Barbara live in Oshkosh, Wis. with their 10-month old son.
The WOA is proud to recognize those young optometrists who have been honored in previous years:
| 2008 | Paul Filar, O.D. |
| 2007 | Ann Wonderling, O.D. |
| 2006 | Holly Fisher, O.D. |
| 2005 | Lisa Slaby, O.D. |
| 2004 | David May, O.D. |
| 2003 | Nancy Duquette, O.D. |
| 2002 | Kellye Knuepple, O.D. |
| 2001 | Jeff Byers, O.D. |
| 2000 | John Warren, O.D. |
| 1999 | Chapman Leffingwell, O.D. |
| 1998 | David Larsen, O.D. |
| 1997 | Scott Jens, O.D. |
| 1996 | David W. Nelson, O.D. |
Additional Information
Young Optometrist of the Year Criteria
Young Optometrist of the Year Nomination Form