For Your Eyes Only
At this year’s SECO meeting, attendees ‘bonded’ like
never before. SECO 2007 dropped the “2” and adopted
a “007” theme. As the song goes, nobody does it
better than that famous super spy. Much the same
could be said of SECO in terms of education, exhibits
and social events. Nearly 8,000 attendees gathered in
Atlanta for the meeting.
More than 385 hours of continuing education were featured
including a free daylong Student Education Program to help
optometry students get a leg up on their future.
Education kicked off at the Special Session, where presenters
made the case that “The Status Quo Is Not Enough.” This session
analyzed four different aspects of the changing profession. The
“Through the Eyes of a Woman” track, sponsored in part by
Jobson’s own Review of Optometry, included three courses that
discussed professional aspects for women optometrists as well as
eyecare for female patients. SECO also offered 165 courses for
allied ophthalmic professionals (AOPs).
At the House of Delegates meeting, three prestigious awards
were presented to individuals for their significant contributions to
the profession. Dr. Tom Griffith was named Optometrist of the
South. Susanne S. Cunningham, OD, received SECO’s Young
Optometrist of the South award, and Kathy A. Disner was named
Paraoptometric of the South.
Here’s a visual look at some of the happenings at SECO 2007.
Left to right: 1. Bausch & Lomb’s Bob Moore (far right) meets
with a customer and the sales team; 2. Louie Maria and Stacey
Broecker hopped on the Fur Bus to get to the “Party on Peachtree
Street;” 3. Alcon’s tuxedo-clad TearGlyde is flanked by young
SECO attendees; 4. Paul Ajamian, OD, says the entire CE
Committee came up with the clever course names that borrowed
from classic James Bond movie titles; 5. Posing with the grand
prize Saturn SKY roadster are dapper optometrists John Casto,
James Burke, Dale Morris, James Prince, Jerry Park, Ernest
Schlabachand and Mike Quint; 6. SECO president Sidney Stern,
OD, stands with new president Douglas Clark, OD, who was
sworn in at the House of Delegates meeting; 7. High-end frames
drew a crowd at The View, a special area of the exhibit hall featuring
top eyewear; 8. CIBA Vision’s CEO Michael E. Kehoe,
Henna Inam, president, CIBA Vision Americas Region, and Rick
Weisbarth, OD, vice president, North American Professional
Services, discussed the health of the contact lens industry; and
9. At the President’s Reception are VSP’s James Short, OD, vice
chairman, and Rob Lynch, CEO and president.
— John Murphy
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