Complete Story
10/22/2026
2026 EastWest Eye Conference Wrap-Up
2026 EastWest Eye Conference Wrap-Up
The 2026 EastWest Eye Conference was a smashing success. Held in a new location at the Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel, attendees learned from top speakers in their fields through a variety of different modalities. The Exhibit Hall was filled with attendees visiting optometric partners, and they had many opportunities to network with colleagues at various social events.
Optometrist attendees earned up to 26 hours of continuing education while actively engaging with the speakers. Beyond traditional courses, education was more dynamic than ever this year and included:
- Panels covering contact lenses and advanced dry eye procedures,
- Roundtables that covered a gambit of ocular diseases, and
- A new “Ask the Expert” series that allowed learners a small group setting and discussion with experts in their field.
This year’s conference featured new speakers for optometric staff members and opticians, as well as the return of the frame adjustment workshop. With a focus on a whole office approach to patient care, ODs and their staff were sure to bring back pearls of wisdom and action to facilitate an overall better office experience.
In addition to education, our optometric partners in the exhibit hall showcased innovative technology, services, and products on the market. Attendees enjoyed food and beverages as they interacted with sponsors in the booths. Thank you to the exhibitors who made the Exhibit Hall feel like the “place to be.”
And thank you to each EastWest Eye Sponsor who helped make the conference possible! [Check out 2026 Sponsors at this link.]
The largest contributing factor to a successful conference is the attendees. Over the past 29 years, the EastWest Eye Conference has been this region’s premier choice. It is wonderful to have a large number of OOA members attend. Mark your calendar for EastWest 2027 on November 3rd-6th!
Register now for other EastWest Education Opportunities:
| EastWest Destinations (www.eastwestdestinations.com) February 11-13, 2027, in Charlotte Harbor, Florida | |
| EastWest Online University (www.eastwesteye.org) updates yearly with ten new hours of asynchronous education. |
The 2026 OOA Award Winners received their due regard during OOA HONORS on Thursday, October 15th.
Dr. Brian Dietz – Optometrist of the Year
Dr. Bethany Army – Young OD of the Year
Dr. Lindsay Florkey – Key OD of the Year
Mr. Andrew Vanacore – Student of the Year
Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP) – Friend of Optometry
Dr. Robert Layman – Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Dave Anderson – OOPAC Champion Award
Dr. Amy Keller – Outstanding Realeyes Involvement
Dr. David Erwin and Dr. Danielle Erwin Ellis – Outstanding Realeyes Involvement Award
OOA members were encouraged by their award-winning peers to engage themselves fully in the various programs and resources afforded by their membership. Two programs that continue to need more providers are Realeyes and iSee Clinics. Contact the OOA office at info@ooa.org to become involved and support iSee Ohio at iseeohio.org/donate.
Read more about each award winner at: 2026 OOA Award Winners Announced
OOA Congress, the association’s annual business meeting, took place Friday morning, October 16th. The agenda consisted of various reports from the AOA, AOA-PAC, OOA, OOPAC, and iSee Ohio. Membership Milestone Resolutions recognized members who achieved 25, 40, 45, 50, and 60 years with the AOA and OOA in 2026 as well as all new members. Members who passed away in the past year were honored with a moment of silence. The assemblage also considered and voted to approve (B) Resolution 26-01 which set the 2027 OOA full member dues rate at $1,000 – a net decrease from the 2025 rate of $1,216.90!
The member assemblage decided on its 2027 Board of Directors through an election including a contested Trustee race. Six highly qualified candidates ran for the four open Trustee positions: incumbents Dr. Katherine Fisher, Dr. Katie Greiner, and Dr. William Kegerize were joined by candidates Dr. Nick Flebotte, Dr. Cory Lappin, and Dr. KJ Shaheen. The morning of Congress, Dr. William Kegerize made the difficult decision to step down from the board and rescind his candidacy due to health concerns. The race and voting tallies were very close. The results revealed the following 2027 OOA Board of Director members:
President: Dr. Jennifer Vincent
President-Elect: Dr. Taylor Babcock
Secretary-Treasurer: Dr. Greg Nixon
Immediate Past President: Dr. San-San Cooley
Trustees:
Dr. David Bejot (continuing his 2-year term)
Dr. Hannah Davidson (continuing her 2-year term)
Dr. Katherine Fisher
Dr. Nick Flebotte
Dr. Katie Greiner
Dr. KJ Shaheen
The Board of the Ohio Optometric Foundation, dba iSee Ohio, also met during the EastWest Conference and elected its officers for the 2027 iSee Ohio Board of Directors. The full board consists of:
President: Dr. Mike Earley
Vice President: Dr. Shane Foster
Secretary: Dr. Tracey Needham
OOA Board Liaison: Dr. Katherine Fisher
Directors:
Dr. Carol Alexander
Mr. Randy Gardner
Ms. Angie Hartman
Mr. Ryan Mills
Dr. Taylor Peters
Dr. Samantha Zaczyk
In addition to electing new officers, the board welcomed Dr. Carol Alexander as a Director. A past president of the Ohio Optometric Association, Dr. Alexander retired from Johnson & Johnson Vision in 2022, where she served as Head of North America Professional Relations & Advocacy. In this role, she led organizational sponsorships and academic strategy for the company. She brought to the position a distinguished record of leadership in organized optometry, complemented by years of clinical experience in private practice, and now brings her experience and expertise to iSee Ohio’s board.
As iSee Ohio continues to grow and mature, it met a milestone during the annual meeting by passing its first annual budget. This is a significant step in the right direction for the organization.
Opportunity to support iSee Ohio
Over the past few years, hundreds of optometrists throughout Ohio have provided thousands of students across the state with comprehensive eye exams, with nearly 90% of those students receiving glasses.
These are students who were not receiving care anywhere else and would have continued to slip through the cracks and not experience the world as clearly as they can.
School nurses continue to reach out to us as the demand remains high.
Your office can help us meet the demand by inviting your patients to contribute to iSee Ohio’s work. Request a front office counter sign by clicking the button below. The sign is 5” x 7” and comes in an acrylic stand.
