IOA Announces 2023 Award Winners, Inducts New Board Officers

The Indiana Optometric Association (IOA) announced its 2023 award winners in April at the IOA’s annual convention. The Optometrist of the Year is James Ferguson, OD, Highland and East Chicago, and the President’s Citation - Young Optometrist of the Year is Matthew Weinheimer, OD, Zionsville. These awards are bestowed on members of the IOA who demonstrate not only contributions to the profession, but also service on behalf of the visual welfare of the public and service to the community at large.
 
Additional awards announced include the Meritorious Service Award to Christopher Browning, OD, Greenwood; the Distinguished Service award to IOA Executive Director James Zieba, JD, Carmel; and the Outstanding Service in the Public Interest to Indiana House Representative Brad Barrett, MD, of Richmond.
 
The IOA also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Linda Casser, OD. This award is presented to an Indiana optometrist to recognize significant and long-lasting contributions to the profession of optometry. Dr. Casser has been an active member of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and was named AOA Optometrist of the Year in 1997. She is a past president of the IOA and was named IOA Optometrist of the Year in 1995. Despite having left Indiana in 1997, Dr. Casser has remained active in the IOA and was its first associate member. Dr. Casser served on the faculty of both Pacific University's College of Optometry and Salus University where she became dean. She has provided more than 370 presentations in 39 states and 8 countries comprised of continuing education lectures and workshops on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of anterior segment ocular disease, as well as other important aspects of clinical optometry. She is primary author of the textbook Atlas of Primary Eyecare Procedures, Second Edition.

Newly inducted Indiana Optometry board officers include:

  • Dr. James Stickel, Goshen – President

  • Dr. Jeffrey Perotti, Bloomington – President-Elect

  • Dr. Jeremy Gard, Muncie – Treasurer

  • Dr. Jennifer Kohn, Merrillville – Secretary

  • Dr. Piper Groppel, Martinsville – Immediate Past President


Founded in 1897, the Indiana Optometric Association is the voice of Doctors of Optometry in service to the eye and vision care needs of the citizens of Indiana.