Meet The Speakers

Craig Thomas, O.D. is from Houston, Texas. He earned his Doctor of Optometry Degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry in 1983 and has practiced continuously in Dallas, Texas for the past 40 years.

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A noted consultant, lecturer and author, Dr. Thomas frequently travels the country to educate other optometrists on the latest trends, techniques and technologies used in the profession of optometry.

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His professional accomplishments include being a member of the American Optometric Association for 44 years and being named Optometrist of the Year by the Texas Optometric Association in 2001.

Dr. Rebecca Wartman attended The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee (B.A. Psychology) 
and University of Missouri St Louis School of Optometry. She is retired from private practice where she 
was caring for nursing facility patients in western North Carolina and is now working as a consultant and 
lecturer.

Dr. Wartman is a past President of the North Carolina State Optometric Society and is currently 
American Optometric Association Coding and Reimbursement Committee chair and a liaison to the AOA Third Party Center.  She is the American Optometric Association advisor to CPT® Editorial Panel and just completed 4 years on the CPT    ®  Assistant Editorial Panel.  She is the Third Party Liaison for the North Caroline Optometric Society, and a Third-Party Consultant for the Kentucky Optometric Association, the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Association and the Mississippi Optometric Association. 

She was the 2008 North Carolina State Optometric Society Optometrist of the Year, received the 2012 
and the 2021 John D. Costabile Distinguished Service Award, the 2013 and 2022 North Carolina 
Optometric Society nominee for AOA Optometrist of the Year and received the American Optometric 
Association President’s Award in 2021.

She writes and lectures on insurance and coding issues, Drug Side Effects and Opioids as well as Eye Care
for Long Term Care patients. Dr. Wartman is married with two adult sons, three grandsons and one 
granddaughter. 

Dr. Alexia C. Vaughn is the president of Advanced Eye Care, a primary care optometric practice that has 
been providing excellent eye to the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area for over 30 years.  She is also 
part-time clinical assistant professor at the University of Alabama School of Optometry and is the course
master for the class titled Advanced Concepts of Practice Management.  

Dr. Vaughn is a native of Killen, Alabama near the town of Florence.  She received her Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the 
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She then continued her studies at UAB’s Optometry School with a Doctor of Optometry and a Master of Science in 
vision science. Some years after optometry school she furthered her education with a Master of Business Administration at the University of Alabama.

 
Dr. Vaughn’s practice focuses on the relationship between maintaining a healthy lifestyle to have optimum ocular health with a focus on preventing diabetes through diabetes education.  Keeping with this concept, she leads an active lifestyle which includes jogging, swimming, golfing, and gardening. She is an avid reader and enjoys playing the piano, photography, golfing, and cooking.

Dr. Parker-Herriott is a graduate of Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Philadelphia, PA. She received her undergraduate degree from Mercer University.

Dr. Parker-Herriott is licensed to practice in both Georgia and South Carolina. She completed a Fellowship from the College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD) in 1996. This allows her to specialize in  Pediatrics and Vision Therapy, and this certifies her as a Board-Certified Behavioral Optometrist.  She is a member of the Georgia Optometric Association and has been the administrator for a clinical study for 
advancing eye care with diabetics.

 
She has been practicing since 1993 and open her private practice in 1999 – EnVision Eye Care.  She has spoken to several health organizations, schools, and churches and enjoys giving back to the community.

Dr. Parker-Herriott is married to Jeffery and has 2 kids – Austin & Jaelyn.

Dr. Kennard L Herring was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He worked as a licensed optician for five years before deciding to pursue a career in optometry. He received his Bachelor of Science in Vision Science in 2011 and earned his doctorate degree in 2014.    Dr. Herring has been trained in all various areas of eye care, including primary eye care, pediatrics, vision therapy, glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration, pre and post operative cataract and refractive care, and contact lenses. Dr. Herring is also a graduate of the Power Up your business program and Goldman Sach 10,000 Small Business. 

Dr. Herring is the owner of Nostalgic Eye Care which he opened in 2017 three years post 
optometry school. He has built a million-dollar practice in three years with his extensive background in optical while incorporating comprehensive eye care for his clientele. Dr. Herring has also been awarded the opportunity to become an adjunct at his alma mater overseeing the private practice course at Salus University for the past 3 years. 

Dr. Herring loves cultivating ideas that will create opportunities that provide vision care for the 
community. He recently created a fundraising initiative, offering free eye exams and glasses for 
underprivileged patients. He coined this initiative the     Gift of Sight, raising over two thousand dollars and providing vision care and glasses to over one hundred patients.

Dr. Herring is passionate about his community and dedicates himself to providing eye care to all.
He currently resides in Philadelphia, is a dedicated father to his daughter, enjoys traveling, 
sports, exercise, mentoring the youth, and spending quality time with his family and friends. 

Dr. Barbara Marcussen has been in private practice for 3 decades and manages a team of 20 staff.  She and her husband have one of the more successful practices in the country and with her specialty in specialty contact lenses and dry eye, her practice offers full scope primary eye care.   Dr. Marcussen attended the Ohio State University College of Optometry followed by a residency at the Columbus VA.  Her practice has been able to maintain a great team, keep patients happy and make money.

Dr. Ansel Johnson is founder and  clinical director of     Vision Salon Eye Care Associates in Blue Island, IL.  He  is a graduate of the New England College of Optometry. He completed a  post -graduate certificate from the Optometry Executive Program at the Wharton School of Business. 

He is currently an adjunct     professor at Midwestern Chicago College of Optometry, Kentucky College of Optometry and  Sothern College of Optometry.  He  is  on staff at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ocular Wellness and Nutrition Society.

Dr.  Johnson’s office is the first  and only  in the State of Illinois to incorporate a Nationally Certified Diabetes Self  -Management  Program  within  an eye care facility. He is a certified lifestyle coach for the CDC Diabetes Prevention Program.  He  is a long- time  member  of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.

 
Dr. Johnson is a national thought leader and speaker     concentrating in  diabetes eye care, new technologies,    and glaucoma management. 

In June 2020 Dr. Johnson founded and  serves as CEO of the Health Living With A Vision Foundation. The 501c3 foundation has a mission to  eliminate the health and wellness disparities in  underserved communities.

Dr. Paula Newsome is the first African American female to establish a private practice of optometry in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Newsome, is the president and CEO of Advantage Vision Center, a multimillion dollar practice located in uptown Charlotte that has 6 exam operatories in a state of the art facility where first in class service along with first in class care are core values. 

Dr. Newsome earned her OD and MS concurrently from UAB School of Optometry followed by a residency in Primary Care at The Eye Institute.  After a brief teaching stint as a former assistant professor at UMSL she opened her practice solo HOT in Charlotte. She is an adjunct professor with SCO, UMSL, UAB, and Salus. 

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In 2017, she was the first optometrist in the country to establish a nationally certified Diabetes Self Management Program, KNOC out Diabetes that is still in existence.

 Dr. Newsome is an experienced lecturer and key opinion leader in the industry in the United States.  She also is the first African American female in the country to become a member of the prestigious American Academy of Optometry. 

Dr. Gina Newsome Duncan is an adult psychiatrist in private practice at Eastover Psychiatric Group in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Hampton University, her M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed her general psychiatry internship and residency at Harvard at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Hospital Adult Psychiatry Residency Program.  Dr. Duncan regularly presents and provides consultation to community and faith-based groups as well as academic and professional organizations.  She is currently the Southern Regional Trustee for the Black Psychiatrists of America (BPA) and the lead mental health expert for the Steve Fund's Families Healing Together Campaign.  

Nancy St. Jacobs is Multicultural Banking Leader for Truist Financial Corporation. She oversees the coordination and  delivery of financial education modules designed to empower communities through financial knowledge. These initiatives are accomplished through partnerships with various nonprofit organizations and foundations throughout our North Carolina footprint.

Since being named to this position in March 2022, St. Jacobs has supported over 100 nonprofit organizations, colleges/universities, chambers of commerce, small business incumbators and various social organizations. She has also held the role of Community Business Development with a primary focus on MWBE. With more than 30 years of banking experience, she previously served as a Commercial Banking Officer for 15 years. 

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Passionate about service, St. Jacobs serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Women's Business Center of Greensboro. She currently serves in various capacities with the Truist BOLD, PRIDE and Women at Truist Business Resource Groups. Previously, she served as an Advisory Board for four different nonprofit organizations.

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St. Jacobs earned a Bachelor Degree from University of Southern MS and studied Banking and Finance at the University of Seattle.

When she isn't working, St. Jacobs is a supporter of the arts, an avid traveler and enjoys long-distance running. 

Mr. Rony Daniel is president of the Private Practice Help. He has an extensive background in marketing, E commerce and in growing practices. He and his wife purchased and established practice several years ago with a minimal bottom line. Now 4 years into the practice, through his marketing efforts, he has increased the bottom line to multimillion dollar practice with their average sale of over $500 per person.

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Adam W. Farkas, MD, MBA is a co-founder and the Chief Technology Officer at ODwire.org, the largest and longest-running social network for eye care practitioners, with over 25,000 optometrist-members.  
He is also the co-founder and executive director of CEwire, the largest continuing education conference in eye care. Since 2015, CEwire has helped optometrists meet their continuing education needs online. Over 20,000 ODs have attended CEwire events!​