Board of Trustees
JAMES D. SANDEFUR, OD ’65, CHAIR | OAKDALE, LA
is the longtime Executive Director of the Optometric Association of Louisiana. He founded the Gold Key Optometric Honor Society in 1965 at SCO and served as Student Body President. Dr. Sandefur was in private practice from 1968 through 2005. He served in every capacity available at the state level, including President of the Optometry Association of Louisiana. He also served as President of the State Board of Optometry Examiners and as a member of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry. He is in his seventh five-year term on the Board of Examiners, having served as Secretary since 1996. In 2010, he was presented with the American Optometric Association’s Distinguished Service Award. He was named Louisiana Optometrist of the Year in 1993 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Southern College of Optometry in 2001. The OAL’s James D. Sandefur Distinguished Service Award was created and named in his honor. In 2010, he was the recipient of the University of Houston College of Optometry’s Pittman Optometric Leadership Award. In 2014, he was named recipient of the Virgil Deering Executive Director Award of Excellence at the national American Optometric Association meeting and joined his fellow SCO Board member, Dr. Chris Wroten, in receiving the Optometrist of the Year Award from the Optometric Association of Louisiana.
DAVID A. COCKRELL, OD ’81 | STILLWATER, OK
completed his Bachelor’s degree in Zoology at Oklahoma State University and his Doctor of Optometry degree from SCO in 1981. He and his wife, Cherry Cockrell, OD ’81, opened their practice in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which became known as Cockrell Eyecare Center. In addition to serving as AOA President, Dr. Cockrell is a Diplomate and Past Chairman of the American Board of Optometry. Since 1996, he has served as a member of the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners in Optometry and in all of the organization’s officer positions, including president. He is also a past president of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians and the Southwest Council of Optometry. A Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, he is a member of the American Public Health Association’s Vision Section. A founding board member of Optometry Cares, he has received a number of awards at the local, regional, and national levels, including Heart of America’s OD of the Year award and an honorary degree from SCO.
STEVEN L. COMPTON, OD ’78 | FRANKLIN, KY
is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. Following his graduation from SCO in 1978, he joined Compton & Compton Eye Care, PLLC, with his father, the late Kenneth Compton, OD ’53. A member of the American Optometric Association and the Kentucky Optometric Association, he served as the KOA’s President in 2007-2008. Dr. Compton received the KOA’s President’s Award in 2008 and was named a Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Club International in 2000. He has also served in leadership roles for several organizations in his local community, and previously served as a member of SCO’s Alumni Council. Dr. Compton’s son, Alex, is a member of SCO’s Class of 2016.
AMANDA BREWER-LORD, OD ’97 | SPEEDWELL, VA
is a graduate of King College in Bristol, Tennessee. She received her Master of Science degree in Education from Radford University in Virginia. Upon graduation, Dr. Brewer-Lord established Wythe Eye Associates, a private practice with two locations in Virginia. She has been active in leadership positions in optometry, including serving on the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Optometric Association, the Board of Directors of the Banzai Consortium, the Board for TLC Laser Eye Center, InfantSEE Regional Liaison, and as SECO Logistics Committee Vice-Chair, among others. At the local level, she has served on the Board of Directors for 1st Bank of Virginia and the Wytheville Chamber of Commerce. Her awards include being named Virginia’s Young OD of the Year and numerous Clinic of the Year awards in Wythe County
ANITA DAVIS, PHD | HARTFORD, CT
is a native Memphian with a passion for social justice issues. She has been a member of the Rhodes community for over 20 years and has held various leadership positions. She was the inaugural director of the African American Studies Program for five years, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for seven years (2008-2015) where her responsibilities included accreditation, curriculum and program assessment, faculty evaluation and mentoring, and supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives. For the past ten years, Dr. Davis has continued research on student perceptions of the campus climate surrounding diversity and inclusion. Prior to that her work focused on the role of social support in the lives of adolescent mothers. She teaches courses in Psychology and Urban Studies including intercultural knowledge and competence, multicultural counseling, and research methods. Dr. Davis is currently on a three-year leave of absence from Rhodes College as she fulfills duties as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS), a consortium of sixteen nationally recognized colleges and universities. Her primary responsibilities are to support member institutions in their collective and individual efforts to advance diversity and inclusion goals on their campuses and in their communities. Dr. Davis has worked with numerous colleges and non-profit organizations on diversity and inclusion initiatives. She is a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
JENNIFER LYERLY, OD '11 | CARY, NC
graduated Summa Cum Laude from SCO in 2011 and was named an Outstanding Clinician in her class. A native of Clemmons, North Carolina, she was valedictorian at North Carolina State University. She practices in Cary, North Carolina with a focus on specialty contact lenses. She is the founder of Eyedolatry Blog, an eyecare website with a focus on encouraging women's leadership within optometry, and was named one of Vision Monday's Most Influential Women in Optometry in 2015. In 2016 she cofounded Defocus Media, a social media management company for private practice ODs, and is the cohost of the popular Defocus Media Podcast. A 2017 finalist and 2018 Transitions Academy's Brand Ambassador of the Year, Dr. Lyerly has emerged as one of the profession's leading content experts on best practices for ODs using social media. Dr. Lyerly demonstrates the importance of young alumni promoting the profession of optometry in a positive light. In recognition of her service, leadership, and support of SCO, she was awarded SCO’s Young Alumni Award in 2017.
STACEY MEIER, OD '84 | PHOENIX, AZ
is the current Alumni Council Representative to the board. Dr. Meier is the owner of Desert View Vision-North, in Phoenix, Arizona and is currently the Executive Director of the Arizona Optometric Association. Dr. Meier has over 40 years of experience in the eye care industry and received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in 1984. He also has extensive clinical experience in corporate optometry, an ophthalmology surgery center, and 27 years in private practice. Dr. Meier also currently serves as the President-Elect of the International Association of Optometric Executives.
RYAN H. POWELL, OD ’02 | KANSAS CITY, MO
is owner of the multi-location practice, Insight Eyecare Specialties in Missouri, where he practices in Kansas City. He is an adjunct faculty member and has been active on SCO’s Alumni Council and on several state and national optometry committees. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, he graduated Cum Laude from SCO. His training includes completion of an internship at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and with Eye Care Associates of Kentucky. He is a member of the Beta Sigma Kappa and Gold Key Optometric Honor Societies. He served six years as a trustee for the Northwest Missouri Optometric Society and has served as InfantSEE State Liaison in Missouri since 2005. He also is a member of the American Optometric Association’s InfantSEE committee. He served as President of the Missouri Optometric Association in 2009-10 and formerly served on the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence Steering Committee at SCO. He was named Young Optometrist of the Year in 2008 by his state association. Dr. Powell served as President of the North Central States Optometric Council in 2013-14. He is an administrator for Vision Source and serves on the Pro-Forum Advisory Panel for Essilor/Transitions.
CARLA D. SANDERSON, PHD, MSN, RN | JACKSON, TN
serves as Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation at Chamberlain College of Nursing, where she oversees Chamberlain’s state board and higher education agency approvals and directs institutional and programmatic accreditation processes, approvals and recognitions. Dr. Sanderson, now provost emeritus from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, has extensive academic and regulatory expertise having served as provost and executive vice president for strategic initiatives. She also served as chief academic officer and chief operating officer and launched several programs, now accredited, in engineering, pharmacy and nurse anesthesia. Dr. Sanderson aided the Kurdistan Regional Government in the implementation of accreditation standards for its new higher-education system and authored several book chapters on academic leadership and ethical decision-making in nursing. She holds a PhD from the University of Florida, an MSN from the University of Tennessee and a BSN from Union University. She also has served on the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
DAVE SATTLER | COLLEYVILLE, TX
began his career with Alcon in 1986 as a Sales Representative for the Vision Care Group based out of San Diego, California. While living in Southern California, he held a number of positions with increasing responsibility including Regional Broker Manager, National Account Manager, and District Sales Manager.
In 1991, he was promoted to Director of National Accounts and relocated to Alcon’s Corporate Headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. In this position he was responsible for sales management and marketing activities for corporate optical chain accounts, HMOs and optometry schools.
In 2001, he assumed the role of Director Professional Relations and in 2008 he was promoted to Director Professional Relations – Global Optometry. Peer to peer professional marketing was added to his list of responsibilities in 2010. In 2011, Sattler became the Director Professional Relations overseeing Academic Development. After 28 years of service, he retired from Alcon in 2014. Sattler is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is currently serving as a volunteer board member for the American Optometric Association’s Foundation and The Pennsylvania College of Optometry Industry Advisory Board.
LYNN SHAW, SR. | MEMPHIS, TN
is Managing Director for Raymond James. He has more than 38 years of experience as a financial services professional and is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor, and specializes in serving the financial needs of individuals, corporate executives, business owners, medical industry practitioners, philanthropic families and estates, and nonprofit fiduciaries. Along with his duties as an SCO board member, Shaw is actively involved in the Memphis community and his charitable support includes United Way, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Cancer Society.
A.L. SPIVEY III, OD ’67 | MCKENZIE, TN
is owner of Spivey Eye Clinic in McKenzie, Tennessee, where he practices as a partner with his son, Scott Spivey, OD ’94. In 1965, he received his Doctor of Optometry degree and Bachelor’s Degree from SCO in 1965 and was a member of the Gold Key Honor Society as a student. Also an adjunct SCO faculty member, he is a Past President of the Northwest Tennessee Optometric Association. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and the Northwest Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians. Dr. Spivey devoted a decade of service to the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Optometry. A member of the Tennessee Academy of Optometry, he’s chaired a number of committees at the state association level and is a past member of the National Board of Optometry Part III Council and National Board Optometry Clinical Skills Committee. He also served as Vision Service Plan’s Tennessee representative and spent 10 years as Legislative Chairman for the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians. Dr. Spivey has served on the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence Steering Committee at SCO and formerly on SCO’s Alumni Council. He is a 2011 recipient of SCO’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Since his graduation, Dr. Spivey has introduced approximately 20 students to the profession of optometry by bringing them to visit SCO; many later applied and received admission.
STUART J. THOMAS, OD ’84 | ATHENS, GA
Is the owner of Thomas Eye Center in Athens, Georgia, Dr. Thomas is a past chairman of the VSP Global Board of Directors. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia in 1979. He went on to earn his Doctor of Optometry degree from the SCO in 1984, the same year he opened Thomas Eye Center. He is a long-standing member of the AOA and the Georgia Optometric Association, serving in various leadership positions, including president. Dr. Thomas has also served as President of SECO International, an organization that provides continuing education for optometrists and their staff. One of the key initiatives Dr. Thomas has championed as chair of VSP is the inclusion of standalone vision plans such as VSP Vision Care in state health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. His wife, Sharon Thomas, OD ’83, is a research optometrist.
LETICIA W. TOWNS, FACHE | COLLIERVILLE, TN
is Senior Vice President, External Relations, for Regional One Health. Located in Memphis, Regional One Health is a multi-state healthcare resource providing healthcare throughout a five-state region within 150 miles of Memphis. She has more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors and has served in senior executive roles in community not-for-profit, rural and urban academic delivery settings in Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Certified in healthcare management, she is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), a Delegate on the American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board 4, and a member of the AHA Metropolitan Section Governing Council Nominating Committee. In 2014, she was appointed to the Board of the American Lung Association.
TERRY L. TUCKER, OD ’84 | NORTH FORT MYERS, FL
has operated a solo practice in North Fort Myers, Florida since 1997. He attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence prior to enrolling at SCO, where he also received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982 and earned his doctorate in 1984. He served five years on the faculty of Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in addition to his private practice and consultation services. Dr. Tucker is an active member of SECO, the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Optometry. In Florida, he has served two terms as President of the Southwest Florida Optometric Association and a number of key committees for the Florida Optometric Association and is a Past President of the association. Dr. Tucker has worked with the Florida State Board of Examiners in Optometry. He’s also served in leadership roles in community organizations and has been named a Paul Harris Fellow and Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of North Fort Myers. He also is a former Trustee to SECO from Florida.
CHRIS WROTEN, OD ’02 | DENHAM SPRINGS, LA
joined the board following his two-year term as Alumni Council Representative to the Board. In 2013, he received SCO’s Young Alumni Award, and was named Louisiana’s Young Optometrist of the Year in 2011 and the American Optometric Association’s Young OD of the Year in 2012. In 2014, he received the Optometrist of the Year Award from the Optometric Association of Louisiana. A graduate of Louisiana State University, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from SCO in 2002 before completing a residency at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He later joined the Bond-Wroten Eye Clinics as a partner. Dr. Wroten also serves as Chief Operating Officer of the practice. He has served two terms as President of the Optometry Association of Louisiana and is active in numerous local organizations. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor on the faculties of SCO, the UIW-Rosenberg School of Optometry, and the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry.
WIL MCGRIFF, OD | MEMPHIS, TN
is the Faculty Representative to the Board. Prior to entering the optometric field, Dr. McGriff worked as an epidemiology fellow for the United States Air Force at Brooks City Base in San Antonio, TX, and served as a program coordinator for the UAB School of Public Health. At SCO, Dr. McGriff sees patients in the Adult Primary Care Clinic in The Eye Center. Dr. McGriff teaches Basic and Medical Pathology and assists in the Public Health course. He also serves as Director of Service-Learning for FOCUS, SCO’s service-learning curriculum. Dr. McGriff is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and the Tennessee Public Health Association.
MARIE HUEGEL, ’21 | BLYTHEWOOD, SC
is the current Student Government Association President and serves as SCO’s Student Representative to the Board of Trustees for 2019-20. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Science from Clemson University.