Dr. Max Raynor, SECO's new president
ATLANTA—SECO International, a leading annual conference providing ophthalmic professionals with educational opportunities since 1923, has wrapped up its 2020 edition with a delegates meeting, award presentations and leadership transition. At this year’s meeting, which ran from March 4 until March 8, SECO offered more than 400 hours of continuing education, including facilitated workshops, exhibit hall education, lounges for peer-to-peer sharing, hands-on skill training, and a user-group discussion area. The SECO continuing education workshops were especially busy throughout the meeting and several show exhibitors drew ample numbers of ECPs to their demonstrations and product displays. The official attendance numbers were not available at VMAIL's deadline.

“It is the continuous contributions of knowledge, leadership, advocacy and service that is the foundation of our profession,” Max Ernst, OD, outgoing president of SECO International said. “SECO celebrates those that are going above and beyond in their efforts to serve.” Dr. Max Raynor of North Carolina will succeed Ernst as president of the organization. The House of Delegates meeting was held Saturday, March 7.

As the meeting concluded, the organization presented the SECO 20/20 award winners, which included:

• Southern Council of Optometrists’ President’s Award – Freddie Mayes, OD, of Central City, Ky., received the 20/20 President’s Award in recognition of his dedicated years and outstanding advancements to the profession of optometry. Dr. Mayes received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Alabama School of Optometry before returning to private practice in Kentucky. He previously served as president of the Kentucky Optometric Association and was recognized as Kentucky Optometrist of the Year in 2007.

• Southern Council of Optometrists’ Distinguished Service Award – the 20/20 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Len Brown, OD, of Fort Myers, Fla. Dr. Brown is recognized for his outstanding service and distinguished contributions to the advancement of continuing education in optometry worldwide during 44 years of service as a dedicated volunteer leader with SECO International. Dr. Brown graduated from the Southern College of Optometry with his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1974 and with post graduate courses in therapeutics and pharmacology from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He has served SECO as logistics committee chair since 1976.

• Southern Council of Optometrists’ Optometrist of the South Award – the 20/20 Optometrist of the South Award was presented to Jonathan Shrewsbury, OD, of Beaver Dam, Ky. Dr. Shrewsbury is being recognized for his outstanding work in the community and profession. Dr. Shrewsbury is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and the Southern College of Optometry. He has been in private practice in Beaver Dam for nearly 40 years while serving the profession in many roles. He is the current president of the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners and has served the Kentucky Optometric Association in many roles, including president from 1998-1998.

• Southern Council of Optometrists’ Young Optometrist of the South Award – the 20/20 Young Optometrist of the South Award was presented to Roya Attar, OD, of Madison, Miss. She served the Kentucky College of Optometry in various roles, including assistant professor, as faculty mentor to several student organizations, and also began a tradition of service by partnering with remote area medical (RAM) clinics to provide vision screening to underserved areas within the state. Dr. Attar broke career ground in 2018 as the first optometrist hired at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state’s only academic medical center.

• Southern Council of Optometrists’ Paraoptometric of the South – the 20/20 Paraoptometric of the South Award was presented to Brianna Goodson, CPOA, of Ravenswood, W. Va. Goodson has worked for Ravenswood Eyecare since the age of 19. She was hired as a receptionist in 2006, and two years later, was promoted to office manager. She recently passed her CPOA certification test and is enrolled in Essilor’s ECPU Management Development Program. As a committed member to the profession, she has attended SECO for the last 13 years. She has also been blessed to go on two optometric mission trips.

The annual SECO meeting is produced by SECO International, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Council of Optometrists Inc., a nonprofit association founded in 1923. The group’s global membership is about 25,000, and the annual SECO Congress regularly attracts more than 6,000 national and international eyecare professionals, vendors, and allied ophthalmic personnel.

 Freddie Mayes, OD  Ken Brown, OD  Jonathan Shrewsbury, OD
 Roya Attar, OD  Brianna Goodson, CPOA