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Optometric Physician of The Year |
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The OD of the Year is selected based on his or her efforts to fulfill the goals of the association, support the profession of optometry and the local community and promote the visual welfare of the public.
2010 Optometric Physician of the Year: Dr. Michael BennettNoted motivational expert Steve Musseau states that success must include three essentials: Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And, believe in what you are doing. These thoughts perfectly describe your 2010 Optometric Physician of the Year - Dr. Michael Bennett. Michael was born in Perryton, Texas, the oldest of three children. He graduated from Borger High School where he was Valedictorian of the Class of 1977. A year later, Michael married Kim Neff, his high school sweetheart. They were very young and naïve. Three years after they married Dr. Bennett and Kim were blessed with the birth of their first child Jennifer. Son Greg was born three years later.
Michael was a member of the Class of 1985, the third class at Northeastern State University College of Optometry. Lifelong friends were made there and special times were shared from clinical experiences to putting on a very unique fashion show or celebrating graduation.
While at NSUCO, Michael developed respect for one of his mentors, Dr. Chester H. Pheiffer. Because of his admiration and to honor this man who impacted Michael so much, he and Kim continue to sponsor a scholarship in Dr. Pheiffer’s name at NSU.
Shortly after graduation, Michael became active in the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians. He served as President of the Central District in 1987, and then as the Medicare Liaison while starting his own practice in Guthrie, after purchasing Dr. Rex Bechenhaur and Dr. Dave Franke’s practice in Guthrie. He was named Young OD of the Year by the association in 1991 and the Alumnus of the Year for NSUCO in 1992.
Michael served on the Oklahoma Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee as a board member for 13 years. His work on the OAOP Convention Committee began in 1992 and continued until the fall 2009. He served as Chairman of the Convention Committee for five years and was instrumental in developing our fall convention into a regional meeting, the Pioneers in Optometry. Michael served as the 100th President of OAOP in 2006. In celebration of the association’s centennial, he helped create the Pioneer’s in Optometry Hall of Fame which honored all past OAOP Presidents as the first class. He was named to the PIO Hall of Fame in 2007. He became a trustee of the Southwest Council of Optometry in 2001 and currently serves as President. In addition to his involvement in Oklahoma and regional optometry, he currently is the Oklahoma representative for the AOA PAC and has been a board member of the Sports Vision Section Council since 2008. He recently accepted an AOA appointment to the Practice Advancement Committee.Recognizing that involvement in patient education initiatives is important, Michael and his staff have participated in the Opening Eyes at the Special Olympics in Stillwater since it first started. He also participates in the InfantSEE program as well as the Iris Scanning Project. Michael has also been active in his community - Historic Guthrie, Oklahoma. He has been a member of the Guthrie Noon Lions Club for the past 20 years, serving on many of the organizations committees. He was also privileged to serve as Club President during Oklahoma’s Centennial Celebration when the club served as the official host of the Oklahoma Legislature during their historic meeting in Guthrie.Michael is also active with the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, a board member for the Red Cross and a member of the First Christian Church of Guthrie.If you ask Michael what he is most proud of, he will tell you it is his involvement with the youth of Guthrie. He served as a coach for two of his son’s baseball teams and as Chapter Dad of the Trinity Order of DeMolay and Guthrie Rainbow. He had fun with the boys while still winning several state awards. The boys across the state elected him as State DeMolay Dad in 2000.Michael cherishes the time he spends with his grandchildren from giving bubble baths to sharing the piano and bowling with Jacob. This is his favorite picture of his granddaughter, Jenna. He looks forward to t-ball and baseball games as well as dance recitals in the future.Michael remodeled a 115 year old building in downtown Guthrie six years ago and currently practices with Dr. Brian Padgham, a Guthrie graduate and a former DeMolay when Michael was his Chapter Dad- you never know where a future associate could come from!Please join me in congratulating Dr. Michael Bennett, your 2010 Optometric Physician of the Year.
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