History
The Monterey Bay Optometric Society was originally part of the Central Coast Counties Optometric Society. The society was made up of optometrists from the Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey counties. Originally there were two sections of the society, the Santa Clara and the Central Coast sections.
During the early days, there were fewer than twenty optometrists in this area, with about four each in Salinas, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville, three in Monterey, one each in Carmel, Capitola, Gilroy and Hollister. In the mid-nineteen fifties, the two sections, became two separate societies, the Santa Clara Optometric Society and the Central Coast Optometric Society. Our society was made up mainly of optometrists in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, with a few from San Benito and Santa Clara. In the late nineteen eighties, the name of the society evolved into the Monterey Bay Optometric Society to more accurately reflect who we were.
Our society is headed by a president, who serves for two years as well as a board, put together by the president. Originally the society had a very active auxiliary, as did the COA. The wives generally came to the society meetings and would generally hold their own separate meeting after dinner. They had their own president and board. That changed in the mid-nineteen eighties and we no longer have an auxiliary. The makeup of the society was all male until the mid-eighties. Dr Ellie Hattori was the only female optometrist in the area, and early on she was busy raising a family so wasn’t actively practicing.
Our society has produced two COA presidents, Dr. Scott Daly and Dr. Bob Theaker. Also, we have had a least three COA Young Optometrists of the Year, Dr. Marc Shaw, Dr. Scott Daly and Dr. Bob Theaker. Dr. Bob Honners served a number of years on the board of VSP, including a term as board president.
Though relatively small, our society has historically helped shape and influence optometry in California over the past 75 years.
Past CE
June 2022 - Dr. Jay Wang - OCT-A
March 2022 - Dr. Shelby Potkin - eyelid lesions
May 2021 - Dr. Celia Chao - dry eye, pterygium, and pingecula
April 2021 - Dr. Anna Shi - Botox injections
October 2020 - Dr. Ann Shue - adult strabismus
May 2020 - Dr. Kevin Chen - retinal detachment
January 2020 - Dr. Tarek El-Sawy - oculoplastics
October 2019 - Dr. Anna Shi - glaucoma
August 2019 - Dr. Ryan Basham - oncology and pathology
May 2019 - Dr. Steve Ferrucci - OCT
March 2019 - Dr. Brittney Dautremont-Fasick - iritis
January 2019 - Antonio Alcorta - artificial eyes
October 2018 - COA and Micheal Heath
September 2018 - Dr. Ehsan Rahimy - retina
May 2018 - Dr. Philip Penrose - cataracts and refractive surgery
March 2018 - Dr. Anna Diaz Kessler - glaucoma
October 2017 - Dr. Trevor Fogg - OCT
August 2017 - Dr. Amara Lieberman - dermatology
May 2017 - Dr. Rob Bernardino - oculoplastics
March 2017 - Dr. Michael Furlong - LASIK, PRK, ICLs & RLEs
January 2017 - Dr. Trevor Fogg - diabetes