More than 200 eye care professionals and supporters from across the state came together on March 27 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville for the Third Annual Celebration of Sight Gala. The event presented by Prevent Blindness Tennessee (PBT), the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology (TNAO), and the Tennessee Optometric Association (TOA) with support from Allergan and Genentech benefits programs that provide access to vision health services for uninsured Tennesseans.
Dr. Richard Phillips (President of Southern College of Optometry) – Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino (Vanderbilt Eye Institute) – Dr. Glen Steele (The Eye Center at SCO & 20/20 Lifetime of Service Honoree) – Rep. Gary Odom (TOA Executive Director)
“In 2009, Prevent Blindness Tennessee reached more than 77,000 individuals through vision screenings, eye exams and education,” said Dr. Everton Arrindell, PBT Chairman. “Celebration of Sight is an event to recognize the contributions of eye care professionals and donors who help make these vital resources to save sight available for people when they need them most.”
Dr. David Gerkin (Knoxville Eye Surgery Center & 20/20 Lifetime of Service Honoree) – Sharon Gerkin – Dr. John Hoskins (TNAO President)
At the event, PBT, TNAO, and TOA recognized Jimmy and Jeff Gould, David Gerkin, M.D., and Glen Steele, O.D. for their exemplary contributions to the prevention of blindness. Additionally, Estelle Condra—a blind, award winning actress and author—entertained the audience with her one-woman show Vibrations of Laughter, a dramatization of the life of Annie Sullivan. In the dramatic work Estelle shares insights into the life of Annie Sullivan to illustrate the true miracle of how this remarkable woman brought laughter into the life of her student, Helen Keller, who had never seen or heard others laugh.
Dr. Everton Arrindell (PBT Board Chairman) – Dr. Saudrette Arrindell
Prevent Blindness Tennessee
20/20 Lifetime of Service Award 2010
Jimmy and Jeff Gould
Prevent Blindness Tennessee’s 20/20 Lifetime of Service Award recognizes an extraordinary volunteer for exemplary contributions to the prevention of blindness. This year’s honorees are Jimmy and Jeff Gould.
Jimmy Gould is a Managing Director in institutional fixed income sales at Morgan Keegan and Company. He started there 24 years ago in the Nashville office before moving to Memphis in 1994. He currently lives in Memphis with his wife Katie Smythe and their five children.
After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1981, Mr. Gould joined Nashville City Bank as a management trainee—shortly afterward he sold his first Swing for Sight Hole-in-One tickets, beginning his involvement with Prevent Blindness Tennessee. Over the years he has continued to serve as a dedicated advocate for the prevention of blindness.
eff Gould is a successful Nashville businessman and entrepreneur. His business career of over 30 years includes positions with IBM and Cisco, as well as successful entrepreneurial ventures such as Investment Scorecard. Additionally, he was a general partner in the Nashville-based venture capital firm Massey Burch Investment Group.
Mr. Gould received a BA degree in Business Administration and Economics from Vanderbilt University and a MBA degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In addition to his professional contributions, Mr. Gould has served various charitable causes including serving on the boards of Prevent Blindness Tennessee, In Full Motion and The Bridge Foundation, and volunteering as an assistant high school basketball coach at Pearl-Cohn High School.
Jimmy and Jeff Gould are champions in the mission to save sight and serve as a driving force in improving the quality of life for those with vision problems.
Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology
20/20 Lifetime of Service Award 2010
David G. Gerkin, M.D.
The Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology’s 20/20 Lifetime of Service Award recognizes an outstanding ophthalmologist for exemplary contributions to the prevention of blindness. This year’s honoree is Dr. David Gerkin.
A native of French Lick, Indiana Dr. David Gerkin has dedicated more than 39 years of leadership and service in the field of ophthalmology to organized medicine in Tennessee. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and currently serves as Medical Director for the Knoxville Eye Surgery Center. Formerly, he was a senior partner of the University Eye Surgeons at the University Medical Center in Knoxville, TN, and was actively involved in the teaching program there as an Associate Clinical Professor. He received a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and undergraduate degree from Indiana State University.
Dr. Gerkin’s professional contributions include serving as president of the Tennessee Medical Foundation and board of director of the Tennessee Physicians Health Program. He served as Medical Director of the East Tennessee Eye Bank from 1974 to 1991 establishing the first morticians and technician eye acquisition program, and served for many years as part of the ophthalmology program of the Remote Area Medical Program. Additionally, he has received numerous awards and honors including the 2005 Medical Director of the Year Award from the American Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and the 2001 Tennessee Medical Association Outstanding Physician Award for Lifetime of Service. Furthermore, he is a recognized United States veteran having taken part in the doctor draft for the Vietnam War and having served on military active duty or reserves for 20 years before retiring as a Colonel in 1999. Dr. Gerkin remains an influential force in the treatment and prevention of blindness, and serves as an example of excellence in the field of ophthalmology.
Tennessee Optometric Association
20/20 Lifetime of Service Award 2010
Glen Steele, O.D.
The Tennessee Optometric Association’s 20/20 Lifetime of Service Award recognizes an exceptional optometrist for exemplary contributions to the prevention of blindness. This year’s honoree is Dr. Glen Steele.
Dr. Glen Steele is a clinical professor and Chief of the Pediatric Service at The Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. Additionally, he maintains a private practice emphasizing the eye and vision care needs of infants and children. Dr. Steele’s work in the area of infant vision development has been referenced in various medical journals, and his techniques for child vision care are practiced throughout the world. He is a graduate of Martin College in Pulaski, TN and Southern College of Optometry where a Developmental Vision Endowed Scholarship was recently established and jointly named in his honor.
Dr. Steele’s professional contributions include serving as past chairman of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and past president the Optometric Extension Program Foundation. Additionally, he is the recipient of the 1999 Tennessee Optometrist of the Year Award and was selected one of Optometric Management’s Top Ten Optometrists of the Decade in 2000. Currently, Dr. Steele serves as chair of the American Optometric Association’s InfantSEE, a public health awareness and advocacy program where optometrists volunteer their services to provide no cost examinations to infants younger than one year of age. Dr. Steele and others worked with former President Jimmy Carter to launch the program which continues to grow and provide critically needed eye examinations for America’s infants. Dr. Steele is committed to improving the quality and availability of eye care, and serves as a model of excellence in the field of optometry.
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Established in 1978, Prevent Blindness Tennessee is a voluntary eye health organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight across the state of Tennessee through vision screenings, public and professional education, community services, programs, referrals, information, and research.
