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AOA recognizes military optometrist for distinguished service
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CHICAGO – Rear Adm. Michael H. Mittelman, OD, was presented with the American Optometric Association’s Distinguished Service Award here at the Optometry’s Meeting opening session.
Rear Adm. Mittelman serves as deputy surgeon general of the Navy and deputy chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Highlights of his career include being the first optometrist designated as an aerospace optometrist in 1989; facilitating the establishment of the Department of Defense Optical Fabrication enterprise; commanding the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan; serving as director of the Medical Service Corps for 3 years; and serving as the command surgeon, U.S. Joint Forces Command and medical advisor to the commander of the Supreme Allied Command for Transformation (NATO).
When accepting his award, Rear Adm. Mittelman said, “All of the credit goes to the people I surround myself with.”
He said that Maya Angelou said: “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
“I will continue to strive to give back to the world what it’s given me so I may be even more worthy and deserving of this honor,” he said.
Melvin Shipp, OD, DrPh, MPH, of Powell, Ohio, was named AOA Optometrist of the Year. Dr. Shipp is president of the American Public Health Association and dean of the Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Chris Wroten, OD, was named Young Optometrist of the Year. Dr. Wroten was the first optometrist appointed to the Louisiana Emergency Response Network Board by the governor of Louisiana. This year he was also named Young OD of the South by SECO.
Tony Carnevali, OD, was named Optometric Educator of the Year. He has been a full-time faculty member at the Southern California College of Optometry since 1995 and has served as president of the California Optometric Association.
Vera Kohler, CPOA, was named Paraoptometric of the Year. She served as president of the Pennsylvania Paraoptometric Association and co-authored the Paraoptometric Reference Manual.