Board of Directors

Dr. Naheed Ahmad, OD, President – Dr. Ahmad has been practicing for over 22 years total and the last 14 in Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up in Montreal, Canada and earned her Optometry degree at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada before moving to the United States. Dr. Ahmad has been a presenter at SECO, AOA National Meeting and at the GOA annual meeting. In 2004 she was awarded Walmart’s National Optometrist of the Year and has been the optometrist of her region for 3 separate years. She has also been a lecturer for Alcon and has been on the advisory panel for The OBA and on the editorial panel for Women of Optometry. She has been an Independent Doctor of Optometry with Walmart for over 12 years.

Dr. Maurice Wilson, OD, Vice-President - Dr. Wilson was born and raised in San Diego, California. He received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and his Optometry degree from The University of Houston. Dr. Wilson went on to be Clinical Director of 3 cataract and refractive surgery practices until 2001. After leaving ophthalmology, Dr. Wilson signed on as a leaseholder with Wal-Mart in Conroe, Texas in 2001 and subsequently held 4 additional Wal-Mart leases. Since 2007, he has been only leasing his main Conroe location to further develop his educational speaking opportunities. In 2002, Dr. Wilson started performing clinical trials for CibaVision and in 2003 became member of its Speakers Bureau. In 2005 he was invited to join the Speakers Alliance for Alcon. In 2009, he became founding member of the Professional Developments Consultants for CibaVision (now Alcon). During his off hours Dr. Wilson is a competitive cyclist on and off road and enjoys a good motorcycle ride for fun as often as possible.

Dr. Vincent Facchiano, F.A.A.O, Secretary/Treasurer - Dr. Facchiano is a native of the Rockford, Illinois area and earned his Doctor of Optometry Degree in 1982 graduating from Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. He has achieved fellowship with the American Academy of Optometry and is board certified, he has a diploma of American Board or Optometry. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association and Contact Lens Society, Northern Illinois Optometric Society President (current) and Wisconsin Optometric Association. He has authored practice management articles and researched new materials for soft contact lenses. He is married and is the father of two boys age 29 & 35.

Dr. Eric Botts, OD, Immediate Past President – Dr. Botts grew up in Manly, IL. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1988, he attended the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. Dr. Botts has been a long standing member of the Walmart and Sam’s Club optical community starting his first practice in the Macomb, IL Walmart Vision Center in 1992. Since then, he has opened an additional office in Galesburg, IA in 2006 and then a third location in 2009 in West Burlington, IL. Dr. Botts has lived in Macomb since 1992 with his wife, Lori, and has enjoyed raising three beautiful daughters, Meghan, Hayley and Carly.

Directors at Large

Dr. Amy Boyer, OD

Dr. Boyer is a 2002 graduate of NECO and currently practicing in a WalMart location in New Albany, OH. She believes that the Association and all corporate affiliated optometrists have a duty to the up and coming optometrists, current optometric students and future optometrists. Prior to her current WalMart location, Dr. Boyer practiced for four years at two high volume LensCrafters in Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee since graduating from optometry school. It is important to educate and inform new graduates about the great opportunities available in corporate settings. “We must continue to meet the needs of busy contact lens and spectacle alike with the latest technology and the best materials and fitting capabilities we have to offer.”

Dr. Steven Lowinger, OD

Dr. Lowinger is a board certified optometric physician specializing in primary eye care and contact lenses. He has been practicing in south Florida for the past 18 years. He is the managing Optometrist of Lowinger Eyecare and Lowinger Eyecare Miami Lakes. He graduated from the Universtiy of Florida in 1991 with a Bachelors in Business Administration and then got his Doctorate in Optometry from Nova Southeastern University in 1995. In addition to serving on the Energeyes Board, Dr. Lowinger is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Florida Optometric Association.

Dr. Jonathan Noble, OD

Dr. Jonathan Noble is a graduate and Class President of the Southern College of Optometry. Dr. Noble was awarded the prestigious Health Professions Scholarship through the United States Navy. He completed his internship at the Vitreo-Retinal Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon graduation, Dr. Noble served as a United States Naval Officer and Hospital Credentialed Optometrist at the Naval Hospital Cherry Point, North Carolina. Dr. Noble practices family eye care in Ashland, Virginia within a Walmart. Dr. Noble was appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Board of Optometry in 2008 and is currently serving his second term. He is currently President of the Virginia Board of Optometry. In 2010 he was appointed by Govenor McDonnell to serve on the Virginia Board of Health Professions and later appointed to President of the Virginia Board of Health Professions. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association, the Virginia Optometric Association, and the Richmond Optometric Society.

Dr. Travis M Johnson, OD

Dr. Johnson is a 1999 graduate of Pacific University College of Optometry. His extern rotations focused on medical based vision care with emphasis on co-management of cataract surgery and laser refractive surgery. He also did a rotation involving specialty contact lens fitting, corneal disease, and rehabilitative optometry. Dr. Johnson enjoys working with patients of all ages. Dr. Johnson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and one of only a few optometrist that are Board Certified. Dr. Johnson has published articles in the Contact Lens Spectrum November 2010 and published in the Behavior Journal of Optometry Winter 2011. Dr. Johnson has also trained with corneal specialist recently, and is certified to perform treatment of ocular disease and eyelid disease procedures involving injections and wound management. He loves the outdoors, spending time with family, studying theology, and playing his guitar.

Dr. Dawn Kaplan, OD

Dr. Kaplan is a 1994 graduate of ICO and the owner of two thriving locations inside of Costco Warehouse stores located in the North and Northwest suburbs of Chicago in Lake Zurich and Mettawa, IL. Her offices are completely high tech with EMR, Marco refracting systems, retinal cameras, and OCT and represent for all corporate-affiliated optometrists what a medical practice can look like. Dr. Kaplan employs 5 doctors and 10 technicians between the two offices and has been located within Costco for the past 16 years. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Women in Optometry magazine.

Dr. Nikil Patel, OD

Dr. Patel is a certified optometrist through the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Indiana University School of Optometry. Dr. Patel’s intense and thorough training has included time spent at institutions such as Aran Eye Associates (Miami, FL), Lackland Air Force Base (San Antonio, TX) and LASIK Vision Institute (Atlanta, GA). Dr. Patel has been practicing in the Atlanta area since 2004 and started practicing inside the Cumberland Mall Costco in October 2012. Dr. Patel is a member of the American Optometric Association, Georgia Optometric Association, Beta Sigma Kappa National Optometric Association and the American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. He has participated with Georgia Lions Lighthouse, Luxottica’s Gift of Sight and One Sight, Essilor’s Kids Vision for Life and World Sight Day. Outside of the office, Dr. Patel enjoys sports and spending time with his wife and two children.

Dr. Shauna Thornhill, OD

Dr. Thornhill is a primary care optometrist who specializes in contact lens fittings, treatment and management of ocular disease, dry eye treatment, and pre-operative consultation and post-operative care for LASIK and cataract surgery. As a therapeutic optometrist and an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist, she holds the highest level of licensure to practice optometry granted by the Texas Optometric Board. She is a Cum Laude graduate from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a minor in Chemistry. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Visual Sciences from Pennsylvania College of Optometry and graduated with a Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College of Optometry, where she was the President of her Optometry School class. When she’s not doing eye exams, Dr. Thornhill enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering in numerous community projects, running, shoe shopping and trying to duplicate craft projects from Pinterest. She is most proud of creating “Sight Before Christmas”, a free eye exam/toy drive day. The event benefits Amarillo’s Toys for Tots and will be in its 6th year this November. She is happily married to Patrick Thornhill and has two beautiful children, Avery and Grayson.