Governor Abbott Names Chair And Appoints Three To Texas Optometry Board
Governor Greg Abbott today named Dr. John Coble Chair of the Texas Optometry Board and appointed Dr. Carey Patrick, Dr. Ronald Hopping and Mr. Rene Peña to the Board for terms to expire on January 31, 2021.
Dr. John Coble is an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist and Therapeutic Optometrist. He was the past President of the Texas Optometric Association, past President of the Greenville Rotary Club, United Way of Hunt County and optometric representative Medicare Carrier Advisory Board.
In 2004, Coble was named Optometrist of the Year for the state of Texas by the Texas Optometric Association and Optometrist of the Year by the American Optometric Association. In 2005, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnae of the Year award from the University Of Houston College Of Optometry and delivered their commencement address.
He is Chairman of the American Optometric Association Meeting Center Executive Committee and an Adjunct assistant professor at UH. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.
Dr. Carey A. Patrick is active in the American Optometric Association, Pediatric and Binocular Vision Council, the AOA Cornea and Contact Lens Specialty Section and the Ocular Nutrition Society. Dr. Patrick is a former Director of the Texas Optometric Association and served on the Executive Committee of the national AOA Third Party Center. She has also served as Chair of the TOA Third Party Committee, Chair of the TOA Public Health Committee and is a past- President of the Northeast Texas Optometric Association.
Patrick won national recognition as the Outstanding Graduate Professional for her research and treatment of Aniseikonia in 2002. In 2003, her UHCO professors and peers nominated her for Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry, the professional organization which recognizes outstanding contributors to optometry and the vision care profession. In 2015, she was given the Mollie Armstrong Award named after the first female optometrist in Texas.
Dr. Ronald L. Hopping is a Therapeutic Optometrist and an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist. He is an honor graduate of Southern California College of Optometry, Kenyon College in Ohio and received the Honorary Degree Doctor of Ocular Science from the Southern College of Optometry. He obtained his Masters in Public Health from the University of Texas.
Hopping is a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. His specialty is contact lenses and adult vision correction and eye health. His excellence in contact lens skills was recognized by the American Academy of Optometry when he was awarded the distinction of Diplomate in Cornea and Contact Lenses, one of eleven in Texas and 235 in the world. Dr. Hopping is a past president of the Texas Optometric Association and has been a member of the American Optometric Association since 1974. In June of 2012 Dr. Hopping assumed the presidency of the American Optometric Association.
Hopping has served on many national committees in the areas of legislation, contact lenses, sports vision, communications and practice management. Since 1980, Dr. Ronald Hopping has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Additionally, he is nationally recognized as one of 100 Distinguished Practitioners in the National Academy of Practitioners for Optometry.
Mr. Rene D. Peña is a Certified Public Accountant licensed by the State of Texas and New Mexico. He holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at El Paso and has over thirty years of experience in public accounting. In those thirty years he has gained significant knowledge in the financial industry, and shared his knowledge generously with his peers and up-and-coming professionals in the field. In addition to being the Audit Principal and President of Peña Briones McDaniel & Co., he is a frequent speaker and instructor of auditing and accounting to members of both public accounting and private industry throughout Texas and the El Paso Southwest area.
Peña was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas State Board of Geoscientist in the year 2002 and the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners in 2008. In 1999, Peña was appointed by Governor George Bush as Board Member/Treasurer of the Texas Health Kids Corporation. Both state boards were newly created and Mr. Peña, a founding member and instrumental in the creation of the state organization. He has served on the Board of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and on the AICPA Joint Trial Board. He is currently serving on the El Paso Employee’s Pension Board as Chairman. He has served on the Executive Committee for the Texas Society of CPA’s 4 different appointments and as the treasurer of the committee. In addition he has been president and state director for the El Paso Chapter of Certified Public Accountants. He has also served as a commissioner for the El Paso Housing Authority as well as numerous other civic boards in the El Paso County region for the past 30 years.
These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.