Governor Abbott Names Chair, Appoints Three To Texas Optometry Board
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Mala Sharma and Steven Nguyen, O.D. and reappointed Bill Thompson, O.D. for terms set to expire on January 31, 2029. Additionally, the Governor named Ronald L. Hopping, O.D. chair of the Board for a term to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The board oversees licensing and regulation of optometrists in Texas.
Mala Sharma of Houston is an attorney, handling personal injury civil litigation at her family practice, Sharma & Associates, P.C. She is co-chair of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association diversity committee, a member of the Houston Bar Association, and volunteer at the Veterans Legal Clinic. Additionally, she is former president of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, former vice president of the South Asian Bar Association, and former special advisor to the American Bar Association GPSolo. Sharma received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Steven Nguyen, O.D. of Irving is the president and owner of Southwest Dallas Eyecare. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, Texas Optometric Association, Novitas Solutions, Inc., Contractor Advisory Committee, and a board member of the Foundation for Education and Research in Vision. Formerly, he served as president of the Texas Optometric Association, chairman of the board for the Las Colinas Association, and a member of Texas Institute of Healthcare Quality and Efficiency Board of Directors, Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council, and Small Business Advisory Council. Nguyen received a Bachelor of Science in Optometry and Doctor of Optometry from the University of Houston.
Bill Thompson, O.D. of Richardson is a doctor of optometry and owner of Buckner Vision. While serving as a captain in the Army, he served as Chief of Optometry at the U.S. Army Hospital in Wurzburg, Germany, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and the Collin County Association of Realtors. Additionally, he is former president of the Northeast Texas Optometric Society, former member of the Texas Optometric Association Board of Trustees, and former chairman of the school board of the Garland Christian Academy. Thompson received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Doctor of Optometry from Southern College of Optometry.
Ron Hopping, O.D. of Friendswood is a managing partner with Hopping Eye Associates, LLP, where he serves as a therapeutic optometrist and optometric glaucoma specialist. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, American Academy of Optometry, American Board of Optometry, and National Academies of Practice. Additionally, he is a member of the Texas Optometric Association, Harris County Optometric Society, and the Association of Regulatory Boards in Optometry. Hopping received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Kenyon College, a Master of Public Health from The University of Texas School of Public Health, and a Doctor of Optometry from Southern California College of Optometry.