Congratulations, Marty, on Your Upcoming Retirement!

TMB-Marty-WallFrom the colleagues and friends of Marty Wall, CAE, who is retiring in July after nearly 25 years as Executive Director of the Association of Schools and College of Optometry …

 

TMB-WilliamECochranOD

Marty: Congratulations on your retirement as Executive Director of ASCO. After a quarter century of handling Deans and Presidents you deserve at least another 25 years of peace and harmony. Please know that you have always had my admiration and respect for your personal and professional abilities.

Wishing you all the best,

Billy

William E. Cochran, OD
President Emeritus, Southern College of Optometry
Former ASCO President

tmb-peniston

Marty, thank you for 25 years of outstanding, dedicated service to our profession. You have seen many changes over this time and have guided ASCO with your great leadership. Thank you!

Doug Penisten, OD, PhD
Dean, Northeastern State University – Oklahoma College of Optometry
ASCO Board member

TMB-Alice-Baum

Congratulations, Marty, from your Financial Coordinator, who remembers that you used your fine instincts to decide to hire me and then gave me lots of opportunity to grow professionally. It’s been a great run for you at ASCO. You’ve been there through very interesting times. I wish you a wonderful retirement filled with many happy adventures yet to enjoy.

Alice Baum
Former Financial Coordinator

TMB-Arol-Augsburger,-OD

During the last twenty-five years, I have attended ASCO meetings as a representative of three different optometric educational institutions, and during that time you have capably served ASCO as Executive Director with professionalism, integrity, and with great preparation for each meeting. ASCO is in a far better place now than when you arrived. Thank you.

Arol Augsburger, OD
President, Illinois College of Optometry
Former Dean, University of Alabama at Birmingham, College of Optometry
Former Professor of Clinical Optometry and Director of External Programs, The Ohio State University College of Optometry
Former ASCO President

TMB-Joseph-Bonanno-OD-PhD-FAAO

Dear Marty,

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, i.e., you are ASCO Executive Director and you are retiring. I wish you well in this next chapter of your life. We will miss you. Go Caps!

Joe Bonanno, OD, PhD, FAAO
Professor & Dean, Indiana University School of Optometry
ASCO Secretary-Treasurer

TMB-Andrew-Buzzelli,-OD,-MS

Marty,

It is with very mixed feelings that I learned of your retirement. When I think about friendship and professionalism, your name is at the top of the list for me. I am glad that we have been blessed with you these many years but I know that it will be awhile for me to adjust to not having a friend like you around to talk with, laugh with, and plan with. There will always be an ASCO but there will only be one Marty Wall. We are privileged that you have been here to guide us these many years. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

Sincerely,

Andy

Andrew Buzzelli, OD, MS
University of Pikeville, Vice President for Optometric Education
Kentucky College of Optometry, Founding Dean

TMB-Carol-Brubaker

Marty,

You’ve given your staff a great picture of what a successful organizer and leader looks like, and you’ve shown what true commitment to an organization is. I will particularly miss your institutional memory and the sound administrative and professional guidance you’ve given so freely during my two tenures at ASCO. You’ve shown that people from a variety of backgrounds/philosophies can have productive yet brief discussions — with the help of an egg timer that is! You’ve set a high standard for ASCO’s next leader and for that we are all grateful. I wish you a much-deserved “happily ever after” in your retirement!

Blessings,

Carol Brubaker
Manager, Professional Affairs, ASCO

TMB-Aurora-Denial,-OD,-FAAO

Thank you for all your help and support in regards to the journal. In addition to your guidance, I enjoyed working with you. I enjoyed hearing about your interesting travels and adventures, which now you will be doing more of. Enjoy retirement and keep in touch.

Aurora Denial, OD
Professor of Optometry and Department Chair, Primary Care, New England College of Optometry
Editor, Optometric Education journal

TMB-David-A.-Heath,-OD,-EdM

Congratulations Marty on the occasion of your retirement! Over the past 25 years, you have provided ASCO with tremendous leadership, dedication and wisdom. As a member of the board and having served as an ASCO president, please know how much I have valued your support, counsel and friendship as we sought to advance ASCO and optometric education nationwide. Enjoy your retirement and live well!

David A. Heath, OD, EdM
President, State University of New York College of Optometry
Immediate Past-President, ASCO

 

TMB-Debbie-Godfrey-PhD

Marty,

From all of us at PulsePoint Group, thank you so much for the tremendous contribution you made to ASCO and to the optometric profession. Having worked with you in a marketing capacity for the past five years, we could not have asked for a better Executive Director — smart, dedicated, and meticulous — a real leader.

Your guidance and support have ensured that more people now know about and are motivated to consider the strong educational program and the highly regarded optometric profession.

Thank you again for going above and beyond! It’s been a pleasure and an honor!

All the best,

Debbie Godfrey PhD
Principal, PulsePoint Group

coyle

For the past 25 years, Marty has seen ASCO and optometric education go through tremendous growth and change. He has been a wonderful supporter and administrator and I know the best years are ahead of him as he enters retirement. On behalf of all the faculty and board members, past and present, we thank you for all you’ve done for us, our students and the profession.

Jenny Coyle, OD, MS, FAAO
Dean, Pacific University College of Optometry
ASCO President

AldenHaffner

Longevity in office, alone, speaks for reliance and dependence by the membership and confidence in the individual. All of the “Marty plaudits” are justified. I was in San Juan and participated in his interview and retention. Moreover, I wrote a letter of congratulation to Marty BEFORE he was formally notified. (The other candidate, in my view, was not really serious.) Hail to Marty!

Alden N. Haffner, OD, PhD
President Emeritus, State University of New York, State College of Optometry
Former ASCO President

TMB-John-F.-Amos,-OD,-MS,-DOS

Marty,

I want to thank you for your many years of service to the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and the profession of optometry. Although I did not serve with you for the entire length of your service to ASCO I believe, if memory serves me correctly, that I have known you for almost all of your years as Executive Director. I joined the ASCO Board in 2000 and had the opportunity to observe you as you guided the organization forward through many issues amid a wide variety of board members, officers, and management styles. Personally, I had the pleasure of serving as president of ASCO for two terms and enjoyed working with you very much. I am indebted to you for the guidance provided during this time and sharing those years of service with me.

During your tenure, ASCO has become a better known organization within the optometric profession. Clearly I believe the members of the profession understand the importance of optometric education in a manner they did not previously comprehend. Among your many talents as ASCO’s Executive Director, there are two that stand out in my memory. The first was your ability to organize meetings and make sure all of the appropriate subjects were covered. Second, and perhaps of even more value to ASCO, was your institutional memory. Your unique ability to recall when certain actions were taken and why they were taken served the organization well.

On a personal note, I have enjoyed our many conversations over the years and above all appreciate your friendship. Marty, I wish you many years of happiness and success as you leave this chapter of your career and know you will contribute to all of your future endeavors in a meaningful way.

Again, thank you for all of your efforts in leading optometric education and the profession forward.

Warmest regards,

John F. Amos, OD, MS, DOS
Professor and Dean, (Retired), University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry

TMB-Richard-Phillips-OD

As former President-Elect of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, I wish to express my gratitude and admiration to Marty Wall upon the occasion of his retirement after a quarter century of making significant contributions to optometric education and the profession of optometry.

Marty’s accomplishments will pass into legend, but his legacy will positively impact our profession for decades to come. He was instrumental in guiding our nation’s colleges of optometry to the higher standards that have helped the scope of the profession expand, thanks in part to the caliber of the programs that educate our nation’s optometric physicians.

The symposia he organized and developed during his tenure resulted in strategic plans that helped guide the professional education of 21st century optometric physicians. His work with Special Interest Groups, the Partnership Endowment and developing the central admissions application process are just some of the many accomplishments that will continue to benefit optometric education after his retirement.

My predecessor, SCO President Emeritus Billy Cochran, OD, led the search process that brought Marty to ASCO. I have had the pleasure of working with Marty during my tenure as President and will be the one to celebrate his many contributions to our profession as he leaves ASCO. I know that Billy and all Deans and Presidents, past and present, join me in expressing our appreciation to Marty Wall on his outstanding accomplishments and our appreciation to him for his notable years of service.

Richard W. Phillips, OD
Former President, Southern College of Optometry
Former ASCO President-Elect

TMB-Paige-Pence

It has been such a great experience for me to work for you the past eight years at ASCO. You came into work each and every day and always gave your best which inspired me to always do better. I know that ASCO and the profession of optometry appreciate your leadership and dedication over the past 24 years! Retirement may be an ending of one chapter of your life, but it is also a new beginning.

Always wishing you the best!

Paige Pence
Director, Student and Residency Affairs, ASCO

TMB-Linda-Casser-OD

Through my involvement with ASCO dating back at least twenty years, it has been a great pleasure for me to experience and appreciate first-hand Marty’s exceptional efforts and commitment to ASCO and optometric education. He is energetic, hardworking, knowledgeable, and professional. What I have also greatly valued is his stature and familiarization with his peers in other educational organizations, which has enhanced the visibility of optometry. Many thanks, Marty, for all that you have done, and best wishes for this exciting next chapter in your personal and professional pathways.

Linda Casser, OD, FAAO, FNAP
Professor, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Interim Director of Education, Physician Assistant Program, College of Health Sciences, Salus University
Former ASCO President-Elect

TMB-Kevin-Alexander-OD-PhD

Marty,

How I have enjoyed my many interactions with you over the years! Your contributions to Optometry and Optometric Education are many and will have lasting impact. As you retire, know that you are held in the highest esteem by all and you will be missed!

Kevin L. Alexander, OD, PhD
President, Marshall B. Ketchum University
Former ASCO President
 

TMB-Dr.-Kelly-Nichols-UAB

Dear Marty,

It is hard to imagine ASCO without you. Even though I have only been in ASCO since last June, you have been nothing but welcoming and helpful, even with all of my questions. So while I have seen you up close for a short time, you have been at ASCO for my entire career as an optometrist, so I have known of your contributions for my entire optometry experience, thus I can say thank you for helping to shape optometry as I know it.

I have an unusual ability to find four-leaf clovers (one has your name on it), and while some would say that makes me lucky, I believe you can find luck, and sometimes luck finds you. Either way, ASCO was lucky to have you as ED, and may you have good luck as you move into the next phase of your life. It has been my pleasure and honor to work with you since last June on the ASCO board.

Best wishes,

Kelly K. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD
Dean, The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
ASCO Board member

TMB-Joanne-Zuckerman

It has been my pleasure to have known Marty for these past 24 years, and to have worked with him during the majority of those years. Marty, your leadership and loyalty to ASCO have been a constant throughout that time, and have served as a model for those fortunate to work with you. I wish you the best of luck as you move on to this new stage of life, and know that you will find satisfaction and personal growth in new intellectual, professional and recreational pursuits. Thank you for your guidance and friendship over the years. You will be missed.

Joanne

Joanne C. Zuckerman, MSEd
Manager, Data Services and Special Projects, ASCO
 

 

MW, even though you are retiring that doesn’t mean we should lose touch. I want to hear all about your wonderful travel adventures.

All the best,

Victoria Smith-Moore

TMB-oroarke

Twenty-five years at ASCO?! I remember your first day as executive director and was privileged to work with you as we grew professionally and personally. I know you will enjoy “retirement” and the opportunities it offers for sharing your many talents with others and for enjoying more travel, baseball and lunches with friends!

Pat O’Rourke
ASCO Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, 1984-2007
 

TMB-Larry-J-Davis-OD

Marty – Congratulations on your much deserved retirement. You’ve guided the expansion of ASCO into an organization that serves the changing and diverse interests of talented faculty and member institutions. Thank you for your enthusiastic and skilled leadership in support of optometry and optometric education. I hope to see you in Saint Louis for the 2015 NLCS!

Larry J. Davis, OD
Dean, University of Missouri-Saint Louis College of Optometry
Former ASCO President

TMB-Elizabeth-Hoppe,-OD,-MPH,-DrPH

I think I first met Marty Wall in 1992 during the planning and development of the “Curriculum Conference: Summit on Optometric Education.” I still have that blue binder on my bookshelf to prove it! Over the years I have learned a lot from Marty! He has taught me about many, many things including Dancing with the Stars, Downton Abbey, Chinese food, and the Washington Nationals, just to name a few topics. But mostly I learned about dedicated service and that sometimes nice guys really do finish first. Wishing Marty all the best and congratulating him on his distinguished and successful career. I know that he will continue to give back during this next phase of his life.

Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH
Founding Dean, Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry
At-Large Member, ASCO Executive Committee

TMB-Stanley-Woo-OD

Marty Wall has been a great supporter of optometry and education. I appreciate his experience, insight, and wisdom. As he embarks on a new chapter in retirement, we all wish him the best and thank him for his friendship and service to our profession.

Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO
Dean, Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University
ASCO Board member

TMB-Susan-Hughes

Marty, what I will remember most about working with you for so many years is that you thanked me for my work at the end of each day. It meant more than you know. I hope your retirement is filled with trips to new places and many to Nationals’ stadium. Enjoy your retirement and know that you will be missed.

Susan Hughes
ASCO Accountant

TMB-Shilpa-J-Register-OD

I met Marty in the early 2000s in Orlando during Optometry’s Meeting. Marty struck a conversation with me in the lobby. Since then, he has been a trusted friend and colleague. Marty, you will be dearly missed!

Shilpa J Register, OD, MS, PhD, FAAO, FNAP
Associate Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Optometry
Former ASCO Board member

TMB-Clifford-Scott,-OD,-MPH

Dear Marty,

Thanks for hosting and moderating ASCO’s discussions and debates during optometry’s greatest quarter century of change. You’ve earned the peace and tranquility of retirement. Enjoy it to the fullest!

Best wishes,

Scotty

Clifford Scott, OD, MPH
President, New England College of Optometry
ASCO Board member