Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Dr. Mario Gutierrez ’84 to the Texas Optometry Board (TOB) and he will also serve as the board’s presiding officer. According to Dr. Gutierrez, the TOB will modernize the continuing education recording process to make it more efficient and easier for licensees to track. The board will also expedite new graduate licensing so that they are able to practice shortly after graduation.
Other areas of focus include enhancing professional responsibility courses so that they are more consistent and repeatable throughout a particular year and addressing complaints and resolving them expeditiously. He added that he will utilize TOB members’ experience by encouraging members in the interim between meetings to consider agenda items to be submitted to the chair. The TOB will also increase communication with licensees using its enhanced website.
As presiding chair, Dr. Gutierrez will facilitate the TOB meetings. He will work with executive director, Mr. Chris Kloeris, the TOB team, the Assistant Attorney General assigned to the board, the five optometric members, Drs. Mel Cleveland, Ginger Sosa ’93, Ron Hopping, Carey Patrick ’02, and Bill Thompson, and three public members, Judy Chambers, Rene Pena and Ty Sheehan to execute the Board’s mission. He said he has been very fortunate to serve under two outstanding and committed TOB Chairmen, Dr. Dixon Golden ’77 and Dr. John Coble ’86. “I have learned much from both of these doctors,” he added.