SPEAKERS

Stephen Farebrother

Mr. Farebrother has 23 years experience in the insurance industry. His last 12 years
have been with VSP Vision Care developing and facilitating training: the last 1.5 years
specifically focused on ECPs and their staff. His territory consists of 15 states in the
central United States. He has received training certifications from California State
University, Sacramento and Zenger Miller Corporation. He is married to Theresa and
has two grown daughters, Stephanie and Shanon, living in Kansas City, Missouri. He
and his wife recently rescued a Golden Retriever named Bianca.

Philip Gross, OD

Dr. Gross obtained his undergraduate degree from Susquehanna University and his
Doctor of Optometry Degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He first
started in the computer consulting industry in 1982, catering to small businesses in
network design, installation, database design, and software needs analysis.

He has helped many sizes and types of practices make the move to computerization.
Dr. Gross has first-hand experience with many of the current optometric software
choices. In addition, he is a member of the AOA Health Information Technology &
Telemedicine Study Group.

Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO

Dr. Karpecki graduated from Indiana University and completed a fellowship in Cornea
and Refractive Surgery at Hunkeler Eye Centers in affiliation with the Pennsylvania
College of Optometry in 1994. He currently works at the Koffler Vision Group in Cornea
services and Ocular Disease Research.

Dr. Karpecki is the current Chair of the Refractive Surgery Advisory Board to the AOA,
Co-Chair of the ASCRS Task Force on the Integrated Eyecare Delivery System and
serves on the AOA Congress Education Committee. A noted educator and author, Dr.
Karpecki presently serves on numerous professional journal editorial boards.

Jerry Hayes, OD

Optometry’s leading speaker on practice profitability and overhead control, Dr. Hayes
presents the most common mistakes made by ODs when buying, selling or taking in a
partner with an emphasis on how to make every deal a win-win for both parties. This
popular lecture is based on his years of consulting with numerous optometrists on
associate agreements and practice appraisals.

Bruce Onofrey, OD, RPh, FAAO

Dr. Onofrey is a 1982 graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and residency at the
Albuquerque Veterans Administration Medical Center. He also has degrees in
chemistry and Pharmacy. He is as a clinical professor at the University of Houston and
the Exec. Director of continuing education programs. He also serves as the Director of
the Primary Care residency program.

Louise Sclafani, OD, FAAO

Dr. Sclafani is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Optometric Services
at the University of Chicago.

Her main interests include contact lenses, corneal disease, eye trauma, dry eye and
corneal surgery co-management.

She was awarded the status of Diplomate by the American Academy of Optometry in
the cornea and contact lens section and is a frequent lecturer on these topics.

She has received numerous awards including the Illinois Young Optometrist of the
Year 1998, and 2008 Illinois Optometrist of the Year.

Brent Shelley, OD

Dr. Shelley is in private practice in Las Cruces, NM. He is the former chair of the NMOA
Coding and Billing Committee and the 2010 NMOA Young Optometrist of the Year. He
is currently the Vice-President of the New Mexico Optometic Association.

Rosa Tang, MD

Dr. Tang is board certified in Ophthalmology. She received her M.D. at C. Heredia
University in Lima, Peru. Her Medicine internship was at the University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Internal Medicine residency at the University of
Miami, Ophthalmology residency at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. and
fellowship in Neuro-Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

She holds a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Texas-School of
Public Health and an MBA from UT-Brownsville. She is a current fellow of the American
Academy of Ophthalmology (A.A.O.), the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society

Phernell Walker, ABOM

Phernell C. Walker, AAS, NCLC, ABOM is the President & CEO of Pure Optics, LLC. He
is author of the text-book, Pure Optics, which is in its Second Edition. Mr. Walker is a
Master in Ophthalmic Optics (A.B.O.M.), a graduate of Hillsborough Community
College, Tampa, Florida with an Associate Applied Science Degree in Opticianry (A.A.
S) and National Contact Lens Examiners Certified (NCLC). Mr. Walker is a graduate of
the Ophthalmic Technology School with a diploma as an Ophthalmic Technician from
Bryman College San Francisco, California. He is considered an authority and expert in
advanced geometric and applied optics and serves as a faculty member for the
American Association of Dispensing Ophthalmologists (AADO). He has served as an
item writer for the American Board of Opticianry Advanced Certification (ABO-AC) Exam.
He has lectured extensively nationwide to include the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, International Vision Expo in New York & Las Vegas, Eye Quest in
Chicago, private consulting and numerous over state society conventions. In January
2004, Mr. Walker was honored in Vision Monday’s “Forty Under Forty”, which listed forty
of the nations brightest and innovative ECP’s Eye Care Professionals in the country
under the age of forty

Les Walls, OD, MD

Dr. Walls is President Emeritus of Southern California College of Optometry. He is an
inductee of the Southern California College of Optometry Hall of Fame as well as a
recipient of the AOA Distinguished Service Award.

He is an avid adventure seeker with many stories and mishaps to share.

Michelle Welch, OD

Dr. Michelle Welch is a 1995 graduate of Northeastern State University Oklahoma
College of Optometry. She currently serves the college as Associate Dean and a
Professor. At NSUOCO she teaches Clinical Methods IV which includes injection and
minor surgical procedure techniques. She also teaches Ocular Disease II: Cornea
and External Disease, as well as the Anterior Segment Laser Therapy course. Dr.
Welch is responsible for eye clinics within the Cherokee Nation Health Division
located in Salina, Sallisaw, Jay, Muskogee and Stilwell as well as the eye clinics at
Hastings Indian Medical Center and the campus eye clinics. Dr. Welch has maintained
membership in the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians and the American
Optometric Association since 1995. Dr. Welch has also served on the OAOP Board of
Directors as a District Director. In 1999, she became a member of the Cherokee
Nation Medical Executive Committee and has served as the Optometry Chief since that
time. Dr. Welch was honored by NSU in 2010 with the Circle of Excellence Award for
Service.

Southwest Council of Optometry

SPEAKERS