2016 VICTORIA CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Amber Gaume Giannoni, OD, FAAO
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Houston College of
Optometry (UHCO)
Dr. Gaume Giannoni earned her
optometry degree from UHCO and
completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cornea and Contact
Lens Research with the Texas Eye Research and Technology
Center the following year. She is a Diplomate of the
American Board of Optometry, a Fellow of the American
Academy of Optometry and is certified in Texas as an
Optometric Glaucoma Specialist. She is on the Editorial
Board for Advanced Ocular Care and is a journal reviewer for
Optometry and Optometry and Vision Science. Dr. Gaume
Giannoni writes a recurrent dry eye column in Contact Lens
Spectrum and is also a contributing editor for Ocular Surface
News and is the Founding Director of the Dry Eye Center at
the University Eye Institute where she sees specialty dry eye
patients.
Kathleen Foster Elliott, OD, Dipl.ABO
Optometric Director
His Vision for Children Clinic
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dr. Elliott graduated with honors from
NSUOCO. She completed a residency in
Ocular Disease Management and went on
to complete a two year post graduate study program in
Pediatrics with pediatric ophthalmology in Tulsa, OK, where
she now practices. She was clinical director at a cataract
/refractive surgery co-management center from 1994-1998.
Dr. Elliott also co-owned and operated a successful private
practice and hospital based clinic in rural Oklahoma from
1998-2010. Dr. Elliott was recently appointed by Oklahoma's
Governor as the first female doctor to serve on the Board of
Examiners in Optometry, where she serves as SecretaryTreasurer. She is the former Co- Chair of the state Legislative
Committee and was named the Oklahoma Legislative
Physician of the year for 2012, and received the Oklahoma
Optometrist of the Year Award for 2014.
John McGreal, OD
Missouri Eye Associates
St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. McGreal is a graduate of Albright
College and the Pennsylvania College of
Optometry. He has lectured nationally and
internationally for over 20 years on topics
ranging from clinical care to compliance/coding. He has been
honored as 1998 Missouri Optometrist of the Year and 2005
University of Missouri Educator of the Year. He is currently
director of the Missouri Eye Associates, a medical-surgical
consultation center in St. Louis. Dr. McGreal is adjunct
faculty at the University of California, Berkeley School of
Optometry, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and the
University of Missouri.
Jeff Urness, OD, FAAO, ABO
Spokane, Washington
Dr. Urness is a graduate of Pacific
University College of Optometry. He
completed a residency in Hospital Based
Optometry at Northeastern State
University College of Optometry. Dr.
Urness has served as a consulting optometric physician in SE
Washington for twenty years. Working in one of the few
corneal services in eastern Washington, Dr. Urness has
developed an interest in and an affinity for management of
patients with corneal disease and corneal transplants. He is
also an adjunct clinic professor for Pacific University’s
College of Optometry providing education to optometry
students, residents and practicing optometric physicians. Dr.
Urness presently serves on the optometric staff at the
Manns -Granstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane
Washington.
Elaine Pedersen, B.Comm., CHRP
Optometric Services Inc.
Ms. Pedersen is the National Training
Coordinator for Optometric Services
Inc., Canada’s largest buying and multiservice group for optometrists. An
accomplished speaker, Elaine has given
over 300 seminars to optometrists,
optometric assistants and opticians across Canada. She
holds a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in marketing
from the University of British Columbia and is a Professional
Member of the Canadian Association of Professional
Speakers. In 2010 Elaine received her Certified Human
Resources Professional designation and in 2013 her MyersBriggs certification.
CONFERENCE STAFF
Jeanne Oliver, Director of External Relations
Victoria Conference Director
jeanne@pacificu.edu
Marti Fredericks
Dir. of Externships & Residency Management
frederim@pacificu.edu