Speakers
Dwight Akerman, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, FIACLE
Dr. Dwight Akerman is an internationally recognized senior healthcare leader with extensive experience in medical affairs, myopia management strategy, peer education & communications, medical marketing, and M&A/business development & licensing. Currently, he serves as the President of Global Visionary Consultants, LLC, and the Chief Medical Editor at Review of Myopia Management.
Dr. Akerman was the Vice President & Global Head of Professional Affairs & Business Development for Alcon before retiring from this role in 2019. He has published widely and is a frequently invited peer educator on myopia management, cornea, contact lens, and business management topics.
Dr. Akerman graduated cum laude from the Illinois College of Optometry and earned an MBA from the University of Texas. He has achieved the status of Diplomate of the American Academy of Optometry Cornea, Contact Lenses & Refractive Technologies Section, Fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, and Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. He currently serves as Chair of the Illinois College of Optometry Board of Trustees.
Stephanie Fromstein, OD, FAAO
Dr. Stephanie Fromstein graduated from Nova Southeastern University School of Optometry. She completed a cornea and contact lens residency at the Illinois College of Optometry, where she later stayed on as faculty. After a decade working in academia - where among other responsibilities, she served as the coordinator of the Cornea and Contact Lens Residency program - Stephanie Fromstein has recently moved back home to Toronto, Ontario, where she is in clinical practice at Yorkville Eye Associates alongside other cornea and contact lens specialists. She continues to pursue her interests in myopia management, challenging contact lens fits, and anterior segment disease and remains active in lecturing and publishing on these topics.
Jennifer Harthan, OD, FAAO, FSLS
Jennifer S. Harthan, OD, is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO). After completing a Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at ICO, she became a full-time faculty member. Dr. Harthan is a Professor at ICO and Chief of the Cornea and Contact Lens Center for Clinical Excellence at the Illinois Eye Institute. Dr. Harthan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Scleral Lens Education Society, and serves on the Advisory Board for the GPLI and International Keratoconus Academy. Dr. Harthan is a founding member of the SCOPE (Scleral Lenses in Current Ophthalmic Practice Evaluation) research team. She has numerous publications on complex contact lens fits and anterior segment disease. Dr. Harthan is the 2022 recipient of the Dr. Edward S. Bennett GPLI Educator of the Year Award and the 2022 AOCLE Dr. Lester E. Janoff Memorial Award. Dr. Harthan is actively involved in myopia management, ocular surface disease, and contact lens research.
Steve Vargo, OD, MBA
Steve Vargo, OD, MBA, is the Optometric Practice Management Consultant for IDOC. Since transitioning to a full-time practice management consultant in 2014, Dr. Vargo has performed over 3,000 consultations and coaching sessions with hundreds of independent optometry practices across the country. He regularly speaks at industry conferences, has been published in numerous industry publications, has a regular column in Optometric Management titled “The CEO Challenge,” and is a contributing author to the widely read “Optometric Management Tip of the Week” article. Dr. Vargo has also authored four books on staff management, leadership, and patient communication.