Dr. Darren Wright of Lifetime Vision Center, Auburn, was elected vice president of the Nebraska Optometric Association (NOA). He was elected by his peers at the association’s annual fall convention at Kearney in September.

Dr. Wright assumes the association’s vice presidency Jan. 1, 2012. He said that it is a four-year commitment. Dr. Wright will spend one year as vice president, one year as president-elect, one year as president and one year as past president. NOA represents about 250 optometrists across Nebraska, he said.
“We have to make sure that patients in Nebraska are getting the quality eye care they deserve. The president leads the organization, sets goals and provides vision for the future,” Dr. Wright said.
The association’s president travels to state and national meetings, he said.
“It involves quite a bit of time out of the practice. There is an advantage. You get to meet a lot of interesting people you might not be able to meet otherwise,” Dr. Wright said.
He has practiced optometry in Auburn since 1995. His partner, Dr. John Crotty and Dr. Crotty’s father, the late Dr. Pat Crotty, also served as NOA presidents.
“I hope to carry on the good leadership in our association. I’ve been off the board a few years. I thought that it was time to get back into a leadership position in the state association,” Dr. Wright said.
He previously served on the association’s board. For at least the past five years, Dr. Wright has been involved in the Eyeball Open Golf Tournament with NOA.
The year he serves as NOA president, Rusty Crotty, son of Dr. John Crotty, will join the Lifetime Vision Center staff as a practicing optometrist.
“With the additional doctor, I will have more time to fulfill the obligations of president,” Dr. Wright said.
Besides his optometric practice in Auburn, he has served as optometric consultant to the Nebraska Center for Children Who are Blind of Visually Impaired and the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Dr. Wright has contributed eye care to Special Olympics Athletes at the Nebraska State Games. He and his wife, Jodi, have three children: Megan, a seventh grader; Nathan, a fifth grader and Brandon, a first grader.
Attend Statewide Convention
Drs. Crotty and Wright attended the annual fall convention. The event offered 14 hours of continuing education for Nebraska optometrists. That included education on systemic disease, management of diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, presbyopic contact lens patients, odd shape cornea and nutritional options for ARMD. Optometrists in Nebraska are required by the Board of Optometry to obtain 32 hours of continuing education credits every two years.
NOA members are leading providers of pediatric vision care. They offer two statewide public service programs to serve children. Optometrists offer free vision evaluations for any infant through the InfantSEE program and free vision assessments for 3-year-olds through the See to Learn program. Information about both programs are available at www.nebraska.aoa.org.