Senate Concurrent Resolution 666

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION JOINING THE MISSISSIPPI OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION IN RECOGNIZING EVELYN DENISE LOTT AS THE 2015 PARAOPTOMETRIC OF THE YEAR.

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Optometric Association (MOA) has presented the Mississippi Optometric Association's 2015 Paraoptometric of the Year Award to Evelyn Denise Lott, Certified Paraoptometric Assistant (CPOA). MOA presents the award annually to recognize significant contributions of Paraoptometrics to the field of Optometry and Community Service; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Denise Lott, CPOA, graduated from Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead, Mississippi, in General Studies. After community college, she took basic EMT classes at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri. Mrs. Lott served two years in Military Intelligence for the United States Army, and she was stationed in Fort Drum, New York. She received an Honorable Discharge in 2008. Since 2009, Mrs. Lott has been employed with Southern Eye Care of Clinton, Mississippi, where she works as a Certified Paraoptometric Assistant and Office Manager; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lott has had a lifelong passion for Optometry, having worked at a local optometric lab while attending high school in Greenville, Mississippi. After attending community college, she briefly embarked on a career as an Emergency Medical Technician in Missouri. However, she missed the optometry environment that she had known in high school. She returned to Mississippi, earned her CPOA Certification and started a career in Optometry. Mrs. Lott continued her studies to achieve the next level of Paraoptometric Certification, the Certified Paraoptometric Technician (CPOT); and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lott has been actively involved with public service since her employment with Southern Eye Care and her membership in MOA. A proud veteran who volunteered during a time of war to serve her country, Mrs. Lott believes in the possibility of a future where volunteering is viewed as an opportunity for people to work together to build stronger communities; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lott has rendered significant service that advances a higher quality of visual welfare to adults and children in Mississippi. She volunteered to perform vision screenings and optical dispensing for soldiers deploying to Iraq at Camp McCain Training Center in Grenada, Mississippi. Mrs. Lott volunteered at local preschools in Clinton, Mississippi, educating children and parents on the importance of vision and annual eye health examinations. Annually, Mrs. Lott volunteers at Mississippi College's "Back to the Brick Night", promoting the importance of eye health to the new and returning students at the college; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lott has been a member of MOA since 2012. As a member of MOA, she volunteers every year for any open projects of both MOA and the American Optometric Association (AOA). She volunteered for the AOA Career Ladder Project Team in 2014 and served as an integral member of a team helping build a foundation for those pursuing careers in Optometry, defining what is expected and providing guidelines; and

WHEREAS, recently, Mrs. Lott was recognized for her community service by receiving the 2015 American Optometric Association Community Service Award. Mrs. Lott serves on the Education Review Committee where she helps provide, review and update study guides and materials for the Paraoptometric Certification Program. She attends legislative meetings and keeps up to date on public policy and legislation that affects optometry; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Lott loves her work in Optometry and exhibits it on a daily basis. Thorough and skilled in her practice, she has a reputation for her commitment to providing a sensitive and caring approach to patient care, along with the ability to work cooperatively with all members of her vision care team; and it is with great pride that we commend a highly skilled health care professional who fulfills the highest range of her work and community responsibilities and who is the perfect example of work and determination to ensure that the state of Optometry continues on its path to success serving the citizens of the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby join the Mississippi Optometric Association in recognizing Evelyn Denise Lott as the 2015 Paraoptometric of the Year and extend our best wishes to Mrs. Lott and her family for future success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Mrs. Evelyn Denise Lott, CPOA, forwarded to the Mississippi Optometric Association, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.