The Massachusetts Society of Optometrists is proud to announce our 2025 Optometrist and Young Optometrist of the Year. Recipients are selected based on their public service, service to the visual welfare of the public, service to the profession, and service to the MSO/AOA. Join us on Sunday, November 16 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Westborough at 3:00PM to honor these leaders in Massachusetts optometry!
Optometrist of the Year: Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, FNAP
Dr. Amy Moy is the Senior Director of Community Health Initiatives and Optometric Compliance and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Optometry at the New England College of Optometry (NECO). Guided by her mission to make eye care accessible for all, Dr. Moy co-manages NECO’s extensive Clinical Network and cultivates partnerships with community health centers, hospitals, and schools.
With over two decades of experience in community health optometry, Dr. Moy previously served as Director of Optometry at the Martha Eliot Health Center. As NECO’s Clinical Compliance Officer, she leads quality assurance initiatives that ensure excellence and compliance in patient care. She has also spearheaded curriculum innovations at NECO that enhance student education in culturally safe care. Dr. Moy serves as the Instructor of Record for “Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice for Optometrists” and for the Patient Care course for second-year optometry students.
Dr. Moy is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and the National Academies of Practice (NAP). She serves on multiple national committees for the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), the AAO, and NAP, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Health Council. As Chair of the AAO’s Community Health Special Interest Group and Chair of ASCO’s Clinical Affairs Committee, she advances initiatives in community-based eye care, clinical practice and clinical education. A former principal investigator for the Boston Latino Eye Study, Dr. Moy has presented nationally on topics including interprofessional care, optometric education, care for patients with disabilities, infection control, billing and coding, and access to visual health services.
Dr. Moy is the 2025 Mentorship honoree for both the Women of Optometry Theia Award and Vision Monday’s Most Influential Women in Optical. Passionate about promoting the belief that eye care is health care—and that it should be a right, not a privilege—she continues to champion equitable access to vision services for all.
In her free time, Dr. Moy advocates for children with disabilities and is a children’s book author, inspiring young readers through stories about kindness and inclusion. Her works include The Polka-Dotted Penguin and Dottie Meets Mully the Bully, which encourage empathy, confidence, and celebrating differences.
Young Optometrist of the Year: Lauren Thamel, OD, FAAO
Dr. Thamel completed her residency in vision rehabilitation at the Jamaica Plain VA, where she developed a passion for helping patients with visual impairments to maximize their independence. She now practices at Vision Source of Worcester and Spencer, specializing in low vision care.
Beyond her clinical excellence, Dr. Thamel is deeply involved in professional leadership. She serves as the Central Massachusetts District Chair for the MSO, contributes as a member of the Membership Committee, and has represented Massachusetts optometrists at AOA on Capitol Hill, and completed the AOA Leadership Academy. As a student, she delivered pivotal testimony supporting the expansion of glaucoma treatment privileges for optometrists in Massachusetts—a moment that underscored her enduring commitment to the profession.
A true champion of optometry, Dr. Thamel embodies the dedication, compassion, and advocacy that define the future of eye care in Massachusetts.
