by Nathan Anderson
Caleb Gardner, OD, class of 2008, is the 2023 UAB School of Optometry Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year. He is a leader within the Alabama Optometric Association who diligently champions scope expansion in the state.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the UABSO Alumnus of the Year Award. I know many wonderful people who have graduated from UABSO over the years, and I know many of the previous recipients of this award,” Gardner said. “Knowing the excellence and character of these colleagues of mine makes it extra special to be chosen from among them to receive this award.”
For the past 15 years, Gardner has been dedicated to practicing full-scope optometry for his patients and has worked to enhance patient care within Alabama. He has also been a member of many professional organizations, even serving as the president of the ALOA, where he endeavored to expand optometry’s scope of practice.
“As president of the ALOA, I led a team of motivated Alabama optometrists to push for scope expansion. That year, our optometry scope bill passed the Senate but died in the House,” he said. “It was the closest we had come to updating our antiquated optometry law since the early 90s when it was last re-written. However, our collective efforts have led to a much stronger network of ODs around the state who will continue the push for scope expansion until we achieve ultimate success.”
Gardner explained that Dr. L. Don Snellgrove, the president of the ALOA during UAB Optometry’s formation who played an integral role in the School’s establishment, taught him the importance of advocating for optometry within Alabama. Gardner would also purchase his first practice from Snellgrove, after which he renamed it Gardner Eye Care.
“In my second year of optometry school at UABSO, my wife and I decided to move back to Greenville when we got our degrees. I approached Dr. Snellgrove after church one Sunday afternoon and told him I was interested in joining or purchasing his practice when I graduated, and our relationship began that day,” Gardner said. “I am very grateful to Dr. Snellgrove and his family for how they have all treated me through the years.”
As Gardner developed his skills and became more involved with the political side of the ALOA, he noticed that Alabama's laws were outdated and negatively influenced their scope of practice. While Gardner says his efforts in the ALOA have been successful, he still believes that the scope of practice has room to develop within Alabama.
“There is still so much to be done,” Gardner said. “Our success will ultimately be achieved because we gain wisdom from the great ones who have gone before us and shown us the way. We gain strength from the unsung heroes who stand behind us, like my wife and family who help to bear my burdens. And we gain momentum as other like-minded leaders rise up to carry the torch with a tenacity that will not be denied. "