Dr. J.M. “Bo” Beddingfield of Laurel is a finalist for the Mississippi Optometric Association’s Helen St. Clair Young OD of the Year award. He is one of two finalists for the award. The winner will be announced at the MOA’s 59th annual Fall Conference and Vision Exposition Oct. 30- Nov. 2 at the Hilton of Jackson.
Beddingfield received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi and a doctorate in optometry from the Southern Colege of Optometry, where he graduated magna cum aude in 2006.
He has served on MOA’s Third Party and Legislative committees and will join the Board of Directors in November. In past fall conerences, he has developed and taught paraoptometry classes for CE credits and has led “Jump Start” trainng for paraoptometric proessionals. He has served as officer and chairman of Optometry for Progress, the political action committee for optometry in Mississippi, and has attended the American Optometric Association’s Congressional Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.
In the community, Beddingfield has performed no-cost eye exams for Ellisville Lions Club and Family Health Center referrals and also provides no-cost care for Jones County Junior College baseball and softball teams. He has provided cataract post-op care at nursing homes for non-ambulatory patients and deployment eye exams at Camp Shelby for the military. Beddingfield purchased vision screening materials for the local Junior Auxiliary and also has written educational columns for the Leader-Call about glaucoma and cataract awareness. He participates in the InfantSEE program.
Beddingfield is past president of Ellisville Rotary Club, sponsored a Leadership Jones County downtown restoration project and served on the board of Dixie Golf Association. He is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Ellisville and has served on the church’s personnel and pastor search committees. He sponsors Jones County Junior College baseball and softball teams as well as numerous local recreational programs.