The Texas Optometric Association (TOA) recognized Bandera’s own Kimberly Santos from Bandera Eye Care as staff member of the year at their annual summit in Austin last week.
“I think this is as big as an item to hit Bandera since the football state championship in 2022,” Dr. Thomas Goldstein, Bandera Eye Care’s optometrist said. “Because you would never expect anybody to ever get this type of award is such a little, hidden community. That just tells how special and how wonderful she is.”
Santos grew up in Bandera and graduated from Bandera High School in 2005. She later became a certified paraoptometric and has worked “above and beyond” her responsibilities at Bandera Eye Care, according to Dr. Goldstein.
Her work ethic and enthusiasm led Dr. Goldstein to write a letter of nomination for staff member of the year to TOA but wasn’t sure if it would make the cut out of the hundreds of other nominees. Still, the team of Bandera Eye Care made the trip to Austin on Valentine’s Day for the award ceremony.
Both to his surprise and Santos’, TOA presented Santos with the optometric staff member of the year award, citing the following qualities: Service to optometry, office competency, office management and technical skills and service to paraoptometric associations.
“I am truly honored to receive such an important award, especially presented to me by Dr. Goldstein – someone that I have learned so much from,” Santos said. “I genuinely love what I do, and I feel incredibly grateful that I get to do it in the small town that I was raised. We have the best patients, and I work alongside the most amazing staff. It feels like a win-win all around.”
Santos also credited her parents, Budd Wilkins and Terri Brown, for their support for her career.
“As an employee she does everything in the office,” Dr. Goldstein said. “If it needs to be done, she does it. She promotes the practice of optometry in an extremely professional way.”
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