Dr. Everett Sabree - Optometry
“When I was asked to join the Optometry board by the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists, I was motivated to do so by the need to diversify the board. And now, I serve as a mentor to many young, minority and women optometrists.”
Dr. Sabree grew up in Boston and received his BS degree from Boston University before continuing on to the New England College of Optometry, graduating with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in 1981. Dr. Sabree established his private practice, Dartmouth Street Vision Center, in 1989.
Dr. Sabree has been a board member of the Board of Registration in Optometry since September 2016 and has held the position of board chair since October 2019. It is his belief that all board members play a vital role in board governance and policymaking. Dr. Sabree cites his role in the glaucoma bill passage for optometrists in Massachusetts as one of the most rewarding accomplishments of his tenure on the board. This bill, SB2984 (which passed on 1/1/2021) amended the statute to include M.G.L. c. 112, § 66C (a) that allows qualified optometrists to prescribe topical and oral therapeutic pharmaceutical agents in the treatment and management of glaucoma.
Dr. Sabree participated in discussions on the drafting of a policy that helped identify pathways for qualified Massachusetts optometrists to become certified to prescribe these Glaucoma medications. Shape
Dr. Julie Hiura - Optometry
“Becoming a board member is an incredibly rewarding experience. The most rewarding aspect is being at the forefront of progress and helping to shape the future of the optometric profession in Massachusetts. It’s a privilege to contribute to policies and decisions that will positively impact both practitioners and patients in the long term. You not only help protect the public and uphold the integrity of the profession, but you also have the opportunity to share your expertise and give back to your community in a meaningful way.”
Dr. Hiura grew up in northern California and moved to Massachusetts to attend the New England College of Optometry. After graduating, she accepted a position at a private ophthalmology/optometry practice, where she currently serves as chief optometrist, practicing for the past 12 years.
Dr. Hiura was motivated by a desire to contribute to the advancement of the optometric profession and to play a more active role in shaping the future of eye care in Massachusetts. Her goal is to advocate for her patients and community at the highest level. Additionally, Dr. Hiura believes it’s important to give back to the profession, and serving on the board allows her to have a direct impact on maintaining high standards in optometry for the next generation.
As a board member, Dr. Hiura helps to implement and enforce the rules and regulations governing the practice of optometry in Massachusetts. She also brings a comprehensive perspective as a practicing optometrist who works closely with both ophthalmologists and 4th-year optometry externs.
Kahoney Anderson – Nursing Home Administrator
“The most rewarding part of joining a board is the ability to influence positive change for the future and collaborate with other professionals in your chosen field. As an individual who currently works as a nursing home administrator, I understand real-life challenges long-term care leaders face each day. It is important to have a board that represents the communities we serve. Our job is to maintain the integrity of our profession and help prepare our future leaders.”
Born to a Hmong family in the mountains of Laos, Ms. Anderson became a refugee in Thailand after the Hmong were persecuted for fighting alongside the US during the Vietnam War. Ms. Anderson was raised in a culture where women were considered secondary to men, and so it wasn’t until she came to the United States that she began her educational journey. Keeping her ties close to her home country, Ms. Anderson began volunteering twice a week at St. Margaret Church in Brockton to help translate for elderly Hmong community members.
Ms. Anderson received her BA in social work from Eastern Nazarene College in 1999, and a master’s degree in social work from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work in 2001. Prior to receiving a nursing home administrator license in 2013, Ms. Anderson worked as a long-term care social worker and later held various executive positions in long-term care facilities.
Ms. Anderson joined the Carmelite Sisters in 2017. She presently serves as administrator at St. Patrick Manor, directing the day-to-day operations of a 333-bed, non-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Framingham which is operated by the Carmelite Sisters.
In joining the board, Ms. Anderson was motivated by a desire to ensure that long-term care leaders adhere to their oath of advocating for the elderly, and to help modernize and diversify the board to reflect the values of today. As well as being a contributing board member, Ms. Anderson serves as the board secretary, reviewing administrators in training and CEU applications to ensure regulation compliance. She also participates in subcommittees when available.
Dr. Adrian Velasquez, Clinician on Respiratory Board
“The whole point of [serving on the board] is to have a voice. You will have a significant direct effect on policies because of the votes that you will make. I see the tangible effect on the processes in respiratory care in the community. To be able to make sure that our population in Massachusetts is protected, and that somebody is taking into account who is providing care to our communities – it is so rewarding knowing that I see those effects.”
Dr. Velasquez is from in a small town outside of metro Manila, Philippines. Raised by a single mother and his extended family, Adrian did not realize his own potential until interacting with doctors while volunteering for a Sunday school. He was so impressed by their dedication to underserved communities that he was inspired to do the same.
After medical school, Dr. Velasquez decided to explore career options in Boston due to the city’s history of cutting-edge medical discoveries and breakthroughs. He began residency at Carney Hospital for three years and then underwent his sleep medicine fellowship at Harvard and Brigham. Dr. Velasquez continued to pursue academic studies at Dartmouth College for a critical care fellowship. While there, he explored leadership opportunities in preventive medicine and public health.
His post-graduate career began in Newport, Rhode Island, where he was the Director of the ICU and served on the Board of Trustees of the Lifespan Physician Group for over two years. Adrian has also served at a free clinic based in Providence. He is currently devoting his time to the Board of Respiratory Care as a voting member and to his private practice specializing in sleep medicine.
Dr. Velasquez has placed tremendous effort into exploring health equity and diversity in his professional and personal pursuits. Guided by his love for clinical work, he believes in the value of an individual’s experience and their ability to articulate their impact on the community. He was prompted to join the board owing to his interest in policymaking and his aspirations of enhancing respiratory standards while also improving access and education in the Commonwealth.
Anissa Ray – Community Health Worker
“Being on a board is a uniquely amazing professional and personal development experience! Boards need people with not just the work expertise but the lived experience to join them. Having a variety of experiences and knowledge in the decision-making process ensures equity and overall strengthens the board’s capacity to conduct impactful work for the residents of Massachusetts.”
Ms. Ray, a Boston (Dorchester) resident for 31 years has spent the entirety of her professional career in service to the community, addressing social determinates of health including homelessness and housing instability, food access, physical, emotional, and financial health, etc. at leading local and national organizations such as Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Project Bread/The Walk for Hunger, AIDS Action Committee, and Casa Myrna Vasquez.
Ms. Ray is also the mother of three adult children, all graduates of Boston Public Schools. She trained as a community health worker, completing the Comprehensive Outreach Education Certificate training with the Boston Public Health Commission’s (BPHC) Community Health Education Center (CHEC) program. Ms. Ray currently serves as the Consortium for Professional Development and CHEC Director at the BPHC.
Personally recruited by Lissette Blondet, the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers, Ms. Ray was drawn to serve on the board by her belief that she could make a difference. In her role on the CHW board, she is responsible for reviewing all training content that facilitates and supports the professional development of CHWs for continuing education accreditation. She also reviews all community health worker appeal applications for state certification.