Current CCLS Council
Adele jefferies
President
Adele is an optometrist working in independent practice in Auckland with special interests in Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Disease, Contact Lenses and Therapeutics. She is the National Clinical Manager for Matthews Eyecare, a group of independent practices throughout New Zealand. She also holds positions on the CPD Accreditation Committee and Competence Review Committee for the New Zealand ODOB and is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland School of Optometry & Vision Science. She graduated from the University of Auckland in 2003, completed her Postgraduate Therapeutics Studies in 2005 and her Master of Science in 2020. She has been a conference speaker for optometrists & dispensing opticians in Australia and New Zealand, a writer for MiVision, and a pre-market evaluator of contact lens, contact lens care solutions and dry eye care products for various companies. She has been a member of CCLS since 2005 and a councillor for 2013-2014 and again since 2016
Akilesh Gokul
Vice president
Akilesh (Aki) is a clinician-scientist who currently divides his time 50:50 as a Postdoctoral Clinical Research Fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland (UoA) and clinical practice. Aki graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Optometry and Vision Science in 2013. Following which, he immediately began work toward his PhD under the supervision of Professor Charles McGhee, Dr Stuti Misra and Professor Dipika Patel, within the Department of Ophthalmology, UoA. His PhD focused on keratoconus and accelerated corneal crosslinking (CXL) in New Zealand/Aotearoa and was completed in 2016. Aki continues to conduct clinical research in the areas of keratoconus and corneal crosslinking - including the supervision of PhD, MD and Honours students. Aki currently works in several clinical settings including in the community in general optometry and contact lens fitting at Mortimer Hirst Optometrists, and tertiary care as part of the team that provides the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) keratoconus and crosslinking service, which is a collaboration between the Department of Ophthalmology, UoA and ADHB, as well as Professor Charles McGhee's anterior segment specialty clinics at Eye Institute..
Stephanie Wallen
secretary
Stephanie is a New Zealand trained optometrist, currently based in Mildura, VIC. Prior to this, she has worked in private optometry practices and an ophthalmology clinic in Whangarei, Northland. She has been a member of CCLS since she graduated, and through the wonders of modern technology can perform most of her secretary duties over the internet. Stephanie loves the variety that the field of optometry offers and the unique challenge of working out a solution that suits each patient. Her current career highlight is a short stint volunteering on a medical mercy ship in Papua New Guinea.
MARTINA FELLMANN
TREASURER
Martina is an optometrist working at Canon Street Optometrist in Timaru since graduating from the University of Auckland School of Optometry in 2015. Being a semi-rural practice, her optometry clientele are varied; however, over recent years has grown in the specialty of Keratoconic contact lens fitting and Orthokeratology. Martina enjoys having a patient-centred approach to practising Optometry and working out a unique vision correction for each patient’s needs.
Outside Optometry, Martina has raced Triathlon competitively for 10+ years from sprint to Half Ironman Distance while travelling to many places worldwide for races. In recent years, Martina and her Husband have purchased a Sports Shoe store where, although not involved with the day-to-day retail side of things, she assists with account reconciling, payroll and Tax payments.
Martina is excited to join council in 2023 with this Optometry + Financial knowledge.
Eleisha DudSOn
IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT
Eleisha graduated from the University of Auckland with honors in 2007, and is an optometrist with an interest in specialty contact lens fitting, orthokeratology, and myopia management. Passionate about optometry and orthokeratology, she gained her Fellowship for the International Academy of orthokeratology and Myopia control in 2016.
Eleisha works in private practice in the Wellington city and has benefited from working with clinicians who have specialised in complex contact lens fitting and working with a patient base with a vast history in Keratoconus and irregular cornea. Eleisha continues to adopt new contact lens technology being part of beta and pre-market contact lens trials.
Eleisha has been on council since 2015, and has been an active member presenting at different conferences, both lecturing and running workshops.
Rasha Altaie
COUNCILLOR
Rasha is an Irish-trained ophthalmologist, who graduated in 1996. She obtained her Fellowship in Ophthalmology from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2002, and her Master’s degree in cataract surgery in 2003 from University College, Galway. She finished her higher surgical training scheme in Ireland in 2007 and was awarded several national and international awards while training. She has a dual fellowship in cornea and anterior segment, as well as paediatric ophthalmology. She is sub-specialized in cornea and anterior segment reconstruction, and paediatric ophthalmology. Rasha became a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in 2015. She is currently senior lecturer in the Ophthalmology department at Auckland University, involved in teaching Optometrists, and research. She is working as a specialist with Counties Manukau District Health Board, and in the private sector at Milford Eye Clinic
Rasha’s main areas of research and interest are cataract, particularly in intraocular lens materials, cornea and anterior segment reconstruction, paediatric anterior segment diseases especially allergic eye disease, and prevention and early detection of keratoconus.
Samantha Simkin
COUNCILLOR
Samantha received her Bachelor of Optometry (First Class Honours) from The University of Auckland in 2013, during which she received multiple awards including two research scholarships. She then completed her PhD on a full scholarship in 2017 under the supervision of Professor Charles McGhee, Dr Shuan Dai and Dr Stuti Misra. Her doctoral studies explored established and potential newborn ocular screening programmes with the goal of improving detection of congenital ocular abnormalities resulting in timely management, treatment, and thus improved visual outcomes for children.Since beginning her post-graduate studies Samantha has split her time between research and clinical practice. She works at an independent practice that specialises in contact lenses. Samantha also uses her clinical skills as the optometrist for the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ) National Assessment Team. Samantha has continued her research after finishing her PhD, with focus on paediatric and adolescent causes of visual impairment, including keratoconus and albinism. Samantha has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals, and speaks regularly at both national and international conferences for optometrists, ophthalmologists and dispensing opticians. Samantha loves the range that Optometry offers with research, clinical practice and further education, whilst helping people meet their visual needs.
andrew kim
COUNCILLOR
Andrew is an optometrist working at Curtis Vision in Christchurch with special interests in contact lenses. He also serves as a consultant for Corneal Lens Corporation providing advise on general enquiries, sMap 3D and EyeSpace lenses.
Andrew graduated from the University of Auckland with Honours in 2018, and has since built his career in full-scope independent practice. He has had the privilege of being mentored by both Michael and Graeme Curtis, which has allowed him to rapidly develop his skills in specialty contact lenses. Andrew takes great pleasure in building relationships with his patients and discovering the many ways which contact lenses can improve their quality of life.
He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and further developing his skills, especially in the field of specialty contact lenses, and believes that more eye care practitioners should get involved in this area of expertise.
Alex Crawford
COUNCILLOR
Alex Crawford is a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Greenlane Clinical Centre in Auckland. She is a New Zealand trained Ophthalmologists and obtained FRANZCO in 2021. She completed her fellowship training at the University of Auckland specialising in Cornea and Anterior segment.
She completed a Medical Doctoral thesis on the subject “A ten-year review of corneal transplantation”. This was a large, ten-year, retrospective observational study involving data collection and analysis from the clinical records of over 1000 patients who had undergone keratoplasty. The results of this study were presented at several international and national conferences and culminated in the publication of six peer-reviewed related publications. During this time, she was the recipient of the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Corneal Research Fellowship (2011), and the Cornea and Contact Lens Society Young Researcher Award (2013). She lives with her husband and two young boys.
Past Presidents
Eleisha DudSON, Optometrist, Wellington - 2021 to 2023
roberta mcILRAITH, optometrist, Christchurch - 2019 to 2021
Anne Matheson, optometrist, wellington - 2017 to 2019
jagrut lallu, optometrist, hamilton - 2015 to 2017
SUE ORMONDE, OPHTHALMOLOGIST, AUCKLAND - 2013 to 2015
RICHARD JOHNSON, OPTOMETRIST, AUCKLAND
TREVOR GRAY, OPHTHALMOLOGIST, AUCKLAND - 2003 to 2007
Alan Saks, Optometrist, Auckland - 2001 to 2002
Richard Newson, Optometrist, Nelson - 1999 to 2000
Grant Watters, Optometrist, Auckland - 1998 to 1999
John Beaumont - 1998
Peter Grimmer, Optometrist, Wellington - 1996 to 1997
Dr Tony Lee, 1995 to 1996
Brian Stewart, 1993 to 1995
Victoria Elias, Optometrist, Auckland - 1992 to 1993
Trevor Duncan, 1991 to 1992
Dr Nigel Warden, 1989 to 1990
David Robinson, 1988 to 1989
Hamish Caithness, 1987 to 1988,
Peter Turner, Optometrist, Wellington, 1986 to 1987
Paul Rose, Optometrist, Hamilton, 1985 to 1986
Gordon Sanderson, Optometrist, Dunedin - 1984 to 1985
Tony Morris, Ophthalmologist, Auckland- 1983 to 1984
Michael Webber 1981 to 1983
John Henderson, 1980 to1981
Quentin Bennett, 1978 to 1980
Neil Pennington, 1976 to 1977
John Sturtevant, 1974 to 1975
John Connor, 1972 to 1973
Doug Mortimer, 1970 to 1971
Dr David Sabiston, 1968 to 1969
John Fairmaid, 1966 to 1967
Peter Heginbotham, 1964 to 1965
Bromley Bennett, 1962 to 1963
Albert Rose, 1961 to 1962
Ray Bridgman, 1958 to 1960
Life Members
For their contribution to both the Cornea and Contact Lens Society and Optometry and Ophthalmology in New Zealand, the following individuals have been awarded Life Membership of CCLS:
Current Life Members
Victoria Elias (Optometrist)
Malcolm McKellar (Ophthalmologist)
Alan Saks (Optometrist)
Paul Rose, CNZM (Optometrist)
David Robinson (Optometrist)
Historical Life Members
Quenton Bennett, MNZM (Optometrist)
David Sabiston, MNZM (Ophthalmologist)