February 2025 Newsletter: Leadership Changes, Temporary Rules Filed, Newly Licensed Optometrists

MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF OPTOMETRY

Kimberly Johnson Ragan, OD

President Hilary Parrish, OD The Board administers examinations on the second Saturdays of Secretary January and July as statutorily required. The following optometrists

Lori Blackmer, OD were newly licensed in January:

Anna Middleton, OD Yvonne Laird Executive Director

Leyser Hayes

Special Assistant Attorney General Legal Counsel Cynthia Brown Compliance Specialist 5 Old River Place, Suite 105 Jackson, Mississippi 39202

 Temporary Rules were �iled on January 2, 2025. These Phone: (601) 919-1343 Fax: (601) 919-1432 rules are located on the MSBO website under the Board Licensed Optometrists www.msbo.ms.gov Rules and Regulations tab … here. info@msbo.ms.gov 

website (under the Forms tab): There are updated documents available on the • Agenda Request The current Board members are:  It is the responsibility of each • Application for Retired Status optometrist to notify the Board • Examination Handbook Of�ice 14 days prior to any • Preceptor Application changes in business or per- sonal mailing addresses and/ • Preceptor Reporting Document or telephone numbers (refer to • Reinstatement Application Rule 8.15 of the Mississippi

• Request for Predetermination Rules and Regulations). • Request for Public Record  If you did not submit your YAG State Board of Optometry procedures outcomes form for Board Contact Information 2024, please do so now. This is required under Rule 4.2. You must complete the form even if you did not perform any YAG NEWSLETTER procedures. The following optometrist was newly certi�ied in PEP procedures: Volume 10 Issue 1 February 2025 Sherrall Jenkins, OD Duyen Le, OD Ted Harden II, OD Kajal Patel, OD

Yvonne Laird, Executive Director Yvonne Laird assumed the role of Executive Director effective February 1, 2025. Yvonne comes to us with 25 years of experience in state government and 18 years of experience directly related to the management of regulatory agencies in Mississippi. She is a graduate of Belhaven College. Yvonne is married to Jimmy Laird, a 41-year veteran with the Mississippi Army National

Guard and retired after 35 years as a Mississippi law enforcement of�icer. She and Jimmy are the proud parents of �ive children and nine grandchildren.

Leyser Hayes, Esq., Legal Counsel Leyser Q. Hayes, Esq., received a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the Orin Wesley Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University [now Regent University]. Attorney Hayes worked in state government for over 30 years. Since her retirement from full-time employment at the MS Attorney General's Of�ice on June 30, 2015, she works part time in the State Agency Division where she represents the following Boards and Commissions: the MS State Board of Massage, the MS State Board of Optometry, the MS State Board of Physical Therapy, and the MS Auctioneer

Commission. She was the �irst African American female to serve as the Director of the

state's Consumer Protection Division. She has served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Jackson, Counsel for the Jackson Police Department, attorney for Ray Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi, and as an adjunct Professor at MS College School of Law. Leyser has received numerous honors and awards. She was inducted into Who's Who in Mississippi and Who's Who in Law Enforcement. Leyser is a former Bar Commissioner, a past president of the MS Women Lawyers Association, former Board member of the Capitol City Bar Association and former President of the Board of Trustees for Leadership Jackson. She was named a Fellow to the MS Bar Foundation on April 13, 2006. In 2015 Leyser was recognized by the Legal Network as a "Top Lawyer" in Mississippi. On April 14, 2022, at the MS Annual Bar Foundation meeting, Leyser was installed as the Trustee At Large and this year was given a high rating in Martindale-Hubbell in both legal ability and ethical standards. Leyser is married to Ralph Hayes, has two daughters and a granddaughter who is four months old. Leyser is a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi pastored by Dr. Jerry Young. Cynthia Brown, Compliance Specialist Cynthia Brown has 45 years of administrative support experience having worked for the US Navy, the US Marshals Service and in healthcare. Cynthia attended Dillard University in New Orleans and is a die-hard New Orleans Saints' fan. She is married to Phillip Brown, a Marine Corps veteran. They have two daughters and four of the best grandchildren in the world!