Doctors & Staff
Meet the experienced and friendly doctors and staff who make Oxford Eye Clinic & Optical PLLC the leading provider of vision care products and services in Oxford.
Dr. William Strickland
Dr. William Strickland is a native of Oxford, MS, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a BS degree cum laude in English (1978) and another BA degree in Psychology cum laude (1980) while following a pre-med curriculum. He received his Doctor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry in 1985. Dr. Strickland began practicing optometry as an associate optometrist with Drs. John Davis and Bob Vodvarka in Dallas, TX, in 1985, and later moved to his hometown of Oxford in 1987 to open his private practice as a sole proprietor. In 2018, after serving for five years as an associate optometrist with Dr. Strickland at Oxford Eye Clinic & Optical PLLC, Dr. Ryan Wally became a partner in the practice.
Dr. Strickland is committed to bringing the highest quality of eye care to his patients while also treating each patient with warm respect and kindness. He has served in various leadership roles for the Mississippi Optometric Association while being a member of the association since 1988, including President from 2001-2002. He has also served as the Mississippi Administrator for Vision Source from 2001 to the present day.
On the national level, Dr. Strickland served on the inaugural Vision Source Administrator Advisory Board for five years and he worked on various committees for the American Optometric Association while being a member since 1981.
In the Oxford community, Dr. Strickland has been involved in leadership roles with The Rotary Club, The United Way, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, and is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette. He is also very involved with the Honduras Medical Mission, a ministry of the Diocese of Mississippi Episcopal Church, both as a committee member on the diocesan level and as a nearly annual missionary for the people of San Joaquin, Honduras, since 1997 and in Panama.
Dr. Strickland is an active member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, serving as a Vestry member for three separate terms. He has been married to his wife, Susan, for over 40 years (and counting)! Together they have two sons, Christopher and Garrett, and one precious grandson, Dalton. He enjoys wine, traveling to France, gardening, and anything concerning Ole Miss, particularly Ole Miss Football!
Honors:
- Paul Harris Fellow, The Rotary Club of Oxford
- Beta Sigma Kappa Optometric Honor Fraternity
- Phi Kappa Phi Scholastic Honor Fraternity
- Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Fraternity
- Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Honorary
- Pi Delta Phi French Honorary
- Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honorary
- Who’s Who in Mississippi
- Voted Best Optometrist/Ophthalmologist in Oxford by the Oxford Eagle newspaper in 2008, 2009, 2022, and 2023
- Vision Source 2012 Administrator of the Year
- Vision Source 2012 Administrator of the Southeast Region
- Mississippi Optometric Association 2017 Finalist OD of the Year
- Mississippi Optometric Association 2014 Finalist OD of the Year
Dr. Ryan S. Wally
Dr. Ryan Wally is a native of McComb, MS, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2004. He attended optometry school at the University of Alabama Birmingham where he graduated in 2008. He began his practice as an associate optometrist in McComb, MS. In 2013, he moved to Oxford and joined Dr. Strickland as an associate optometrist at Oxford Eye Clinic & Optical PLLC. In 2018, Dr. Wally became a partner in the practice alongside Dr. Strickland.
Dr. Wally is very active in the advancement of optometry practice in the state of Mississippi. He was instrumental in the passing of House Bill 1302, expanding the scope of practice for optometrists statewide. He has served as a member of the American Optometric Association since 2004 and as a member and board member of the Mississippi Optometric Association, currently as this term’s President-Elect. He joined Dr. Strickland as Mississippi’s Vision Source Co-Administrator in 2023.
In the local community, Dr. Wally is very involved with The Rotary Club, serving as Club President from 2021-2022. He joined Dr. Strickland in 2023 in service to the Honduras Medical Mission, providing eye care to residents in remote villages in Honduras. He is an active member of First Baptist Church in Oxford, serving as their Sunday morning pianist.
He has been married to his wife, Allison, since 2007. She currently works for the Oxford School District as their Chief Financial Officer. They have two children, Hayden and Andrew. He enjoys music, vacationing with his family, and Ole Miss sports.
Honors:
- 2022 MOA OD Community Service Award
- 2022 Best Optometrist, Best of Oxford 2021 AOA President‘s Award
- 2020 MOA James Brownlee OD of the Year Award
- 2019, 2022 Finalist MOA James Brownlee OD of the Year Award
- 2016 Helen St. Clair Young OD of the Year Award, Mississippi Optometric Association
- 2015 Finalist, Young OD of the Year Award, Mississippi Optometric Association
- Graduate, Inaugural Leadership Optometry Class, Mississippi Optometric Association
- Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society
- Charter Member, Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society, UAB Chapter
- Fredric and Marion Rosemore Family Foundation Scholarship
- Acuvue Eye Health Advisor Student Citizenship Scholarship
- Phi Beta Kappa, Beta of Mississippi Chapter, Inducted in 2004
- Phi Beta Phi, University of Mississippi Chapter, Inducted 2003
- Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
- NASA Research Consortium Scholar, 2003-2004
- Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Honorary Society
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars
- Pride of the South Marching Band, 2000-2003
Ellen Chism, Office Manager
Ellen Chism is the office manager at OEC, and she has been with the practice since August of 2017. She also does insurance and billing for the clinic, and she enjoys working alongside the best coworkers in the business!
She is married to her husband, Jerret, and they recently welcomed their first child, Jackson Chism in June of 2023. In her free time, she stays busy loving on her baby, cheering on the Rebels, and winding down with a good book.
Cathy Helmert, Optician
Cathy Helmert began at OEC in August of 2016 and has been the optician since July of 2017. She makes it her goal to help each and every patient find the best eyewear to fit their needs and budget. She can often be heard saying, “Not only do I want you to LOVE your glasses, I want them to do what you need them to do!”
She considers her three children, Jake, Joey, and Amelia, and their successes her greatest accomplishments. In her free time, she can be found baking delicious treats, gardening, or working on home improvement projects.
Lindsey Mitchell, Front Desk
Lindsey Mitchell has been a receptionist at OEC since January of 2020. Her favorite part of working at the clinic is interacting with patients as they come and go.
She has been married to her husband, Austin, since 2002 and together they have two children, Thomas (12) and Susie (10). When she’s not at the clinic, you’re sure to find her sitting on her back porch reading a book, gardening, or camping.
Gabbi Morris, Front Desk
Gabrielle “Gabbi” Morris has worked at OEC as both a receptionist and as an insurance verifier since August 2022. Her favorite part about working at OEC is the meaningful work she does, as well as the connections she makes with both patients and colleagues alike.
She is happily married to Taylor, her husband of six years, and has one child, Waylon (8). When Gabbi is not working at the clinic, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, attending plays, reading books, and going to see her husband’s band play.