Doctors and Staff | Texas State Optical

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G.D. Phillips, OD

Dr. Phillips is a native of southeast Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas before enrolling at The University of Houston College of Optometry. After graduating in 1972 Dr. Phillips served two years in the Navy Medical Service Corp before moving to Bryan where he was employed by Dr. Erwin Luedemann at Texas State Optical. He became part owner in 1978, and primary owner in 1984.

Dr. Phillips is a certified Therapeutic Optometrist and is experienced in refraction, contact lens fitting and management, anterior segment eye disease management, posterior segment eye disease diagnosis, and cataract and LASIK surgery co-management. He has twice been voted the best Optometrist in the Brazos Valley in a Bryan/College Station Eagle survey.

He has been married to his wife Susan for 31 years, and they have a son, Patrick, who is currently serving in the Peace Corps teaching visual arts and information technology in Damongo, Ghana.

In November 2007 Dr. Phillips and Susan worked for two weeks at medical clinics operated by Salud y Paz to provide eyecare and glasses to the indigenous Mayan people of the western highlands of Guatemala. They spent the month of April 2009 visiting their son in Ghana, West Africa and operating a free clinic with Unite for Sight to provide eyecare in Damongo, Daboya, and Larabanga. To view photos of their volunteer work in West Africa click here.

Anna Goodroe

Anna is the newest member of our staff. She comes to us after graduating from Texas A&M University in December 2009 with a degree in Biology. She has an interest in furthering her education in the medical field, and she enjoys scuba diving and spending time with her puppy, Kona. Anna especially likes the technical aspects of assisting Dr. Phillips with patient care, particularly digital retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography.

Susan Phillips

Susan has been working with Dr. Phillips for the past 20 of their 31 years of marriage. She is an experienced optical lab technician and is noted for her meticulous attention to detail and perfection in her work. Her knowledge of frames and lenses gained from years of experience qualifies her as a true asset. These qualities have led Dr. Phillips to ask her to bring those skills to the front desk to provide an unexcelled level of patient care and service.

Christine Alvarado

Christine has been with TSO since 1997. She is a very fast learner, and through hard work and study, she received her American Board of Opticianry certification in 2000. Chris is involved in all aspects of the smooth running of our office. In addition to her skills as an optician, she does contact lens dispensing, patient preliminary exams and also oversees the operation of the office and the filing of insurance claims. Chris is fluent in Spanish, and as such is an invaluable asset to our office.

Coddy Hickman

Coddy started working in the optical business in 2000, and she came to us in 2003. She is an American Board of Opticianry certified optician with experience in optical lab work as well as fitting and dispensing of glasses. Coddy's primary responsibility now is assisting Dr. Phillips with patient exams, and she is quite accomplished at performing retinal imaging, autorefraction/keratometry, tonometry, visual fields, corneal specular microscopy, and optical coherence tomography. Unfortunately for us, Coddy now works only part-time, as she is enrolled in the Blinn College Nursing Program and is pursuing her RN degree.

Jeff Cheshire

Jeff Cheshire, ABOC, FNAO is the newest member of the TSO Bryan team. He has recently relocated from the Northeast, where he practiced opticianry for the past five years, first in New Hampshire, and then in Maine. He brings a wealth of optical experience and knowledge to our practice along with a smiling face and a Yankee sense of humor that keeps life interesting.

His wife, Dr. Debbie Cheshire, is a clinical psychologist with Scott & White Clinic in College Station. Jeff & Debbie welcomed their son, Evan, to the world on 01/29/08 and "the bean" is now the center of their universe!

Jackie Schulman

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Jackie returned home to Bryan/College Station and came to work for us as a doctor's assistant. She hopes to further her education and pursue a career in the medical field.