Complete Story
05/09/2019
Adam Preston, OD, MEd, FAAO (Navy)
President-Elect
Lieutenant Commander Preston is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in June 2002. After attending Weather Forecasting Technical School and Combat Weather Training, he was assigned to the 164th Weather Flight at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. During his enlistment, Staff Sergeant Preston provided support to Army and Air Force base commanders and pilots at multiple locations and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom training evolutions in Fort Irwin, California. In 2007, he earned an Associate of Applied Science in Weather Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from The Ohio State University.
Commissioned under the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program as an Ensign, he completed Officer Development School in June 2008. He graduated with distinction from Pacific University with Masters of Education (2010) and Doctor of Optometry (2011) degrees. After superseding to the rank of Lieutenant, he reported to Naval Health Clinic Quantico, Virginia as Staff Optometrist in May 2011 and was selected as Optometry Department Head in the following year. During his tenure, he coordinated the 2012 National Capital Area Medical Service Corps Ball and oversaw over 400 medical personnel in support of the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon: the Marine Corps’ largest public relations event. Following a successful tour, Lieutenant Preston reported to Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain in January 2014 as the first active duty optometrist permanently stationed in the US CENTCOM AOR. During his tour, he served as Department Head of Ancillary Services and Command Managed Equal Opportunity program manager, oversaw preparation of the Clinic for a Medical Inspector General external inspection and led his department through Joint Commission and College of American Pathologists accreditation evaluations. In 2016, Lieutenant Commander Preston was selected for Full Time Out Service Training and is currently attending Pacific University in pursuit of a PhD in Vision Science.
Lieutenant Commander Preston is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He is an executive board member of the Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS) and serves on its education committee. His contributions to Navy Medicine led to his selection as the 2015 AFOS Navy Junior Optometrist of the Year. His military decorations include Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal and various other service and state awards. Lieutenant Commander Preston is married to Mary Preston, with whom he has a seven-year-old daughter, Juliana.
