President's Message

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy some well-deserved time with family and friends as we celebrate Independence Day. Summer is one of my favorite times of the year, and our family has even more to celebrate as we get ready for our son’s 2nd birthday. It’s amazing how quickly time flies, and we’re looking forward to making more special memories together.

Speaking of great memories, our last SDCOS Optometrist Mixer was an absolute hit! The Game Show Studio brought out everyone’s competitive spirit, and it was fantastic to see so many colleagues laughing, connecting, and engaging in some friendly rivalry. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make it such a fun and memorable evening.

Now it’s time to look ahead! I hope you’ll join us on July 16th for our upcoming continuing education program focused on myopia management. With the rapidly evolving landscape of myopia treatment and management, this promises to be an informative evening with valuable clinical insights you can bring back to your practice.

And the fun doesn’t stop there! Keep an eye on your inbox for details about our next social mixer as we head out to cheer on the San Diego Padres. We’re planning a great evening of baseball, networking, and camaraderie, and I hope to see many of you there.

Thank you for being part of such an incredible optometric community. Wishing you and your families a safe, relaxing, and Happy Fourth of July. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming CE program and at the ballpark!

Warm regards,
Sloan Rajadhyksha OD, FAAO, FCOVD

​​​​​​​SDCOS Optometrist Mixer at The Game Show Studio

Volunteer Opportunity: LOVC | VVSD Stand Down 2026

The Lions Optometric Vision Clinic (LOVC) is seeking volunteer optometrists for the 2026 Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) Stand Down, San Diego's largest annual event serving homeless and at-risk veterans.
 

Saturday, July 18, 2026
The LOVC will operate its eye clinic at the APT4 Music Building at Liberty Station beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing through 5:00 p.m.

* Need 6 doctors if possible for 2 shifts:

• 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This is a meaningful opportunity to help veterans who may otherwise have limited access to eye care and eyewear services. 

Interested in volunteering? Conact Helen Quintanilla lionhelenq@gmail.com or Douglas Wahl douglas@sdlovc.org

Please consider volunteering or sharing this opportunity with colleagues.

For additional information about VVSD Stand Down, visit www.vvsd.net

OD Relations Liaison Message

Please contact Dr. Lucia Millet, OD, Society Optometrist Relations Liaison at sdcos@gmail.com to be put on an official list for the following:

• Fill-in/part-time work
• Full-time work
• Purchase/partner in/sell a practice

This service is offered free of charge to SDCOS members. 

Upcoming CE Meeting (Save the date!)

• Location: WestPAC Headquarters: 5280 Carroll Canyon Rd Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92121
• July 16th - 2 hr CE - Featuring Priscilla Chang, OD, FAAO.   Topic: Myopia Control
• Catering and Attire theme: JULY 4th BBQ!

Register on eventbrite.

View Full 2026 Calendar

OMD Corner

From Eye Care of San Diego
 

SDCOS Board of Directors

Click to view board of directors

SDCOS Member Spotlight: Dr. Eric White

We’re excited to feature Dr. Eric White in this month’s Member Spotlight!

Dr. White practices in a private practice setting with a special interest in contact lenses. A graduate of the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO), Class of 1986, he has spent decades providing exceptional eye care and building lasting relationships with his patients. He is also proud to practice alongside his son, Dr. Samuel White, who recently joined the family practice. If you missed it, Dr. Sam White was featured in last month's SDCOS Member Spotlight!

His favorite aspect of optometry is helping people see, a simple yet meaningful mission that has guided his career.

If he weren’t an optometrist, it sounds like he wouldn’t choose anything else. Optometry has clearly been a fulfilling profession that he truly enjoys.

The last book he read was a biography of Herbert Hoover.

Outside the office, Dr. White enjoys spending time at the San Diego Zoo, one of his favorite places to explore and unwind.

His advice to his younger self: Keep working hard. The future is yours.

(Photo: Congratulations to Dr. Eric and Lorie White on celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary. Pictured with three of their five grandchildren, they share, “We are blessed.”) 📸

Welcome New SDCOS Members!

We’re excited to welcome our newest members to the San Diego County Optometric Society!

Your decision to join our local community of optometrists reflects a shared commitment to advancing patient care, supporting one another, and staying connected in our ever-evolving profession.

SDCOS offers opportunities to grow both professionally and personally through continuing education, networking events, leadership involvement, and community outreach. Whether you’re new to the area or newly licensed, we’re glad you’re here.

We encourage you to get involved, attend upcoming events, and connect with fellow members. If you see a familiar face, say hello; and if not, introduce yourself. We’re a welcoming group!

We look forward to getting to know you and supporting you in your optometric journey.

Welcome to SDCOS!

Dr. Emily Sandoc

Liquidity Has a Value of its Own

Brought to you by: Nichole Mayer & Will Hage
Nichole.Mayer@WestPacWealth.com
Will.Hage@WestPacWealth.com

What’s worth more, a violin with an appraised value of $10,000, or $9,000 in cash? It seems obvious. $10,000 is greater than $9,000, so clearly the violin is more valuable.

However, if you need immediate access to that value, the equation tilts the other way. With the cash in hand, you can hop into your car and take it to your bank. Within minutes it’s available for any kind of financial transaction.

But getting the $10,000 out of the violin is a different story. To get the appraised price, you need to find someone reputable to sell it for you, perhaps a fine instrument dealer in a major city. Then the dealer needs time to find a buyer. Even if all goes well and you get full price, you’ll be out a sales commission and all the time it took to set up the sale.

However, if you need the money from the violin right away, you’re going to have to deeply discount the price to get a quick sale.

Liquidity, the ability to quickly turn an asset into cash, has a value of its own.

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig makes this point with the example of Ivy League endowments. These are the huge financial reserves that institutions of higher learning maintain to help ensure their future survival. Brown University has more than $7.2 billion in its fund. Northwestern has amassed over $14.3 billion. And Harvard dwarfs them all with its $53.2 billion endowment, all of it invested by some of the purportedly smartest people in finance.

Yet earlier this year, these schools had to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to meet short-term operating expenses, paying millions in interest.

Zweig explains that the reason for this borrowing was that these institutions have invested substantial amounts of their endowments in alternative assets—hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, and other investments that don’t trade publicly.

It can take months to sell these kinds of assets. And if you need money right away, you get a loan until a buyer comes along, or you sell at a loss.

This spring, after months of effort, Harvard finally was able to sell $1 billion in private equity funds, but only after discounting them by roughly 7%. That’s $70,000,000 below their stated value.

“The lesson is so simple,” writes Zweig, “that even Ivy Leaguers should be able to understand it.”

In good times, when cash is plentiful, investors generally don’t think much about liquidity. It’s not until bad times, when they urgently need cash, that they suddenly see its value. One of the advantages of having a portfolio invested largely in stocks and bonds (and instruments based on these equities) is that they are highly liquid. If you wished, you could liquidate your entire portfolio in a few trading days.

Of course, another advantage to owning marketable securities in the publicly traded global market is the opportunity to widely diversify across sectors and borders.

Though not as exciting as being in the latest hedge fund, having a portfolio made up of stocks and bonds, most of which are priced almost instantaneously, makes good sense.

As your advisor, we work closely with you with a view toward long-term success. With a plan based on your unique situation, we help provide the guidance and accountability designed to put you in a financial situation to do the things that matter most.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/the-ivy-league-keeps-failing-this-basic-investing-test-747c8b8c

The information contained in this article is general in nature and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. For information regarding your particular situation, contact an attorney or a tax or financial professional. The information in this newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, tax, or financial advice. In specific cases, clients should consult their legal, accounting, tax, or financial professional. This article is not intended to give advice or to represent our firm as being qualified to give advice in all areas of professional services. Exit Planning is a discipline that typically requires the collaboration of multiple professional advisors. To the extent that our firm does not have the expertise required on a particular matter, we will always work closely with you to help you gain access to the resources and professional advice that you need.

Any examples provided are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Examples include fictitious names and do not represent any particular person or entity.

Diversification does not guarantee profit or protect against market loss.

Nichole Mayer & Will Hage are Registered Representatives and Financial Advisors of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services are offered through PAS, member FINRA and SIPC. They are also Financial Representatives of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. WestPac Wealth Partners LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. Insurance products are offered through WestPac Wealth Partners and Insurance Services, LLC, a DBA of WestPac Wealth Partners, LLC. | Mayer CA Insurance License #0F54659 | Hage CA Insurance License #0D97541 | 9001543.1 Exp. 06/28

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