Dorrie Morrow

Dr. Dorrie Morrow was born and raised in the Edmonton area and attended the University of Alberta until she was accepted into the optometry program at the University of Waterloo, School of Optometry at the age of 18. In 1980 she graduated from the University of Waterloo and returned to her hometown of Sherwood Park, Alberta to start a solo practice. In 1985 she set up a satellite practice in St. Albert, Alberta. In 1986, she and her husband David decided that he would take on the managerial duties of the optometric office so they could both have more time with their children. Dorrie feels that this was one of the best decisions of her professional career as it combines two of the things that are most important to her, family and optometry. A number of years later Dr. Susan Joe (a fellow graduate of the Class of 1980) joined her practice and they have now practiced together for the last 19 years.

For over 20 years, Dr. Morrow has been involved with the advancement of optometry politically both in Alberta and across Canada. In 1988 she was elected to the council of the Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) and remained on council through various positions including serving as the first female President of the AAO from 1994 -1996. During her time as AAO President, Dorrie was instrumental in negotiating and obtaining TPA legislation for optometry in Alberta, making it the first province in Canada to be granted this privilege. In 1999, Dr. Morrow joined the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) council were she has served as chair on many executive committees. Dr. Morrow has always had a passion for children’s vision and in 2002 she led Alberta’s Children’s Vision Initiative committee and was instrumental in the development and execution of the highly successful “Eye See Eye Learn” program that encourages kindergarten children to get their eyes examined by an optometrist. This program was so successful that the Canadian Association of Optometrists adopted the initiative across Canada and she now is involved with the Children’s Vision Initiative on a national level. Dorrie served as President of the CAO from 2005 to 2007. In 2005 Dorrie received the prestigious President’s Award from the AAO and was the first and only female recipient.

Dr. Morrow has been a long time volunteer with the Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta and has worked the Multicultural Health Broker’s Co-op in Edmonton to help develop Children’s Vision brochures in numerous languages for immigrants and newcomers. Most of all, outside of optometry, Dorrie commits her spare time to her family, husband David and their children, Joshua, Whitney and Joseph. All three children are athletes and therefore she has become a big sports fan.