2026 GCER | Hotel - Broward County Optometric Association

2026 Gold Coast Educational Retreat

Hotel Information

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel’s Convention Center in Hollywood!

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is a AAA Four Diamond-rated, hotel characterized by authentic memorabilia that surrounds stay, play, and dine resort amenities. The resort is centrally located 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s beaches and 30 minutes from Miami!

Enjoy discount room rates before and after the conference to extend your stay! Click on the booking link below or call the hotel to complete your reservation!

Address: 6401 Sheridan Street, Hollywood, FL 33024
Phone: 866-502-7529

Book Your Stay

Pauline K. Buck, O.D., FCOVD

Pauline K. Buck, O.D., FCOVD, is a fellowship trained optometrist with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), who served as chairperson of the membership and state coordinators committees.
She is an adjunct and clinical professor at Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry, Western College of Optometry in California; Midwestern Chicago College of Optometry; MCPHS college of Optometry in Massachusetts, and FIU’s Occupational Therapy Department. She is the Dade County Clinical Director for Special Olympics Lion’s Club International Opening Eyes Program and donates her time throughout the year to participate at the Special Olympics State Games and local healthy community screenings.

Dr. Buck developed and is the optometric director of Behavioral and Developmental Optometrists, in Miami, Florida. The clinic focuses on improving the efficiency of the visual system in individuals of all ages, from children with visually based learning dysfunction to teens with concussion to post stroke adults. Dr. Buck utilizes tried and true vision therapy technologies and techniques and has been known to occasionally create her own. However, her strength is in the collaborative way she works with allied health professionals, teachers, and tutors. Her relationships with these professionals and their numerous information exchanges over the years has cultivated an awareness and understanding of how vision and the therapeutic disciplines of occupational, physical and speech therapy complement each other for improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Buck graduated from the New England College of Optometry in 1994 and the University of Florida in 1990. She returned to her hometown of Miami Beach, Florida to begin her private practice. Within 5 years of graduating from NECO, she achieved fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry in pediatric and binocular vision. After 10 more years of post-graduate study, she obtained her Fellowship with the COVD and is presently working towards fellowship in the Neuro Optometric Rehabilitative Association, NORA.

Most recently she joined together with Tiffany Zakka, OTR/L to create Reset Rewire Restore, LLC with the goal of improving the balance of the autonomic nervous system using the synergy of syntonics and movement. Together they have created The Autonomic Protocol and The Kids AP programs, they have written several workbooks and guides to go with the program, and have lectured internationally to bring awareness in the education and medical communities. She is also a founding partner in The Brilliant Babes, LLC which serves the pre and post-natal population of families in supporting the parents and helping guide the development of the children.

There is one more thing that allows you to look at the whole person and that is their family. Dr. Buck is married to her childhood friend, Evan, and they have two adult children whose own developmental needs started her on the path that she avidly follows.

Stephanie Frankel, OD

Dr. Stephanie Frankel currently utilizes a technology-based scleral lens only practice in an academic setting, targeting visual rehabilitation and treatment of ocular disease using scleral lenses. She completed her undergraduate education at University of Central Florida with dual bachelor’s degrees in biology, as well as Molecular and Micobiology. She then moved on to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree at Nova Southeastern University with honors and voted as Optometry Student of the year.

Shortly after the completion of her doctorate degree she accomplished her residency in ocular disease at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and joined an MD/OD private practice, where she established a successful dry eye clinic that focused on recalcitrant dry eye and began her research in ocular surface disease.

In 2018 she was approached to join the ocular surface team at Bascom Palmer and given the challenge of starting a scleral lens program within the University of Miami/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Currently, Bascom Palmer is providing scleral lens services in Miami, Plantation and Naples using the newest technology, completes about 600 fittings annually and is continuing to thrive. She now obtains the titles of Director of the Scleral Lens program and Associate Medical director of the Ocular Surface Center of Excellence at the University of Miami/Bascom Palmer Eye Instutute. Her clinic is a rotation for optometry students, optometry residents, PGY3 ophthalmology residents, and is also frequently observed by international ophthalmologists and optometrists.

She is active as a co-investigator in several research studies sponsored by the NIH, with a focus on Phenotypes of Inflammatory and Neuropathic Ocular Pain Conditions using Morphologic Measures and Functional Brain Imaging, as well as Corneal Inflammatory diseases. She is a member of the American Academy of Optometry and is actively undergoing her fellowship in cornea and contact lens. She has also completed several lectures at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute as well as the Inter-American Course in Clinical Ophthalmology. She has completed numerous publications and serves on the medical advisory board of several pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Frankel is happily married to a fellow optometrist and they have two sons together. She has special interests in long-distance running, reading, and overall mental and physical health.

Dr. Natalia Villate, MD, FASRS

Natalia Villate, M.D., F.A.S.R.S. is a retina specialist in South Florida. She specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with medical and surgical diseases of the retina. Dr. Villate is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American Society of Retina Specialists and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is a skilled surgeon that has performed more than 1,000 complex vitreo-retinal surgeries since herself in private practice in the United States in 2008. At two state-of-the-art facilities in Broward County, Dr. Villate performs weekly surgeries, including retinal detachment repair, macular holes, epi-retinal membrane peeling, diabetic retinopathy and intraocular lens exchanges after complex cataract surgery.

Outside of the operating room, she has a special interest in macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, and the ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. At Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute, Dr. Villate's patients have access to the most advanced imaging diagnostic techniques, the latest intra-vitreal injections of FDA approved medications to treat common macular conditions and the unique opportunity of participating in clinical trials. She also performs in-office laser surgery for retinal tears, detachments and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr. Villate's work has been published in several peer review journals, and she has been a presenter at numerous national and international ophthalmic meetings. She co-authored several book chapters of the Optical Coherence Tomography of Ocular Diseases and has been an investigator in several FDA approved clinical trials. Currently, Dr. Villate teaches students and residents as a Clinical Instructor for the NOVA Southeastern University School of Optometry and is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the NOVA. Southeastern University College of Medicine.
Dr. Villate is fluent in English, Spanish, and French and is a compassionate physician who enjoys patient care. She strives to communicate effectively and treat every patient in a comprehensive and individualized fashion. To learn more about Dr. Natalia Villate, go to www.flei.com.

Stuart Burgess, MD, FACS, FASRS

Stuart Burgess, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.R.S, Director of Clinical Research at Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute, specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of retinal diseases, including the management of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears and detachments, macular holes, uveitis, ocular tumors, and ocular trauma. Dr. Burgess is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Society of Retinal Specialists.

Dr. Burgess was one of the first retinal specialists to offer advanced treatments for macular degeneration, including the various anti-VEG F agents, Lucentis®, Avastin, Eylea®, and Vabysmo (R). He was involved in the clinical studies that led to the approval of some of these agents and is currently involved in research for future more advanced agents to treat a variety of retinal diseases. His work has been published in pee:--reviewed journals and he has been a presenter at national ophthalmic meetings.

Dr. Burgess attended college at Tulane University and then the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he earned an M.D. degree in 1991. Dr. Burgess completed his residency in ophthalmology at Cornell University's North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, where he was chief resident in ophthalmology. After residency, Dr. Burgess completed a two-year subspecialty fellowship in the medical and s1:l!rgical treatment of retinal and vitreous diseases at the University of California San Diego, Shiley Eye Institute. He was involved in innovative research studying diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and macular holes during the fellowship.

Dr. Burgess joined the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute in 1999 as the group's retinal subspecialist and has grown the department since that time. In addition to his contributions to the retina department, he also founded and directs our clinical research department. Dr. Burgess is a skilled and compassionate physician dedicated to preserving and restoring his patients' vision. To learn more about Dr. Stuart Burgess, go to www.flei.com.