Title: Business Owner, Operator
Company: Achieve Vision Center
Location: Marietta, GA
Education: Coursework in Organizational Management, University of California at Los Angeles (2013); Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2007); Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Education and Promotion, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2005)
Career History: Business Owner/Operator, Achieve Vision Center, Atlanta, GA (2019-Present);
Orthopedic and Pediatric Rehabilitation Industry
Normanie McKenzie Ricks, Business Owner and Operator at Achieve Vision Center, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of occupational therapy.
Ms. Ricks’ accomplished career as a client-focused, results-driven occupational therapist coupled with a personal mission fueled the formation of Achieve Vision Center, a Georgia-based provider of OT services for children she’s been running since 2019. It was in 2016 when her daughter, Amare, was diagnosed with a vision disorder she’d never heard of, which prompted her to study it and its treatment possibilities. In doing so, she found that treatment was very similar to the therapy she provided for her clients who suffered strokes and traumatic brain injuries; patients of the disorder, also like her client base, were incredibly underserved, leading to the launch of her company. Through Achieve Vision Center, she provides rehabilitation to individuals whose vision is affected by neurological deficits and even free vision screenings for school systems throughout Georgia.
Beyond her primary endeavors, Ms. Ricks founded Vision Therapy Education International, Inc. in 2021 in an effort to help visually impaired individuals get the health care, education and resources they need to succeed in school, work and life. A dedicated advocate for children with disabilities, she’s also a motivational speaker and volunteer. Her outreach to children stretches even beyond the United States; traveling globally, she has provided services to youth communities in Japan, Nicaragua, Honduras and Zambia, and even teaches occupational therapy to students across various universities.
Prior to her role as the owner and operator of the center, Ms. Ricks earned a bachelor’s degree in public health education and promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2005 and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the institution in 2007. Equipped with degrees, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a decorated officer and the manager of an early intervention program at a military hospital facility, which she helped to expand to local Marine Corps and Air Force bases. For her initiative with that program, she was recognized with a commendation medal in 2014—one of the major highlights of her career. She has excelled in the health care sector as an orthopedic and pediatric rehabilitation clinic manager and occupational therapy clinician.
In addition, Ms. Ricks is the host of a podcast and television show, “Health Facts with Normanie Ricks” as part of the YUR Health Network. She is also an advisory council member of the National Small Business Association and an executive board member of Lions Clubs International. Looking toward the future, she strives to make Achieve Vision Center global, starting with expanding it to other states, such as Texas, Illinois and California.