2021 Ralph Beard Humanitarian Award Winner

---

 Mark Lynn was born in Louisville Kentucky in 1959. Growing up in Owensboro he meet his wife, Cindy Erwin at Apollo High school and they were married in 1979. 

After high school he attended Murray State University where he majored in Engineering Physics and Computer Science and then went to Southern College of Optometry and received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1985. 

He started work at Dr. Bizer’s in downtown Louisville in 1985 and became a partner with the Bizer family in 1991. He eventually bought the practice from the Bizer family in 1998 after growing it from 2 locations to 19. The growth has continued as he has 90 offices in six states.  

He also serves as the Chairman of the Kentucky State Fair Board, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Simmons College, a board member of the ProRehab Board of Advisors, Member of the Healthcare Alliance for Patient Safety as well as the President of his Home Owners Association and a member of the Evolve502 Scholars Foundation Board.  

 Through all the growth he and his wife have tried to give back every chance they could. They work with groups like the Visually Impaired Preschool Services, Kid Center for Pediatric Therapies, The Lord’s Kitchen, The Hope Gala for the American Cancer Society, The American Diabetes Association, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Second Stride, 4H, Future Farmers of America, as well as scholarship for students at Simmons College and the University of Louisville.

Some of the awards he has won are Outstanding Young Man of America, Burns Middle School Hall of Fame, 2002 Nominated to Americas Top Optometrist, 2008 Beacon Award Winner, The Daniel Pitino Foundation Philanthropic Award, 2011 Clifford C. Leadingham Award from the Kentucky Optometric Association, 2012 Hickman-Camp Award from The University of Louisville, 2012 Louisville Philanthropist of the Year Award Winner, 2016 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame award, 2017 Presidents award from the Kentucky Optometric Association and 2017 Davis County Schools Alumni of the Year, 2018 Corporate Giving Award for Partners In Philanthropy.

Truly the most important part of his life is his family. He and his wife of over 40 years, have been blessed with 4 children and 16 grandchildren.

We are honored to have Dr. Mark Lynn as our 2021 Ralph Beard Humanitarian award winner.