Our exceptional, friendly staff is our greatest asset. They are excited about what they do, and they care personally about getting the best results for our patients.
Our optometrists have years of experience in all aspects of eye care, from pediatric eye exams to low vision. Our optometrists are proud to offer after hours and weekend calls for urgent care/eye emergencies in Albertville.
Meet Our Optometrists
Dr. Nichols is a native of Birmingham and attended Florida College, The University of South Florida, and The University of Alabama Birmingham School of Optometry. Graduating in 1981, Doctor Nichols and his family moved to Albertville and assumed the practice of retiring Doctor J.F. McLendon.
In 2011, Dr. Nichols was among the first in the nation to achieve certification from the newly formed American Board of Optometry
Dr. Nichols is a member of the American and Alabama Optometric Associations. He has served as the president of the Albertville Rotary Club, the UAB School of Optometry Alumni Association, and the Alabama Optometric Association, as well as serving on the boards of several professional and civic organizations. He has participated in numerous medical mission trips the Central and South America as well as rural parts of the U.S. In 2002, he was recognized as the Alabama Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year, and the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Optometry Alumnus of the Year.
An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Nichols especially enjoys hiking, camping, and waterfowl hunting. He is also active in his church as a deacon and class teacher. He has appeared in numerous community theater productions and often works behind the scenes as a scenic artist. He and his wife Lei Ann live in Guntersville.
Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Dr. Kate McCurdy moved to Birmingham in 1995 and graduated from Hoover High School. She completed her B.S. degree in microbiology at Auburn University. She earned her doctor of optometry degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed an externship at Tuscaloosa VA hospital.
Dr. Tipton is a 2013 graduate of Auburn University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences. She graduated with her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with honors in May of 2018. While at UAB she completed an externship at the VA in Birmingham and was involved in conducting a pilot research study in the Vision Science department. She was also the recipient of the American Optometric Foundation Vision Care Award for Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care.
At 11 years old her passion for optometry was sparked by Dr. Nichols himself when he let her look through the microscope during her mother’s eye exam. Fifteen years later she is now “living her dream” working alongside Dr. Nichols, McCurdy and McCurdy.
Dr. Tipton and her husband, Matthew, live in Snead where they are members of Snead First United Methodist Church. When Dr. Tipton isn’t working she can often be found in the saddle or at the barn. She enjoys both barrel-racing and jumping and has several championship buckles to her name. Dr. Tipton also enjoys gardening, hiking, and spending time with her dogs and ponies.
Originally from North Carolina, Dr. Rich McCurdy completed his B.S. degree in engineering from North Carolina State University in 1991. He earned his doctor of optometry degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed an externship at Duke University Eye Center. He was awarded the Vision America Co-Management in Ocular Disease Award in his fourth year of optometry school. He also received residency training in ocular disease and low vision at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Birmingham.
