Our Doctors
Meet the doctors who make Carolina Center for Eye Care the leading provider of vision care products and services in Advance and Lewisville, North Carolina.
Christopher C. Owens, O.D.
Optometric Physician
Dr. Owens completed his degree at Memphis State University and then graduated from Southern College of Optometry, receiving the highest honor of Senior Clinician of the Year Award. After finishing his internships at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans and Clayton Eye Center in Morrow, Georgia, he joined Carolina Center for Eye Care in 2004.
He is the immediate past-president of the Winston-Salem Optometric Society and a current member of the American Optometric Association. A member of the Hillsdale Rotary, his community outreach includes Lions Club, Storehouse for Jesus, and Special Olympics.
His special interests are pediatric eye exams, amblyopia, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma management, and surgical consultations. Dr. Owens speaks conversational Spanish.
Ellyn V. Johnson, O.D.
Optometric Physician
Dr. Johnson, a native of Davie County, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her optometric degree from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, where she received high honors of Senior Clinician of the Year Award and the Contact Lens Excellence Award. In 2001, she completed her residency in ocular disease at Vision America Surgery Center in Jackson, Tennessee. In addition, she has published articles and abstracts in several leading journals.
She is a member of the American Optometric Association and Winston-Salem Optometric Society. Community involvement includes volunteering medical services for the Lions Club and Storehouse for Jesus, as well as, lecturing locally on ocular health issues. She currently serves as the Director of the Eye Clinic at Storehouse for Jesus.
At Carolina Center for Eye Care, her interests include primary eye care of all ages, pediatric eye exams, treatment of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, specialty contact lens fittings, and corneal refractive therapy (CRT).
Jeffery Tarr, O.D.
Optometric Physician
Dr. Tarr, a native of Yadkin County, graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC where he played varsity basketball. He received his optometric degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia. He completed externships at the VA Hospital in Salisbury, the Low Vision Rehabilitation Clinic in Philadelphia and Carolina Center for Eye Care.
He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the North Carolina State Optometric Society and the Winston-Salem Optometric Society.
At Carolina Center for Eye Care, his interests include primary eye care of all ages, pediatric eye exams, treatment of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, and specialty contact lens fittings.
Allison Lyerly, O.D.
Optometric Physician
Dr. Lyerly was raised in Clemmons, NC. After graduating valedictorian from North Carolina State University, she attended Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. While in Optometry school, she was trained in three externships including a rotation at the Veteran’s hospital in Salisbury.
“Living and working in this area represents a dream come true for me. I practice in a top-notch office dedicated to passionate, personal and precise service and I get to live where I call home.”
Dr. Lyerly graduated from the Southern College of Optometry School in Memphis in 2013 and joined Carolina Center for Eye Care directly. She has a special interest in pediatric eye exams, binocular vision training, ocular disease, diabetic eye exams, and contact lenses.
Dr. Carrie Weaver
Dr. Carrie Weaver grew up in Burnsville, North Carolina. She graduated from Duke University in 1991 with a B.S. in Psychology. She received her optometric degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Optometry School in 1995. Dr. Weaver began practicing in the Winston Salem area immediately after graduation and continues to practice in the same area today. Her interests include primary eye care for all ages, diabetic eye care, pediatric eye exams, and specialty contact lens care.
She is a member of the American Optometric Association, the North Carolina Optometric Society, and the Winston Salem Optometric Society.
Dr. Weaver is married and has one daughter. When not seeing patients, Dr. Weaver enjoys traveling with her family, watching college sports, and hiking with her lab.
Dr. Lindsay Thornton
Dr. Lindsay Thornton grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 with degrees in Biology and Hispanic Linguistics. She then received her optometric degree in 2022 from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, graduating in the top of her class with summa cum laude honors. During her optometric education, she received several awards and recognitions and held a variety of leadership roles.
She served as Vice President of her class and was an active member and leader in SVOSH (Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity), where she provided eye care to communities in the Dominican Republic. She was honored to be inducted into the Gold Key Society and Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society for her leadership and academics. After graduation, she completed her residency at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina, focusing on ocular disease, low vision, and specialty contact lenses.
Dr. Thornton is a member of the American Optometric Association and the North Carolina Optometric Society. Her interests include primary eye care of all ages, ocular disease, glaucoma management, diabetic eye disease, and specialty contact lens care.