PEOPLE: Management VIsion-Ease Lens Hires Blacker as VP of Research and Development By Staff Monday, January 21, 2013 12:00 AM Richard Blacker RAMSEY, Minn.—Vision-Ease Lens (VEL) recently welcomed Richard Blacker as vice president of research and development. Blacker is responsible for managing the development and introduction of all new products and lens concepts for VEL. “Richard’s background and expertise are a significant addition to Vision-Ease Lens,” said Doug Hepper, president and CEO of VEL. “As the optical market evolves more and more quickly, Richard’s leadership will allow us to bring new products to the market faster and improve our performance of our existing product offerings.” Blacker brings more than 15 years of experience in successfully managing research and development teams across several industries. Before joining VEL, he was employed at Guardian Industries, a glass manufacturing company, focusing on sputter technology and chemical coatings. Prior to Guardian Industries, he worked on thin film processes at Veeco and SOLA USA.