SARASOTA, Fla.— Eyeglass.com, one of the first online eyewear retail websites, founded in 1995, announced that public relations and marketing authority Richard Laermer will become its new CEO. Eyeglass.com’s founding CEO, Jim Morrison, will become chairman of the company and remain active in the site’s day to day business, a spokesperson told VM.

In addition, Morrison will become CEO of ThankBank, a new social-purpose, “gratitude-based” website startup, which was begun by both Laermer and Morrison, and is being further developed by the pair now. Morrison started Eyeglass.com with his father, Robert J. Morrison, OD, a well-known pioneer in the field of soft contact lenses and a prominent practitioner. Laermer is also a 50 percent owner of the site with Morrison, the spokesperson added.

Laermer is an author, blogger and founder of the dot-com marketing firm RLMpr, which has helped raise the profile of digital media companies.