FORT WORTH, Texas—Industry veteran Dave Sattler will retire from Alcon, effective Aug. 2, after 28 years of service to the company. Sattler’s most recent role has been director professional relations, overseeing academic development for the company’s US Vision Care unit.

In this role, he strengthened Alcon’s ties to optometry schools and colleges. Sattler also worked with the Alcon Foundation, the city of Fort Worth and two optometry schools in Texas to help establish an eye clinic for the underserved in downtown Fort Worth.

Sattler’s career with Alcon began in 1986 as a sales representative in San Diego, Calif. He held a number of positions of increasing responsibility including national account manager, district sales manager and director of national accounts. In 2008 he assumed the role of director professional relations—global optometry and in 2010 peer-to-peer professional marketing was added to his list of responsibilities.

In 2011, Sattler took on his current role working with the optometry, ophthalmology and optician academic community to ensure that faculty, staff and future eyecare professionals are up-to-date on all the recent advances in the eyecare world. Over the years, Sattler has collaborated with key opinion leaders, professional associations, academic institutions and he participated in countless national conventions and education programs in the contact lens, lens care, ocular pharmaceutical and surgical areas.

“Dave Sattler’s impressive 28-year career has helped Alcon in its mission to enhance quality of life by helping people see better,” said Jim Murphy, vice president and GM of US Vision Care. “His most recent work with the optometry schools and colleges has positively impacted the profession and countless individual eyecare professionals.”

Sattler is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is currently serving as a volunteer board member for the American Optometric Association’s Foundation and The Pennsylvania College of Optometry Advisory Board.

After Sattler’s retirement, Tom Duchardt, who is currently a regional manager of academic development for Alcon, will step in to lead the academic development initiatives for the company’s US Vision Care business.