The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Present Inaugural Herbert Wertheim Award to Namesake, Dr. Wertheim

By Staff
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 12:18 AM ROCKVILLE, Md.—The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) awarded Dr. Herbert Wertheim ASCO’s inaugural Herbert Wertheim Award, affectionately called “The Herbie.” Dr. Wertheim received his award in October during a special recognition reception in San Diego at the American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference.

Optical Community Heads to New York for Launches, Celebrations and Celebrity Appearances

By Staff
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:27 AM NEW YORK—This March, New York City was buzzing with the energy of thousands of members of the optical community. In addition to Vision Expo East, several special eyewear and eyecare related events made New York the place to be this past month. On Thursday, March 16, Thelios and Vogue Business joined forces to host the first in a series of upcoming panel discussions with others planned in Rome in May and Paris in September.

HCP Cureblindness Acquires SightLife International

By Staff
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:24 AM WATERBURY, Vt. and SEATTLE, Wash.—HCP Cureblindness and SightLife International, leading global eye health nonprofits, have joined forces as one organization to make a greater impact in eyecare worldwide.

ISVA Appoints New Executive and Advisory Board Officers

By Staff
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:21 AM MONROE, N.J.—The International Sports Vision Association, an interdisciplinary group of professionals dedicated to advancing the field of vision training for athletes to help them achieve peak athletic performance, announced the appointments of its new executive and advisory board members.

opti Appoints Cathleen Kabashi as New Show Manager

By Staff
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:15 AM MUNICH—Show organizer GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH has announced that Cathleen Kabashi will take over the management of opti with immediate effect and until further notice. In this role, Kabashi is responsible for the future and development of the trade show. Bettina Reiter, who previously held this role, is moving within GHM to the FAF trade fair, which is dedicated to facade and interior design. Kabashi has an extensive history in trade show management. She previously served as trade fair advisor and later director of iba, the world’s leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry, where she made a significant development in the internationalization of the show.

Bollé Safety Names Chris Freitag as Business Development Manager for South-Central Region

By Staff
Monday, March 27, 2023 12:21 AM CARLSBAD, Calif.—Bollé Safety has named Chris Freitag to the new position of business development manager for the South-Central region.

Marcolin Names Lara Marogna as Group Style & Product Development Director

By Staff
Friday, March 24, 2023 12:21 AM LONGARONE—Marcolin has announced the appointment of Lara Marogna as Group Style & Product development director, effective immediately.

The Power Practice Promotes Two Executives to New Leadership Roles

By Staff
Friday, March 24, 2023 12:18 AM TAMPA, Fla.—The Power Practice has promoted two executives to senior roles within the group. Paul Ferraro, a 12-year Power Practice veteran, has been named executive vice president. Denise Kolker was appointed vice president of operations.

Vision Expo East Announces Winners of the Inaugural NOW Awards

By Staff
Thursday, March 23, 2023 12:24 AM ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Vision Expo East 2023 announced the winners of the inaugural NOW Awards on Saturday, March 18 at the Javits Center in New York City. The awards honored brands that embodied the latest trends and innovation in eyewear. More than 100 companies and 180 brands participated in the competition, submitting products to eight different categories. All Vision Expo East exhibitors were invited to enter one frame (optical or sunglass) or lens product per company they felt best represented one of the themes for this year’s show.

CooperVision Names 2023 Best Practices Honorees and Student Scholarship Recipients

By Staff
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 12:24 AM SAN RAMON, Calif.—Following its annual nationwide search for current and future leaders in optometry, CooperVision named its 2023 Best Practices honorees and student scholarship recipients. The initiative—now in its eighth year—honors eyecare practices across the U.S. that advance the profession through innovation, industry leadership, and providing exceptional patient care. The scholarship program provides third-year optometry students the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with some of the best in the profession, according to the company.

American Optometric Association Announces 2023 Award Recipients

By Staff
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 12:21 AM ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association, American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), and Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation announced the 2023 winners of the organizations’ annual awards.

CFDA Eyewear Designers Launch 2023 Pride Collection With Percentage of Proceeds to Benefit the TransLatin@ Coalition

By Staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 12:18 AM NEW YORK—In honor of Pride Month in June, five independent CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) eyewear designers are uniting to launch the second annual edCFDA Pride Eyewear Initiative.

Don't Miss Tonight's Rock4Sight Benefit Concert at the Hard Rock Café in New York City

By Staff
Saturday, March 18, 2023 12:13 AM NEW YORK—Rock4Sight 2023 will be back at the Hard Rock Café to celebrate the optical industry and raise funds for ECN Purpose, a 501c3 charity dedicated to providing both eye health education and connection to vision care to the underserved. The party begins on Saturday, March 18 at 8:30 pm at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, New York City. As in the past, this will be a fun night of music, dancing, camaraderie and industry fellowship.

Trish Shomion Named American Academy of Optometry CEO

By Staff
Friday, March 17, 2023 12:24 AM ORLANDO, Fla.—The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) announced today that Trish Shomion, CAE, has been appointed CEO. Prior to this role, Shomion was a senior advisor with Global Management Partners, LLC (GMP).

Keplr Vision Announces $80 Million in Additional Funding, Reorganizes Field Team, Adds Board Members

By Staff
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 12:27 AM BLOOMINGTON, Ill.—Keplr Vision announced earlier this week that it has successfully closed $80 million in additional funding from existing investors including Imperial Capital and Golub. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. “We are extremely excited to announce this increased level of confidence and commitment from our investors,” said Tim Mayhew, CEO. “Despite an extremely challenging time for capital markets, they recognized Keplr Vision’s amazing potential as a partner with many of the largest, most prestigious practices in the United States.