The Vision Council’s annual Executive Summit held January 21-23 at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has drawn more than 325 high-level executives from the optical industry. During the event, The Vision Council has officially inducted its 2015 officers and board of directors.
During the Summit’s business meeting portion, it was announced that Marty Bassett, Walman Optical, has been elected as the new chairman of the board, with MikeHundert of REM Eyewear tapped as the new vice chairman, and Ken Bradley of Eschenbach Optik of America as the secretary/treasurer. Raanan Naftalovich of Shamir Insight, Inc. is now the immediate past chairman. Also elected were directors-at-large Bob Colucci of Essilor, Glenn Rusk of Sàfilo, and Holly Rush of Luxottica, each selected for an initial two-year term, and John Corsini of Super Systems Optical selected for a second two-year term. The complete roster for the 2015 Board of Directors can be found online at thevisioncouncil.org.
In his inaugural presentation as chairman of the board, also during the Summit’s business meeting, Marty Bassett outlined his priorities for his tenure as chairman including strengthening the International Vision Expos, ensuring a consistent and relevant governance process, expanding the organization’s brand, and most importantly, stimulating market growth.
“A key initiative of The Vision Council will continue to be engagement in activities and programs that promote the growth of the market, such as the Think About Your Eyes campaign,” said Bassett. “This campaign is designed to stimulate market growth by driving awareness for the importance of annual eye exams, and has proven to dramatically increase the number of new patients receiving first-time eye exams, as well as decrease the amount of time between eye exams for existing patients. Because of this, The Vision Council will be making it a priority to support these efforts, and integrate these messages into all of our consumer campaigns. “
The 2015 Executive Summit program also showcases presentations from experts in business, economics, and strategy.
