ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council has announced that James Rosin of Rosin Eyecare will serve as the inaugural chair of the recently formed Optical Retail Division. Stuart Jolly of Sam’s Club/Walmart has been named as vice chair. “We’re thrilled to add Jamie and Stuart to the team as we grow the Optical Retail Division. Their input will be invaluable to the development of the Division's programs and services, ensuring that we’re meeting our members’ needs and addressing their concerns,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council.

“The Division, under their leadership, will enhance our ongoing efforts to support a healthy optical marketplace and broaden the resources available to The Vision Council’s six other operating divisions, and to allow our programs and services to better reflect the whole of the optical industry.”

As chair of the Optical Retail Division, Rosin will also serve on The Vision Council board of directors. He currently serves as the co-president of Rosin Eyecare. Today, Rosin Eyecare operates 44 locations, each a fully integrated eyecare practice offering comprehensive optometric primary eyecare services and ophthalmologic disease management and treatment including refractive surgery, as well as eyewear products. Rosin Eyecare also owns and operates a centralized digital full-surface and finishing lab.

Rosin’s career in the eyecare industry spans nearly 30 years. Over that time, he has been involved in growing a tri-generational family business into a leading regional eyecare practice which he and his brother, Jonathan, own and operate along with a talented team of executives, ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians.

Jolly is a qualified optician with over 30 years of experience. He attended Bradford College in the U.K. where he obtained his BSc in Ophthalmic Dispensing. A member of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, Jolly has worked in a variety of office/optical locations. This has included private practice through to large retail corporate concerns.

Jolly has worked in the U.S. for a number of years and took up permanent residency in 2014. He currently holds the position of senior merchant (senior director) at Sam’s Club, responsible for over 500 optical centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico as well as advising operations in Canada and China.

The Vision Council’s Optical Retail Division, established in January, focuses on the unique business needs of optical retailers and the important relationship between retail and wholesale. Since its launch, the Division has grown to 30 companies of various sizes representing all facets of optical retail.

Membership is open to all optical retailers. For questions about the Optical Retail Division, or information on becoming a member, contact Greg Chavez, The Vision Council's executive vice president of operations & membership, at gchavez@thevisioncouncil.org or (703) 740-1399.