ORLANDO, Fla.—The Vision Council’s 2019 Executive Summit was a mix of networking events, division and committee meetings, and inspiring keynote speakers focusing on the theme of “Contagious Leadership – Strategies for Cultivating People While Producing Business Results.” The event, held in late January at the Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes, gathered industry leaders to connect and conduct association business, notably approving the new members to The Vision Council’s board of directors, including incoming chairman Ken Bradley.

During The Vision Council’s annual business meeting, the following members were confirmed to the board for a second two-year term as directors at large: Kurt Atchison, president of Schneider Optical Machines Inc.; Fabrizio Uguzzoni, president of wholesale North America for Luxottica USA; and Rick Tinson, vice president of inventory and distribution for Hoya Vision Care.

Additionally, Sherianne James, chief marketing officer for Essilor of America, was confirmed to serve an initial two-year term as director at large. Finally, the following officers were confirmed for a first one-year term: Ken Bradley, president of Eschenbach Optik of America, as the chairman; Karen Roberts, vice president of global business solutions for Carl Zeiss Vision, as vice chair; Dustin LaValley, Walman Optical Company, as secretary/treasurer; and Mike Hundert, chief executive officer for De Rigo REM, as immediate past chairman.

“We have a talented and engaged board of directors in place for 2019, comprised of highly qualified and respected industry leaders,” noted Ken Bradley, chair of The Vision Council’s board. “It’s an honor to serve the industry in this capacity, and I look forward to ensuring that The Vision Council is strong, strategic and constantly evolving to serve the changing needs of an increasingly diverse membership.”

The following members are stepping down from their responsibilities on the board of directors: Marty Bassett, Walman; Robert Liener, A&A Optical; Bob Colucci, Essilor; Drake McLean, Deitz McLean; Fredric Grethel, Enso Eyewear; Tim Gels, Eschenbach Optik; and Ryan Kirkpatrick, Shwood.

At the meeting, attendees joined in learning more about The Vision Council’s current programs and recent accomplishments, including the successful first year of the Optical Retail Division—which was launched at last year’s Executive Summit and now boasts 45 member companies— as well as the Contact Lens Subscription Model Report available through VisionWatch. The Vision Council also touted the more than 1 billion consumer media impressions garnered from National Sunglasses Day; the honor of Vision Expo winning the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Art of the Show Competition for the Social Media category; and the Government & Regulatory Affairs Committee’s effective communication tactics implemented regarding numerous regulatory changes throughout the year.

“It’s wonderful to share The Vision Council’s accomplishments over the last year with industry leaders and the member companies that made it all possible, while at the Executive Summit,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council.

Coinciding with the event’s theme of contagious leadership, this year’s keynote speakers include such names as former executive at Apple Computer, Tesla Motors and GAP Inc. George Blankenship; expert on the topic of “Conscious Capitalism” Jeff Cherry; author of the top 20 business leadership book ‘Multipliers’ Liz Wiseman; and well-known economist Brian Beaulieu. Outgoing Vision Council chairman Mike Hundert also interviewed Clearly and Vision for a Nation founder, James Chen, about widening efforts to treat the global challenge of meeting the needs of 2.5 billion people without access to refractive eyecare.