Seated, from left are Raanan Naftalovich, chair of The Vision Council’s board of directors; Virginia "Susie" Lesher, chair of The Vision Council’s optical lab division; and Lori Treadwell, president of COLA, as they sign the merger agreement in front of nearly 100 optical lab professionals in attendance at the COLA meeting. Joining them is Mike Daley (standing), The Vision Council’s optical lab division liaison.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Officials from The Vision Council and the California Optical Laboratories Association (COLA) signed a definitive merger agreement last week during COLA’s Spring Meeting in San Diego.

Under the terms of the agreement, the current COLA leadership will remain in place to ensure a seamless transition. COLA members will join The Vision Council as The California Lab Subcommittee under the Optical Lab Division umbrella, one of six operating divisions within The Vision Council that provide guidance, education programs, marketing materials, research and advocacy outreach to address common interests among members. In addition, each individual COLA member is eligible to serve on the various committees, subcommittees and taskforces under The Vision Council structure.

The Vision Council leadership has committed to support the continuation of the association's programs, including their annual Spring meeting. COLA members are also immediately eligible to receive all benefits and services offered by The Vision Council, including member pricing for exhibiting at International Vision Expos, complimentary optical industry research reports, no-cost registration for the Optical Lab Division meeting (formerly "The OLA"), member discounts for products and services, and technical representation.

Over the next few months, COLA members will receive updates and information about the new programs and services available to them through The Vision Council. There will also be an in-person opportunity to learn more while networking, exploring exhibits and taking continuing education at the Optical Lab Division’s annual meeting, Oct. 2 to 5 in Las Vegas.