ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council hosted its Annual Business Meeting in a virtual format yesterday, Monday January 24. Presented under the banner of “It’s All Connected,” the meeting included a welcome address from Karen Roberts, The Vision Council’s Chair, followed by remarks from Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. Additionally, an overview of the enhancements planned for The Vision Council’s 2022 research program was presented by Alysse Henkel, The Vision Council’s director of Research Data and Analytics. The Vision Council also inducted its 2022 Board of Directors during the meeting.

“2021 proved to be another challenging year for the industry, yet we are continually inspired by the resilience of our community,” said Karen Roberts, vice president, Global Customer Enablement at Carl Zeiss Vision and chair of The Vision Council. “The Vision Council staff is passionate and well-equipped to execute the goals set out in the strategic plan and deliver valuable services to our membership. On behalf of the board, we are committed to supporting Ashley and her team, and look forward to continuing to serve this incredible community, driving growth and leading the industry forward in 2022.” 
 
Following Roberts’ opening address Mills welcomed attendees, spoke to The Vision Council’s 2021 successes and shared the organization’s vision for 2022.
 
She said, “The Vision Council is committed to keeping the vision care community connected in 2022. We appreciated the industry coming together virtually for our Annual Business Meeting yesterday and we look forward to seeing everyone in-person at Vision Expo East in New York City in a couple of months. Meanwhile, we are planning a series of regional, in-person events for members this Spring. We are sincere when we say ‘it’s all connected’ and look forward to bringing our membership and the larger community together in meaningful ways this year.”
 
Mills also announced that the 2023 Executive Summit will take place from Monday, February 6 to Wednesday, February 8 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, the iconic Texas Hill Country luxury resort just outside of downtown Austin, Texas.  Agenda and registration details will be shared in the coming months. Additionally, The Vision Council is planning several member-focused regional events to be held throughout 2022 leading up to the 2023 Executive Summit.
 
Following Mills’ remarks, Henkel outlined how the organization’s market research program has been refreshed and redesigned for 2022. She shared a timeline of the changes to come and what members can expect in the revised reports. 
 
The Vision Council’s virtual programming continues today, Tuesday, January 25 at 9:00 a.m. with a virtual presentation by Brian Beaulieu, economist and CEO of ITR Economics, who shares insights on trade policies, economic trends and an outlook for the year ahead. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. For those who are unable to attend, a recording of the presentation will be made available via The Vision Council’s website.
 
During The Vision Council's Annual Business Meeting, the following members were confirmed to The Board of Directors for a second one-year term as officers: Karen Roberts, vice president of Carl Zeiss Vision, as chair; Scott Shapiro, CEO of Europa Eyewear, as vice-chair; and Ken Bradley, president of Eschenbach Optik of America, as immediate past chair. 
 
The following member was confirmed to The Board of Directors for an initial one-year term as treasurer: Ross Brownlee, CEO at Hilco Vision. The following member was confirmed to serve an initial three-year term as director at large: Jerry Warner, executive vice president Americas & Global Commercial Functions at CooperVision.
 
Roberts also thanked the following board members who left the board of directors: Dustin LaValley, CFO, Walman Optical, 2019-2021; Rick Tinson, senior director of Revenue Management, Hoya Vision Care, 2017-2021; Fabrizio Uguzzoni, president, Wholesale North America, EssilorLuxottica NA, 2017-2021; and Steve Wright, president and chief commercial officer, Safilo, 2020-2021.
 
The complete roster for the 2022 Board of Directors can be found online at thevisioncouncil.org.
 
The Vision Council’s 2021 Annual Report is now available and can be viewed here.