Prevent Blindness has named six new members to its Board of Directors. The vote was held on Nov. 18, at the 2024 Prevent Blindness Annual Board Meeting in Chicago.
Members of the new Board of Directors include Karen Allison, MD, MBA, FACS, Flaum Eye Institute at the University of Rochester; C. Edward Buffington, president and CEO, GPN Technologies; Sue Downes, co-founder and CEO, MyEyeDr.; Stephanie Marioneaux, MD, private practice owner, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Eastern Virginia Medical School; Kim Schuy Greenberg, CEO, Delasco; and Dean A. VanNasdale, Jr., OD, PhD, MS, FAAO, associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Joan Wahlman, president of JD Healthcare Consultants and a member of the Prevent Blindness Texas Board of Directors, was elected as the Chief Volunteer Officer Liaison and voting member of the national Board. Amy Pulles, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio, was elected as the new Prevent Blindness Affiliate Board Liaison.
In recognition of their exemplary service to Prevent Blindness, James E. Anderson, partner at Howe, Anderson & Smith, P.C., and Paul Howes, EVP, Strategy & Business Development at Translatum Medicus Inc., were elected as Prevent Blindness Emeritus Board of Directors members.
“The Prevent Blindness Board of Directors is an esteemed group of leaders dedicated to advancing our mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO. “We enthusiastically welcome our new members as they guide us in our work and provide insight and expertise on the best ways to advocate for patients and break down the barriers to eyecare that far too many people encounter.”
Karen Allison, MD, MBA, FACS
With over 20 years of experience in teaching residents, Dr. Karen Allison holds the position of Chief of Glaucoma at the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute. Additionally, she serves as the Glaucoma Fellowship Director and leads the Population Medicine Glaucoma Division at the institute. Dr. Allison conducts clinical research both locally and internationally, is a founding member of the African Hereditary Research Consortium, African Glaucoma Research Group, and chair of the Glaucoma division of population Medicine research group. She is the co-founder of the Pan African Glaucoma Association and the Minority mentorships program at the University of Rochester.
In addition to serving on the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors, Dr. Allison will also serve as the Chair of the Prevent Blindness Scientific Committee.
C. Edward Buffington
Ed Buffington has served in the optical industry for 45 years. He began his career in the contact lens space, and later launched the new company OfficeMate Software, later acquired by Marchon and then VSP. After retiring from VSP, he began his private consulting firm, The Buffington Company. In 2017, Buffington joined data analytics firm GPN Technologies as President and CEO and continues there today. Mr. Buffington was recently honored as the 2024 Prevent Blindness Person of Vision.
Sue Downes
Sue Downes is the CEO and co-founder of MyEyeDr. She launched MyEyeDr. in 2001 with one optometry practice in D.C. and has since expanded to over 850 practices across the country. Her career in the optical field spans more than 30 years. Utilizing advanced technology, expert doctors, and a passion to help others, MyEyeDr. accommodates patients’ unique vision, health, and financial needs. By welcoming all insurances, she believes patients should not have to choose between optimal vision and looking great. She is the co-chair of Highpoint University’s Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s Leadership Council and Health Care Expert in Residence for High Point’s Access to Innovators Program. Ms. Downes was honored with the 2018 Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award.
Stephanie Marioneaux, MD
Stephanie Marioneaux, MD, is an ophthalmologist and Fellowship trained Cornea and External Disease specialist. She has served on the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Board of Trustees and was the Chair of the Governing Board of Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Dr Marioneaux is a recipient of the Boyd Humanitarian Award, and the 2023 AAO Hall of Fame Award. She also serves on the Towne Bank Corporate Board and has lectured nationally and internationally. Dr. Marioneaux is returning to the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors after serving from 2017 to 2023, where she ended her term as Board Secretary.
Kim Schuy Greenberg
Kim Schuy Greenberg has held multiple leadership roles in the optical industry spanning the past twenty years at companies such as EssilorLuxottica, Essilor Group, and Alcon Laboratories. Ms. Greenberg’s experience includes marketing, sales leadership, innovation, education campaigns, digital transformation and brand building. She has also served in a non-profit capacity both domestically and globally to improve access for uncorrected refractive error to developing communities. She currently serves as the CEO of Delasco, a medical supply distributor based in Dallas.
Dean A. VanNasdale, Jr., OD, PhD, MS, FAAO
At The Ohio State University College of Optometry, Dr. Dean VanNasdale conducts patient-based research, and oversees population-based research using existing local and national data sources to conduct surveillance of vision loss, eye diseases and associated co-morbid conditions. He also develops public health materials to educate and inform federal agencies, state and local health departments, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations on the burden of vision impairment and the need for access to vision care services. In addition to having served on the Advisory Committee to the Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness, Dr. VanNasdale has earned several prestigious awards during his career, such as the 2023 Prevent Blindness Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health, and The American Public Health Association Distinguished Service Award and Outstanding Scientific Paper/Project Award.
