The Prevent Blindness “For Your Best Eyes” campaign emphasizes the importance of maintaining eye health through empowering educational messages. Prevent Blindness spokespeople represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives on eye health and safety. They are experts in patient advocacy, eye diseases and conditions, pediatric eye health issues, eye health resources and programs, and sports and worker eye safety, among other topics. To connect directly, please contact [email protected].
Jeff Todd
President and CEO
Prevent Blindness
Jeff Todd serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Prevent Blindness. Joining Prevent Blindness in 2003, Jeff held roles as Director of Public Health and Chief Operating Officer before becoming President and CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, the organization has grown in scope and size; launched the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, promoting comprehensive pediatric eye care; led an annual national summit as a forum for the exchange of ideas relating to vision and public health; produced pivotal research on the prevalence and cost of vision problems in the U.S.; and is advocating for the introduction of the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act, currently under Congressional review.
Karen Allison, MD, MBA, FACS
Member, Board of Directors
Prevent Blindness
Karen Allison MD, MBA, FACS, is a board member of Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight for people of all ages, and a board certified ophthalmologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology – Glaucoma Division at the Flaum Eye Institute at the University of Rochester.
Dr. Allison earned her medical degree from Rutgers Medical School and completed her residency in ophthalmology at the SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York. Subsequently, she pursued a fellowship in Glaucoma at the Oschner Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 20 years of experience in teaching residents, she currently 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 is actively engaged in population medicine research as a member of the Population Medicine Research Committee, as well as in diversity and equity research at the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute.
Dr. Allison conducts clinical research both locally and internationally through her collaborations with many other researchers. She is a founding member of the African Hereditary Research Consortium, AfriGen – African Glaucoma Research Group and chair of the Glaucoma division of population Medicine research group. She is founder of the Pan African Glaucoma Association and the Minority mentorships program at the University of Rochester. She has authored “why am I not 20/20” an educational book for patients and has co-authored many manuscripts and book chapters. She is involved in mentorship programs nationally and internationally and has mentored over 500 persons during her career.
Dr. Karen Allison serves on the committee of WEAVR – Women in Eye and Vision Research, where she was the keynote speaker at the 2023 meeting. Additionally, she is a member of the Diversity Committee at both ARVO and the American College of Surgery and is the incoming chair for the American Public Health Association Vision Care Section.
Kira Baldonado, MPH
Executive Vice President
Prevent Blindness
Kira Baldonado, MPH, serves as the Executive Vice President of Prevent Blindness. Kira joined Prevent Blindness in 2003 with the Ohio Affiliate as the Director of Marketing and Community Services. She transitioned to the National Office in 2011 as the Director of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH), and then became the Vice President of Public Health and Policy.
Throughout her tenure with Prevent Blindness, Kira has overseen the successful launch of the ASPECT Patient Engagement Program– a program elevating the patient voice within eye care, research, and policy development; led the NCCVEH to establish the first consensus-based recommendations for pediatric vision screening, data collection, and measures of accountability across key stakeholder groups; and advocated for introduction of the Early Detection of Vision Impairment for Children Act, currently under Congressional consideration. Her leadership has been pivotal in forming strategic partnerships and enhancing the knowledge base available for vision health initiatives.
Sandra S. Block, OD, DOS, h.c., M. Ed., MPH, FAAO, Dipl AAO, FCOVD, DAAO, FNAP, FARVO
Professor Emeritus
Illinois College of Optometry
Sandra S. Block, OD, DOS, h.c., M. Ed., MPH, FAAO, Dipl AAO, FCOVD, DAAO, FNAP, FARVO is a Professor Emeritus at Illinois College of Optometry. She received her O.D. degree (1981) and followed by a Pediatric Residency (1982) at the Illinois College of Optometry where she was a faculty member until her retirement in 2020. She completed her Master of Education at National Louis University and her Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois, School of Public Health. She was just presented with an honorary Doctor of Ocular Sciences degree from ICO. She is a Diplomate in Public Health and Environmental Vision at the American Academy of Optometry, a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice, a Silver Fellow of ARVO, and a Fellow of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics. She previously sat on the Prevent Blindness Board of Trustees and was recently appointed as an Emeritus Board member. She was co-chair of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health and is currently the treasurer of the VISION 2020 USA Board of Directors. She was the World Council of Optometry President from 2023-2025 and is currently serving as Immediate Past President.
She served as a consultant to the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes program from 1995-2022 and was instrumental in developing the vision program used globally. Her interests lie in primary care for children and persons with disabilities, as well as diagnosis and treatment of visually related learning problems as well as public health issues facing the equity and quality of eye care delivery.
R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA, FACS
Member, Board of Directors
Prevent Blindness
R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, FACS, is professor and head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is also the director of the Pediatric Retina and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Service at UI Health, and volunteer Prevent Blindness Board of Directors Member.
Dr. Chan’s clinical practice focuses on vitreoretinal surgery, with an expertise in pediatric retinal disease. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MD from the Temple University School of Medicine. After completing Ophthalmology residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, he went on to a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chan spent nine years on faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College, as Director of the Retina Service and Vitreoretinal Fellowship, before moving to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in 2015.
Dr. Chan is committed to global health initiatives with a focus on both surgical training and education for the diagnosis and management of adult and pediatric retinal disease. Dr. Chan’s primary research interests focus on utilizing new technology and imaging techniques to better evaluate and manage pediatric retinal disease. He receives grant funding from the NIH as well as a number of charitable foundations. He has been a core team member of the Imaging and Informatics for ROP (i-ROP) consortium and leads the Global Education Network for ROP (GEN-ROP), which is an international collaboration of investigators with expertise in neonatology, ophthalmology, biomedical informatics, international health, and medical education. Together, they have implemented tele-education programs aimed at addressing the growing global burden of ROP and have established clinical, teaching, and research collaborations in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Sara Everett Brown, MPA
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Prevent Blindness
Sara Everett Brown is the Senior Director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness. Since joining Prevent Blindness in 2017, Sara has grown the organization’s presence on Capitol Hill, with the Administration, and amongst stakeholder groups in pursuit of Prevent Blindness’s policy goals, including the bipartisan Early Detection of Vision Impairments (EDVI) for Children Act, strengthening federal investments in vision and eye health programs, and improving access and coverage policies for eye health patients. Sara has nearly two decades of policy experience in Washington, having begun her career as a legislative and staff aide with the U.S. Senate. A Nebraska native, she holds degrees in English and Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Kearney and a master’s degree in public administration from Walden University.
Elyse Fineman, MPH, MHA
Executive Director
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness
Elyse Fineman, MPH, MHA is the Executive Director of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness and the Illinois State Director of Prevent Blindness, two distinct 501(C)3 organizations. Elyse engages allied interests and statewide leadership to accomplish the mission of preventing blindness and preserving sight in Illinois. She also administers all Illinois programmatic and outreach activities under Prevent Blindness. Elyse is responsible for directing all ISPB management, administrative and board activities, including fundraising and the oversight and distribution of research and low vision equipment grants. She has over 30 years of non-profit program experience with extensive work in administration, grant review and writing; event planning; corporate, foundation and individual fundraising; project planning; management; evaluation; and health education.
Donna Fishman, MPH
Executive Director
National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness
Donna leads the strategic programmatic efforts of the NCCVEH, including system-change initiatives, the work of its Advisory Committee, state-level policies and practices, national partnerships, professional development, communications, publications, and federal agency relationships. Donna advocates for public health and education systems that support a comprehensive vision and eye health system for children, including family education, vision screening, ensuring eyecare equity, access to timely treatment of vision conditions, data collection, and performance measures. She facilitated and managed the federally funded Better Vision Together Community of Practice and managed the development of the Small Steps for Big Vision toolkit for early childhood education and care agencies to increase family and caregiver education around children’s vision and eye health. Donna presented on children’s vision and eye health systems and policy to the National Academy of Sciences and she leads an ongoing education and support initiative around Retinopathy of Prematurity. Previously, Donna served as Director of Training at Healthy Schools Campaign and as Executive Director of a teen pregnancy prevention initiative where she educated, supported, and provided grants management for community-based coalitions and supported professionals in adolescent reproductive health across Minnesota. She holds a master’s in public health degree with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in women’s studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Tami Garcia, President & Chief Executive Officer
Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Tami Garcia has more than 34 years of experience in the vision and healthcare field. Through her roles as Program Director and President and Chief Executive Officer at Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, Ms. Garcia has high-level oversight and leadership experience coordinating, managing, and developing vision health programs spanning the state of Wisconsin and serving more than 350,000 Wisconsin children and adults annually. Ms. Garcia is experienced in identifying health disparities in the community and developing and implementing sustainable, scalable programs which address these disparities and barriers to vision care. Ms. Garcia will provide strategic oversight for the CVHP, manage funder relations, and ensure the program’s alignment with PBW’s overall mission and objectives.
Julie Grutzmacher, MSW, MPH
Senior Director of Patient Advocacy and Population Health Initiatives
Prevent Blindness.
Julie holds a dual master’s degree in social work and public Health and has more than twenty years’ experience advocating for equitable access to and delivery of healthcare services. Her work has led her to academic medical facilities, federally qualified health centers, academia, and non-profit organizations, servicing communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, premature and low birth weight babies, and high-risk pregnancies. She has experience building, implementing, and evaluating educational training programs from scratch- first in academia with medical residents and then at Prevent Blindness with the ASPECT program for the visually impaired and blind and their allies. She currently serves as the Senior Director of Patient Advocacy and Population Health Initiatives at Prevent Blindness and is passionate about reducing all barriers to eye care.
Edwin Jeffords
President & CEO
Prevent Blindness North Carolina
Edwin Jeffords leads a dedicated team of changemakers across the state of North Carolina through his role as President and CEO at Prevent Blindness North Carolina. Serving over 450,000 people across the state through its direct services and resources each year, Prevent Blindness North Carolina changes lives daily, and works diligently to prevent blindness, preserve sight, and provide vision and eye health resources to friends, families, and neighbors across the state.
Through Edwin’s leadership, the PBNC has had a strong and consistent trajectory of growth. This momentum has allowed more free services that prevent blindness and preserve sight to be delivered in more communities across the state than ever before. And in turn, has increased North Carolinians’ access to high-quality, affordable vision care more regularly.
Amy O’Brien
Chief Executive Officer
Prevent Blindness Iowa
Amy O’Brien is the Chief Executive Officer of Prevent Blindness Iowa. Amy leads the organization in their mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight. With a commitment to public health and community service, she oversees strategic initiatives, programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts that help Iowans of all ages access vision care, eye health education, and sight-saving resources.
For more than 27 years Amy has helped Prevent Blindness Iowa expand its impact through innovative outreach programs, collaborative partnerships, and increased awareness of the importance of regular vision care and early detection of vision problems. She is passionate about improving health outcomes, reducing barriers to care, and ensuring that every Iowan has the opportunity to maintain healthy vision throughout their lifetime. She works closely with healthcare providers, school districts, community organizations, policymakers, and supporters to advance the organization’s mission and strengthen its role as a trusted resource for eye health across Iowa.
Heather Shirk Patrick
President & CEO
Prevent Blindness Texas
Ms. Patrick has spent twenty years in the non-profit community serving at the local, regional, and national levels of healthcare non-profits. A versatile and strategic leader, she has a keen ability to leverage insights and analysis to build mission programs with maximum impact performing at high levels of effectiveness and efficiency. These skills have played out over time in a career focused on systems and operations development; training and leadership development for nonprofit executives; strategic grant making; fundraising and campaign management.
Heather is currently the President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Texas. She is focused on leading a team across Texas to elevate vision care, improve overall health, deliver preventative screenings, navigate clients to resources, educate individuals about risk and advocate for improved access to care for clients. In 2019, Heather was awarded the Women Who Mean Business Award by the Houston Business Journal for her outstanding leadership and excellence in the Nonprofit Industry.
Amy Pulles
President & CEO
Prevent Blindness Ohio
Amy has served as president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate since January 2022. Working in concert with a 31-member board of directors, her responsibilities are to coordinate a paid staff of 15 and 3,600 volunteers across Ohio in implementing sight-saving programming to provide direct services to 1,000,000 Ohioans annually and educate millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their gift of sight. With Prevent Blindness since 2012, Amy has served as Vice President and as Development Director of Prevent Blindness. Previously, Amy held leadership positions with the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus and the American Red Cross. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University.
