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Alicia Isenberg

BUSINESS UPDATES

The Allergan Foundation has awarded a second grant to Prevent Blindness America for the translation of its Diabetic Eye Disease Educator Program marketing materials and website into Spanish.

Primary Eyecare Network (PEN), the practice development division of ABB Concise, will present its Preserving Independent Optometry program in both Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. from Sept. 16 to 17, and in Berkeley, Calif., Oct. 28 to 29. For more information, visit primaryeye.net/PIO or email education@primaryeye.net.

Essilor of America's unique wearer tests have received official accreditation from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. The company is the first lens manufacturer to earn an external endorsement of its wearer-testing protocols.

Organizers recently announced the dates and times of 42nd edition of Mido. The show will be held March 11, 2012, through March 13, 2012, at the Rho-Pero Fieramilano center in Milan.

GP Specialists, a manufacturer of gas-permeable contact lenses, has consolidated its lab operations into American Biocurve, Inc.'s state-of-the-art San Diego facility, a company GP acquired in January 2011.

GP Specialists' new state-of-the-art facility in San Diego

VSP Vision Care has launched a mobile version of vsp.com, allowing members to access their information, find a doctor, and browse the eyewear gallery from their smartphones.

Tri-Supreme Optical, based in Farmingdale, N.Y., is Shamir Insight's newest Autograph II partner lab, making it the 47th lab to sell Shamir Autograph II Lenses.

AWARDS

The Foundation for Eye Health Awareness' Think About Your Eyes campaign has received the 2011 Bulldog Award for Excellence in Media and Public Relations.

Bollé's Vortex sunglass has been named Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year winner.

Bollé's Vortex frame, Outdoor Magazine's 2011 Gear of the Year award winner

The American Optometric Society awarded Katie Robertson, a senior at the University of Missouri, St. Louis College of Optometry, with its inaugural Dr. Harvey Yamamoto Award. The $1,000 scholarship was awarded based on Robertson's essay describing how she intends to give back to the optometric profession and community upon graduation.

Katie Robertson (l) accepts the Dr. Harvey Yamamoto Award from Dr. Pam Miller, AOS president (r)

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care's ACUVUE ADVANCE Plus Brand Contact Lenses received the Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbing Contact Lenses from the American Optometric Association's Commission on Ophthalmic Standards.

For the second year in a row, Transitions Optical, Inc., has been honored with the Gallup Great Workplace of the Year Award, given to the most engaged and productive companies in the world.

Vision-Ease Lens presented awards to 14 recipients at its Latin America/Caribbean customer appreciation dinner: Optika S.A. of the Caribbean; Óptia Matamoros of Central America; Grupo 20/20 of Central America; Ferreira Optical Limited of the Caribbean; Centrex, Inc. of the USA; Óptica Lopez of the Caribbean; Caribe Opti Lab of the Caribbean; Lentes of Costa Rica of Central America; Laboratorio Óptico of South America; Renovate Com Ltda. of Brazil; Centro Óptico Indusplentes of South America; Servióptica of Bogota, South America; Super Lens of Medellin, South America; and Ópticas Devlyn S.A. of Mexico.

GOOD DEEDS

Mission Vision provided free vision screenings and new eyeglasses to the homeless, underinsured, and underserved in Harrisburg, Pa.

Volunteer technician Bob Means at Mission Vision's mobile eye clinic

As part of its 100-year celebration, Utah-based Standard Optical provided free eye exams and prescription glasses to hundreds of underprivileged children through its Gift of Sight program.

Children are fitted for new glasses at a charity event held to celebrate Standard Optical's centennial anniversary

ClearVision Optical has added a new “Do Good” section to its Facebook page to honor the humanitarian efforts of its customers and sales consultants and encourage others to do the same. Submissions to the page can be emailed to facebook@cvoptical.com.

PEOPLE
Costa del Mar recently appointed Jonathan Weikum as optical sales manager. In his new role, Weikum will oversee the optical sales force as well as key optical accounts across the United States. Costa also named Jacqueline Arnold optician of its growing Rx division. As the company's in-house optician, Arnold will not only fill sunlens prescriptions, but also oversee quality control processes between Costa and ECPs.	Jonathan Weikum and Jacqueline Arnold, Costa del Mar
REM Eyewear has named Kevin Hundert manager of new business development. Hundert, son of REM co-owner and CEO Mike Hundert, will be in charge of modernizing remeyewear.com and overseeing the website launch of REM into the B2B and B2E markets.	Kevin Hundert, REM Eyewear
Hugh R. Parry, Prevent Blindness America president and CEO, has been named chairman of the board of AMD Alliance International.
Viva International Group has appointed Jan Cory to the position of senior vice president of U.S. and Canada sales. Before joining Viva, Cory was vice president of independents and sun specialty at Luxottica.	Jan Cory, Viva International Group
In addition to his current responsibilities as director, national retail and Canada, Transitions Optical, Inc., has named Alex Louw director, lens manufacturing and trade sales. In his expanded role, Louw will manage Transitions' strategic alliances and initiatives with lens manufacturer partners and drive growth within the optical trade channel.	Alex Louw, Transitions Optical, Inc.