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The Vision Council has announced that James Rosin of Rosin Eyecare will serve as the inaugural chairman of its recently formed Optical Retail Division. Stuart Jolly of Sam’s Club/Walmart has been named vice chair. David Pierson, who has 30 years of retail industry experience, has been hired as the new staff liaison for the division.

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Less than a year after its creation, Thélios (the joint venture between LVMH and Marcolin) has opened the Manifattura Thélios, a center for the design and production of LVMH eyewear brands, in Longarone, Italy.

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The Vision Council announced that David Rips, CEO of Younger Optics, received the Goodfellow Award at the 2018 California Optical Laboratories Association Spring Meeting.

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In memoriam: Alexander Liener, A&A Optical founder, namesake, and industry veteran, passed in May.

Envision received a $300,000 gift from The Sunderland Foundation for the construction of the William L. Hudson BVI Workforce Innovation Center, a facility that will be dedicated to training people who are blind or visually impaired.

Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA) hosted more than 700 members, vendors, staff, and guests at its 10th Annual Meeting in Tucson, AZ, in April. This year’s three-day meeting featured an all-new interactive workshop designed specifically for PECAA members, entitled “Grow Yourself. Grow Your Team. Grow Your Practice.”

Vision Source kicked off its annual meeting in May in Anaheim, CA. The four-day meeting, known as The Exchange, hosted keynote speakers Matt Beaudreau of The Center of Generational Kinetics and Kevin Carroll of Katalyst/LLC. The Exchange 2019 is scheduled for May 1-4 in Tampa, FL.

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Registration is now open for this year’s International Vision Expo West, scheduled for Sept. 26-29 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. This year’s exhibit and conference offers more than 300 hours of education, thousands of eyewear brands, and the latest offerings in lenses, technology, and diagnostics. To register: west.visionexpo.com .

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SILMO Paris optical fair takes over the Paris Nord Villepinte from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, offering cutting-edge services and events to keep the industry on-trend. Stay up-to-date with TRENDS by SILMO, the trade show publication featuring new products, industry innovations, and more: en.silmoparis.com/discover-silmo/press/trends-by-silmo .

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Safilo has appointed Stephen Wright its new chief commercial officer (CCO) of Safilo North America.

Wright joins Safilo with a long career in the eyewear industry, having held executive roles with several of its major players, including Omni-Channel VSP Global, Altair Eyewear, and Marchon Eyewear. He replaces Henri Blomqvist, who has left the company to pursue other interests.

For this and other news stories, visit eyecarebusiness.com/news .