Roger Valine
Roger Valine Joins Grand Rapids Ophthalmology as Chairman

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Grand Rapids Ophthalmology (GRO) has appointed Roger J. Valine to its board of directors and he will serve as chairman.

Valine is a former president and CEO of Vision Service Plan (VSP), now a part of VSP Global. Valine left the company in 2006.

He began his 34-year career at VSP as a management trainee when the company had $10 million in annual revenue. During his tenure, the company grew to nearly $3 billion in revenue, provided vision care insurance to more than 55 million members, and was selected for eight consecutive years as one of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” GRO’s announcement pointed out.

“We are honored to have someone of Roger’s experience, stature and integrity as chairman of our board of directors,” said Bill Hughson, CEO of GRO. “He shares GRO’s deep commitment to excellent patient care and will be instrumental in helping GRO realize its full potential.”


Thomas E. Griffin
Avedro Appoints Thomas E. Griffin as CFO

THAM, Mass.—Avedro, a Waltham, Mass.-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical device company specializing in corneal remodeling, has appointed Thomas E. Griffin as chief financial officer.

Griffin has more than 25 years of executive management experience at emerging growth medical technology companies. He brings a track record of success, leading both early-stage and commercial companies throughout his career.

A veteran finance executive, Griffin has spent his entire career in financial operations at medical technology and biotechnology companies. For 10 years and during the company’s initial public offering, he served as CFO of Entellus Medical, a medical technology company that designs products for the treatment of chronic and recurrent sinusitis, before transitioning to vice president of finance in May 2016.

Prior to this, Griffin served in a variety of executive level financial positions at several organizations, including Digital Gene Technologies, Centerpulse Spine-Tech (now Zimmer Spine, Inc.) and CIMA Labs Inc. (now owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.).
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Reade Fahs
Salus University Appoints Reade Fahs, National Vision CEO, to its Board of Trustees

ELKIN PARK, Pa.—Salus University recently named Reade Fahs, chief executive officer of National Vision Inc., to its board of trustees.

Fahs joined the Atlanta-based company in 2002 as its president and COO. Under his leadership, National Vision has become one of the largest and fastest-growing optical retail companies in the nation. National Vision has a diverse portfolio of more than 975 stores across five brands, including America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses and Eyeglass World, and its mission is to help people by making quality eyecare and eyewear affordable and accessible.

Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, president of Salus University, said, “Reade Fahs is a vital, and accomplished, addition to our board. We look forward to his input and expertise as we work together to positively impact post-graduate education amidst the changing dynamics of health care in our country.”

Fahs said,“Beyond its optometric roots, Salus offers programs in audiology, health sciences, biomedicine and education rehabilitation,” he said. “Given the evermore interconnected nature of health care in America, I look forward to learning more and contributing where I can to the advancement of these fields as well.”


Louise Sclafani
SynergEyes Names Louise Sclafani, OD, FAAO, VP of Professional Affairs

CARLSBAD, Calif.—SynergEyes, Inc., a leader in hybrid contact lens technology, has appointed industry veteran Louise Sclafani OD, FAAO as vice president of Professional Affairs. In this position, Dr. Sclafani will be responsible for working with thought leaders and professionals in the global eyecare professional community to develop strategies and programs that will increase the company’s value within the profession, according to the company.

Earlier in 2017, SynergEyes expanded its specialty contact lens portfolio from exclusively hybrid contact lenses to now include scleral and corneal gas permeable contact lenses.

James K. Kirchner, OD, president and CEO of SynergEyes said, “The addition of Dr. Sclafani to our team comes at a pivotal point for SynergEyes as we add RGP technology to our hybrid contact lens portfolio. She is one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected educators and practitioners in the field of optometry today.”

Dr. Sclafani is an alumnus of ICO and has spent the past 24 years at the University of Chicago where she was an associate professor of Ophthalmology and director of Optometric Services. n