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DULUTH, Ga.—National Vision Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE), one of the nation’s largest optical retailers, announced Monday that Joan Blackwood has joined the company as chief marketing officer. She will report to chief executive officer Reade Fahs, according to the announcement. Blackwood will be responsible for leading the organization’s marketing function, including strategic brand management, creative, CRM, advertising and media, digital marketing, e-commerce and research/insights. Blackwood comes to National Vision from the University of Phoenix, where she served as chief marketing officer and was responsible for increasing brand consideration, accelerating efficient customer acquisition growth, while increasing retention rates. Prior to that, she held the chief marketing officer role for several companies, including 1-800-Contacts/Glasses.com, Zumba Fitness and Monster Worldwide, as well as a variety of marketing leadership roles.

“We are excited to welcome Joan to the National Vision family,” Fahs said in the announcement. “She brings with her deep experience in helping organizations maximize their consumer marketing efforts to drive results. We look forward to tapping into her expertise to help us drive business results and ultimately allow us to help more people access affordable eye exams and fairly priced optical products.”

Blackwood added, “I am proud to be joining a company that has such rich history of both growth and purpose. National Vision has developed an innovative marketing and advertising approach that reaches consumers across America. I am looking forward to working with this incredible team to take these efforts to the next level, continuing to help advance the organization’s mission to make eyecare and eyewear more affordable and accessible.”

National Vision operates more than 1,100 retail stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Its retail brands are: America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Eyeglass World, Vision Centers inside select Walmart stores, Vista Opticals inside Fred Meyer stores and on select military bases, and several e-commerce websites.