American National Standards Institute

Dick Whitney

Industry veteran Dick Whitney of Carl Zeiss Vision has been named chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z80 subcommittee on prescription spectacle lenses. In this new role, Whitney will lead industry representatives in continued development of the Z80.1 standard. He succeeds Daniel Torgersen of the Optical Laboratories Association, who served the committee for many years. Whitney currently serves as global standards manager, corporate research and development for Carl Zeiss.

Davis Vision

Dave Merwitz

Davis Vision recently named Dave Merwitz its director of retail relationships. In his new role, Merwitz—based in Latham, N.Y.—serves as the primary liaison to contracted retailers, responsible for "maintaining and enhancing strategic working relationships with all retail providers.” Merwitz, a 22-year veteran of the health care industry, has spent 13 years with Davis Vision.

Emerging Vision

Sam Herskowitz

Sam Herskowitz has been named president of Emerging Vision’s buying group division. Herskowitz had been president of Emerging Vision’s franchise division since July 2007; before that, he was chief marketing officer. He joined the company in January 1996. In his new position Herskowitz reports directly to Glenn Spina, Emerging Vision’s president and chief executive officer. The company’s buying group division includes Combine Buying Group in the U.S. and The Optical Group in Canada.

Eyenovate

Joseph Zewe

Eyenovate, Inc. announced that Joseph Zewe has joined the company as the president and chief executive officer. Additionally, the company has changed its name to Eyenavision. Zewe takes over from his brother, David Zewe, who has served as the interim president and chief executive officer since December of 2009. Joseph Zewe has been involved with Eyenovate as an investor and member of the company’s board of directors since 2008. David Zewe will continue as the chairman of the company’s board of directors.

Transitions Optical

David Cole

Transitions Optical has named company veteran Dave Cole chief operating officer. In this role, Cole will provide regional and global leadership, and business strategy development and execution, reporting to CEO and president, Rick Elias. Cole, who started with Transitions Optical when the company launched in 1990, most recently served as general manager for the North American and Australia and New Zealand markets. He will continue to fulfill these responsibilities in an interim role.

Opticians Association of America

Diane Charles

At the recent National Opticians Convention, the Opticians Association of America reelected Diane Charles of Washington State as President of the Association. Ms. Charles is the third female to be elected President in the organization’s history and her term of office runs through September 2011. Charles is a licensed Optician and State Examiner in the State of Washington and is a former President of the Washington Opticians Association. She has been an active member of OAA since 1990.

Guild of Prescription Opticians

Kathryn Ring

At the recent National Opticians Convention, the Guild of Prescription Opticians (Guild) elected Kathryn Ring, owner of Eye Services of Jackson in Michigan, as Chair of the Guild Council. Ring is a Guild Optician who has been actively involved in the organization for many years and currently serves as the Guild’s representative on the Opticians Association of America’s Board. She has been honored with the 1994 Distinguished Service Award from the Opticianry Association of Michigan and has been practicing Opticianry since 1976.

Briot USA

Optical sales veteran Matt Cevasco has been named president and general manager of Briot USA. He reports to Marc Abitbol, PhD, CEO of Luneau Technology, a France-based supplier of ophthalmic diagnostic systems, which acquired Briot USA’s parent company, Briot International, in June, 2010. Cevasco replaces Tom Pfledging, who has left the company to pursue other interests. Most recently, Cevasco worked outside the optical industry from 2007 to 2009, serving as vice president of sales and marketing at Gateway Energy Services.

Luxottica USA

Brittany Bender has been appointed the new Trade Communications Manager for Luxottica USA. She will play a critical role as she takes a lead position with trade media, press relations and the management of the website LuxandMe.com. Bender has a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, and joins from Rooney & Associates Communications, a public relations agency located in New York City.