Prevent Blindness Names Jim McGrann Chair of its Board of Directors; Adds Dr. Susan A. Primo, MPH, FAAO, and Susan L. Stone, MBA, as New Members

Prevent Blindness announced that Jim McGrann, CEO of Professional Eyecare Associates of America (PECAA), has been appointed Chair of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors. PECAA was recently acquired by VSP Vision. Susan A. Primo, OD, MPH, FAAO, Director, Optometry and Vision Rehabilitation Services, Emory Eye Center, and Professor of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine; and Susan L. Stone, Founder of SLStone Consulting, LLC, have been elected as members of Prevent Blindness Board of Directors. The vote was held on Nov. 4, at the 2022 Prevent Blindness Annual Board Meeting in Chicago.

Stephanie Marioneaux, MD, cornea and external disease specialist, was elected as Board Secretary; and Cadmus Rich, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Aura Biosciences, was re-elected as Board Treasurer. Marcus Molea, longtime Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate volunteer, retired from the Ohio Department of Aging, was named the Chief Volunteer Officer liaison to the Board.

Jim McGrann was named the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors Chair-elect in 2021 and takes over duties from Board of Directors Chair, Dr. M. Kathleen Murphy, Associate Dean, Inclusivity, Global Health & Community Engagement, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing, at the completion of her term.

Mr. McGrann has decades of executive experience in the vision and optical industry. At PECAA, Mr. McGrann manages business strategy development, customer experience management, and information technology strategy development. He was previously the President & CEO of VSP Global, the former President of VSP Vision, and CIO of Marchon Eyewear. He has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Columbia University.

In addition to her public health work, Dr. Primo specializes in vision rehabilitation to assist patients who become visually impaired through the evaluation and prescription of low vision devices. Her research interests are in strategic public health approaches to address visual impairment and loss (especially due to glaucoma) and to reduce racial disparities in vision healthcare. She is a known expert in low vision/vision rehabilitation research as well as visual health disparities.

At SLStone Consulting, Ms. Stone creates connections between for-profit clients and patient, provider and policymaker coalitions and nonprofit organizations, that amplify all stakeholder voices to ensure patient access to appropriate health care treatments and services. She develops communications strategies and campaigns that influence activations across a diversity of willing and able advocates.