Bright Lights

                                Celebrating Optical’s Emerging Leaders

Vision Monday

January 19, 2004

By Marge Axelrad, Editorial Director

Who represents the modern eyecare professional?  Which individuals out there are ready to energetically tackle the challenges of optical’s future?

            For the start of the New Year, Vision Monday shines the spotlight on 40 people throughout the eyecare, retail and wholesale laboratory sectors who, their colleagues say, represent just some of the industry’s next generation of “bright lights,” a collective of people working hard every day to manage, innovate and set new standards for serving the public and bringing new ideas forward in the day-to-day business of delivering eye care and eyewear solutions.

Sam Herskowitz

Co-COO

Age: 33            In Optical: 11 years

Myles Lewis

Co-COO

Age: 35            In Optical: 12 years

Christopher Payan

Co-COO

Age: 29            In Optical: 3 Years

Emerging Vision

Garden City, NY

Herskowitz, Payan and Lewis assumed shared responsibilities as co-chief operating officers of Sterling Optical parent Emerging Vision in April 2002.  Herskowitz, who has held a variety of marketing and communications roles with the company since early 1996, oversees marketing and merchandising.  Payan, who came to Emerging Vision from Arthur Anderson in July 2001, serves as chief financial officer, secretary, and treasurer.  Myles Lewis, with managed-care experience at the New West Eyeworks and Vista Eyecare chains, supervises business development and managed care.  Together the three have returned Emerging Vision to profitability.

Points of View-

Herskowitz: “We need to further capitalize on the power of branding.  The combination of age-old optical brands like Sterling Optical and Site for Sore Eyes in concert with the many contemporary fashion brands licensed by today’s manufacturers creates an environment for partnership between companies within the industry and in turn makes for better products and services at the right price for today’s consumer.”

Lewis: “I think we need to create opportunities for other young professionals within the industry to contribute to the contemporary growth and development of optical services.  We do this every day by awarding franchises to these individuals and placing them on the industry’s front line.”