WHAT'S NEW - FYI
By Kim Aubrey-Larcinese

PEOPLE

Erich Bauman, OD, has been appointed vice president of CIBA Vision's Global Specialty Lens Business. Bauman was previously general manager of CIBA Vision's Benelux operation and held positions with CIBA in clinical research, marketing, and business development and licensing.

Walman Optical honored its top sales performers earlier this year. In the ophthalmic eyewear division, Margie Roehm was named Account Manager of the Year; Kimberly Reese was named Branch Manager of the year; and the Evansville, Ind., laboratory, headed by Steve York, was named Branch of the Year. For the X-Cel Contacts division, Mark Farmer was named Sales Person of the Year, Minnie Lavender received the Bob Felder Founders Award, and Vicki Rippe was named Branch Manager of the Year. Curtis Pieske was honored as Instrument Sales Person of the Year, and Linda Glover was given the President's Award for community and civic achievements.

Walman Optical recently honored several individuals and facilities. X-Cel Contacts division winners (l to r) Vicki Rippe, Mark Farmer, X-Cel vice president Mark Parker, Minnie Lavender, and Linda Glover; and Ophthalmic division winners (l to r) Kimberly Reese, Jan Laufer, Steve York, Sharon Simon, Margie Roehm, and Ophthalmic vice president John Anderson

PPG Industries announced several personnel changes. Pheeraphon Prasertphol is optical monomers and coatings account manager for South-east Asia, Robin Snyder is marketing manager for optical monomers, and John Liebenguth is director of sales and marketing for optical monomers.

BUSINESS UPDATES

Essilor of America's Gentex Optics site, located in Carbondale, Pa., has received ISO 14001:1996 certification for its Environmental Management Program. The certification includes all aspects of its EMS system, from receipt of raw material to waste disposal, as well as systems to measure performance and regular management review of site performance. Gentex supplies high performance polycarbonate eyewear, including Rx lenses, sunwear, and military protective products.

First Insight, a leading provider of practice management and electronic medical records software solutions, and VisionWeb have agreed to integrate VisionWeb's product ordering capabilities into First Insight's maximEyes practice management software. This will allow ECPs using maximEyes to place eyecare product orders from within their practice management environment.

SAVE THE DATE

(Eschenbach's "Low Vision Care—What's It All About?" workshop is touring the U.S. and Canada this year, with seminars in many major cities. For a complete list of locations and dates, call 800-487-5389 or visit www.eschenbach.com.

(Lighthouse International is offering the course, Comprehensive Clinical Low Vision Care on June 14 to 16 and Sept. 27 to 29 in New York City. The three-day course on evaluating and prescribing for patients with low vision for the MD and OD costs $695 and qualifies for COPE and CME credit. Contact Cathy Czeto at 212-821-9487, E-mail cczeto@lighthouse.org, or visit www.lighthouse.org/ce.

(Take advantage of an opportunity to build new business in the Asian markets at the 18th International Optical Fair Tokyo (IOFT 2005) being held Oct. 12 to 14 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. To learn more, call 81-3-3349-8508, E-mail ioft-eng@reedexpo.co.jp, or visit www.ioft.jp/english.

The Opticians Association of America has announced that the 2005 National Opticians' Convention will be held Oct. 20 to 23 in New Orleans and will host several continuing education tracks, including ABO-, NCLE-, and JCAHPO-approved credit courses, management seminars, and industry exhibits. For more information, call OAA at 800-433-8997.