2020 Annual Report

Remembering Barbara Saltzman, 1938-2020

Earlier this year, the SUNY College of Optometry community mourned the untimely passing of President of the Optometric Center of New York (OCNY) board of trustees, Barbara Saltzman, who devoted her entire career to the health care industry as well as the majority of her retirement. She had a passion for vision-related causes, serving on several nonprofit boards, including the OCNY, the College's affiliated foundation. Barbara joined the OCNY in 2009 and became president of the board in 2015. “Over the past 10 years, I had the good fortune to spend significant time with Barbara and greatly admired her commitment to the Optometric Center of New York and the College. She was generous, passionate, and a great advocate for the work that we do in eye and vision care. Barbara will be deeply missed by her friends on the board and at the College.” —Dr. David A. Heath, President, SUNY College of Optometry During her tenure, the OCNY successfully conducted the Our Vision for Children Campaign, established a greater number of scholarships for students, and increased support among board members. She set the example for others by giving one of the largest gifts in the OCNY’s history for the new Center for Pediatric Eye Care, named in her honor. Barbara was a dedicated and generous philanthropist who motivated those around her to care deeply about providing eye care to underserved individuals, and took a personal interest in nurturing young women with leadership potential.

“I only had a short time to get to know Barbara, but from the moment we met we knew that we would be friends and partners in advancing the OCNY mission. We are eternally grateful for Barbara’s leadership and support; she will continue to be a strong presence in the work we do.” —Dawn Rigney, Executive Director for the Optometric Center of New York

Thank you to CooperVision for their recent gift of $30,000 to name the Myopia Management Exam and Equipment Room located on the 10th floor of the College facility.

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