OCNY Trustee Prospectus

Welcome from SUNY College of Optometry Foundation President

For more than 50 years, the SUNY College of Optometry Foundation has proudly supported eye and vision care for patients, provided forward-thinking education to optometrists, and advanced leading edge vision research. We envision a world where high quality eye and vision care provided by leaders in the field is accessible to all. To achieve this ambitious reality, we seek ways to work smarter, engage new partners, and share our story with a wider audience so that we may increase our impact. Our alignment with SUNY College of Optometry for the past fifty years has allowed us to carry out our mission with one of the top optometric education and research institutions in the country. We fully appreciate how competitive it is to capture the imagination of prospects and new trustees, to educate our donors, and to nurture these relationships for the ambitious and aspiring future we envision. The SUNY College of Optometry Foundation raises over $1 million per year to invest in key programs, initiatives, and patient care through SUNY College of Optometry. However, we see the need for even greater investment if we are to meet our ambitious goals. Over the past several years, we have successfully recruited new members to our Board of Trustees, each of whom bring unique experiences, talents, and skill sets to advance our mission. This is an unprecedented time to join our Board as we look to the future of eye care, optometric education, and vision research. Through these pages and conversations, we welcome you to learn more about the SUNY College of Optometry Foundation, to meet our dedicated Trustees and the College’s leadership, as well as to join us on impacting the future of eye care.

Originally founded as the Optometric Center of New York in 1956, the Foundation filled the gap after the closing of Columbia University’s Optometry program. Our leadership were some of the advocates that helped established SUNY College of Optometry in 1971.

Sincerely,

Dr. Richard Soden President Optometric Center of New York

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