It is my great pleasure to introduce Shared Vision, our new newsletter for friends and donors of Lighthouse International. The name reflects our commitment to working collaboratively with you, our partners in vision health -- locally, nationally and internationally -- toward a shared goal: a future without vision impairment.
I am also delighted to introduce myself as Lighthouse International's new President and CEO. I'm honored to have joined this wonderful organization, which has such a rich history, at such an exciting time in vision health care.
My career in the non-profit and health care fields includes 25 years in senior management positions at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (SVCMC) of New York, where I served as Chief Administrative Officer, as well as President of the SVCMC Foundation.
I want to thank our readers for your support, which enables us to move ahead in our mission of fighting vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowerment. With 61 million Americans at high risk of serious vision loss -- and countless millions more worldwide -- we are facing a vision loss epidemic. As we respond to this public health challenge, we look forward to keeping you abreast of initiatives designed to make inroads in eliminating the causes of preventable vision loss.
In this inaugural issue of Shared Vision, you will read about many facets of our work on behalf of people of all ages at risk for, or living with, vision loss. Please accept my sincere thanks for helping to make it possible.
Mark G. Ackermann
President and CEO
