ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) has announced the Essilor IDD Technical Support Team as the recipient of the 2011 OLA Directors’ Choice Award.

“I know that independent labs rely heavily on these folks,” affirmed Jon Jacobs, OLA president. “They are known to stay ‘in the trenches’, acting as an extension of a company’s in-house lab team to make sure their systems are operating the way they should be. We are pleased to honor the service and dedication that this team has provided to independent labs.”

The IDD Technical Support Team's activities include lab re-engineering, trouble shooting, training and technology transfer. The Team has a roster of well-recognized names in the lab business, and including Dave Cuffe, KC Haffey, John Leasure, Randy McFadden, Dave Rick and Joe Vitale. Former members include Scott Pennock, J.R. Smith and Doug Smith.

OLA first established the Directors’ Choice Award in 1987 to honor individuals, companies or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the ophthalmic industry. Twenty-five years later, the award is still recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in the industry.

The Directors’ Choice Award will be presented to the Essilor IDD Technical Support Team at the Hall of Fame banquet on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011 during The OLA Annual Meeting and International Vision Expo West in Las Vegas. Hall of Fame banquet tickets are available to anyone attending the Annual Meeting or Vision Expo West. Request tickets from OLA by downloading a copy of the official registration form at www.ola-labs.org/OLA2011.