Ted Hartley Appointed Chairman of ORBIS International Board of Directors

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ORBIS International is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Hartley as the new Chairman of its International Board of Directors.

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Mr. Hartley has been an active member of the ORBIS International Board of Directors since 2010.

Mr. Hartley attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's school in Minnesota and won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, after which he served as a carrier-based fighter pilot. Following his naval career, Mr. Hartley worked as an investment banker and later as an actor/producer in Hollywood. He now serves as CEO of RKO.

"I have had the privilege of working closely with Ted since I became President and CEO of ORBIS International. Ted is a dedicated supporter of ORBIS and a very successful and experienced businessman who brings great wisdom and energy to our great charity," says Jenny Hourihan.

Mr. Hartley succeeds Dr. Robert F. Walters who has served as Chairman of ORBIS International's Board of Directors since July of 2010. Dr. Walters will continue to serve ORBIS by remaining on the Board of Directors and by serving as Chairman of ORBIS EMEA and ORBIS Africa. Through the past year with the leadership of Dr. Walters, over 20,000 doctors, nurses and other eye care professionals were trained, and over 4.5 million medical and optical treatments were provided to adults and children.

ORBIS International is also pleased to welcome two new members to their board, Sharon Weinstein and John Howitt. Sharon Weinstein is a Managing Director with Deloitte Corporate Finance (DCF) and leads DCF's Financial Institutions practice. John Howitt is a partner in the US Finance and Restructuring Group of Clifford Chance specializing in asset finance. James R. Parker, Executive Vice President, Air Operations, FedEx Express will continue on as Vice Chairman on the ORBIS International Board.

About ORBIS
ORBIS is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. ORBIS prevents and treats blindness through hands-on training, public health education, improved access to quality eye care, and partnerships with local health care organizations. By building their long-term capabilities, ORBIS helps its partner institutions take action to reach a state where they can provide, on their own, quality eye care services that are affordable, accessible, and sustainable. To learn more about ORBIS, please visit www.ORBIS.org.

SOURCE ORBIS International