BrightFocus Foundation Announces Appointment of Two New Board Members

CLARKSBURG, Md. (March 3, 2025) — BrightFocus Foundation, a leading nonprofit funder of innovative research to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, has appointed two distinguished leaders to its board of directors: John S. Penn, PhD, a renowned vision scientist and professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Dale Young, chairman and CEO of Summit Financial Group.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Penn and Mr. Young to the BrightFocus board of directors,” said President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. “Their deep expertise in research and strategic leadership will help drive our mission forward as we continue to support groundbreaking scientific discoveries to protect mind and sight.”

John S. Penn, PhD

Dr. John Penn is the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Endowed Director of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. A leader in the field of retinal disease research, Dr. Penn has been continuously funded as a principal investigator by the National Eye Institute of the NIH since 1984. His distinguished career includes serving on the governing boards of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the International Society for Eye Research, as well as scientific advisory panels for multiple vision research organizations, including previous service to BrightFocus as a member of its Macular Degeneration Research Scientific Review Committee.

With nearly 150 original scientific publications and a legacy of mentorship, Dr. Penn has made significant contributions to the eye research community.

“I’ve dedicated my professional life to understanding blinding eye diseases and developing effective treatments to address them,” Dr. Penn said. “I am honored by the invitation to serve on the BrightFocus board and look forward with excitement to helping BrightFocus address its mission and achieve its goals.”

Dale Young

Dale Young is chairman and CEO of Summit Financial Group, a national leader in risk management, employee benefits, insurance, and investments. Under his leadership, Summit has grown to encompass more than 30 professional entities across the country. Young also serves as chairman of the Texas Business Leadership Council and is a member of the Pension Committee for Methodist Health Systems of Dallas. His extensive board service includes leadership roles with the Texas Association of Business and Texas Can Academy.

“I am excited about the research and positive contributions that BrightFocus is making in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and vision loss. As a business leader, my goal is to share the important work of BrightFocus and leverage my sphere of relationships so that we can make an even greater impact,” he said.

Media Contact

Julia Roth
BrightFocus Foundation
jroth@brightfocus.org
301-556-9382