Board Profiles

Jerre Minor Freeman, M.D.
Founder

Dr. Jerre M. Freeman, a lifelong Memphian, has been in private practice since 1968, specializing in cataract surgery, intraocular lens implant surgery, Laser Vision Correction Surgery and other surgical procedures. He is the designer of several lens implants and the Punctum Plug, a surgical insert to help dry eyes. Before receiving his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee Medical School, Dr. Freeman received his engineering training from Auburn University and served as a pilot with the U.S. Navy.

He had two fellowships with Harvard Medical School and trained in intraocular lens implantation in the Netherlands. Dr. Freeman, a world renowned surgeon, founded the Memphis Eye and Cataract Associates. Dr. Freeman is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee, Memphis.

In 1978 Dr. Freeman founded the World Cataract Foundation and remains a driving force in the vision and growth of the WCF. He has performed free surgery for the poor in many countries, including Zaire, Pakistan, Mexico, Kenya, China, Egypt, Holland, England, and Russia.

LoriHudson
Executive Director

Lori Hudson has been involved in the World Cataract Foundation since 1996 when she accompanied a medical team to Ometepec, Mexico. After seeing sight restored to people blinded by cataract, Lori returned home excited and motivated to work with the WCF to reach many more people blinded by cataract.

Lori became Program Director in December of 1998. Since joining the WCF, she has organized ten mission trips to Ometepec, Mexico. In addition to organizing the Mexico trips, she works with ophthalmologists to coordinate their efforts to join larger medical mission teams to other third world countries such as Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Lori's other responsibilities include overseeing the Medical Personnel Exchange Program, organizing the monthly board meetings, and office management. The World Cataract Foundation Board of Directors named Lori Executive Director in May 2004.

Lori graduated from Memphis State University with a B.S. in Education. Lori and her husband, Jeff, have three children.

Raleigh Crawford
President

Raleigh Crawford is a partner in McVean Trading and Investments, a Memphis based investment firm specializing in managed futures accounts. His interest in the WCF evolved through his friendship and association with Dr. Jerre Freeman and his sincere belief in the work that the WCF is doing worldwide to help eradicate cataract blindness. 

Raleigh earned a B.A. degree from the University of Virginia and after graduation joined the military and served as a Special Agent in Military Intelligence in Europe. Upon returning to Memphis in 1972, Raleigh began his corporate career as a research analyst with Morgan Keegan & Company, following agricultural stocks. In 1978 he joined a division of Conwood Corporation in Memphis as Vice President of Corporate Development with the responsibility of overseeing growth and expansion. In 1986 when the opportunity to become a part of a small but rapidly growing company presented itself, Raleigh joined McVean Trading where his experience in investments and agriculture could be fully utilized. For the last 18 years Raleigh has dealt with high net worth individuals and institutions advising them on the appropriate allocation of their investment assets in the futures markets.

Wallace Bruce
Vice President

Wallace Bruce joined the World Cataract Foundation Board of Directors in .Wallace brings his extensive international business experience to the World Cataract Foundation.

Business:
Present:
Sterling Equities, Inc., Memphis, TN - Partner Prior:
Bradford Soap Works, Chester, UK – Managing Director, International Operations
Marietta-American Corp. Olive Branch, MS – Vice President & General Manager
Valley Products Co, Memphis, TN – President
Buckeye Cellulose Corp., Memphis, TN – Sales Manager

Other Professional and Civic:
Cadence Bank, Advisory Board
First City National Bank, former Director & Chair of Executive Committee
First Commercial Bank, former Director
University of Memphis, College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board
MIFA, MIFA Foundation, former Chair, Board of Directors
Rotary International, former Director, Treasurer, Downtown Memphis Club
World Cataract Foundation, Advisory Board
Society of St. Andrew, National Advisory Board, Director
Idlewild Presbyterian Church, Elder, Deacon, Trustee, former Clerk of Session

Education:
Georgia Tech, Bachelor of Industrial Engineering

Personal:
Wallace has been married to Olivia for 45 years. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

John Van Dyck, M.D.
Secretary

David Cuicchi
Treasurer

David Cuicchi has served the World Cataract Foundation as Treasurer for five years, but the firm he heads has donated accounting and tax services to the WCF for over a decade. David believes that eyesight is one of our most precious gifts. Because of his involvement with the WCF, he became aware of the prevalence of cataract blindness worldwide and welcomed the opportunity to become more involved to further the WCF's mission to restore normal vision.

A native of the Mississippi Delta, David earned accounting and law degrees at Ole Miss, where he met his wife Leslie. Upon graduation, he joined the Arthur Andersen office in Memphis and later served as Tax Manager of a local investment company. In 1982 he joined Cannon & Company CPAs and was named Managing Director in 1993. David and Leslie have two children, Brandon and Natalie, both of whom are in college.

Pat Beech
Director

Hometown:
St. Louis, Missouri

Education:
B.A. Fontbonne College, St. Louis, MO.
M.Ed. Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

Business:
Arlena Enos, Realtors, Owner / Broker

Member:
Memphis Area Association of Realtors, President 2000
Memphis Area Association of Realtors Educational Foundation, President 1996
Multi-Million Dollar Club, Life Member
Women's Council of Realtors, President 1997
Tennessee Association of Realtors, Director
National Association of Realtors, Director 2000

Awards and Honors:
Memphis Area Association of Realtors Presidential Award 1992 and 1991
Women's Council Member of the Year 1998
Memphis Area Association of Realtors Realtor of the Year 2001

Designations:
Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Leadership Training Graduate (LTG)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)

Community Involvement:
World Cataract Foundation, Director
Church of the Holy Communion, Member and former vestry member

Personal:
Married, three grown children, one grandchild

Anne Freeman
Director

Anne Freeman's passions are church, family and community, community being defined as those areas of the world from next door to distant parts of the world. Holding a master's degree in history and in social work, she is fascinated by how different cultures are formed and by individuals and groups working together to build better communities, especially across boundaries.

Through the years, Anne has taught at the Hutchison School and the University of Memphis. Active in her church, Idlewild Presbyterian, she has taught Bible studies for 35 years and is currently serving as an elder. Her passion for teaching young people, led her to volunteer teaching in a Logos program for her grandchildren at Germantown Presbyterian.

She was on the Central Garden Area Foundation Board for a couple of terms. Anne has served as president of several local boards: Board of Parents for Central, Memphis Council for International Visitors, U.S. China Friendship Association, Arts and Sciences Board of the University of Memphis, Social Work Alumni Board of UT and of TNT- Women’s Investment Club. She is a member of the Memphis Rotary Club, where she is a Rotary Reader, and currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Memphis, is a Trustee of the Foundation of the University of Memphis, serves on the Board of Trezevant Episcopal Home, and on the Board of the Med Foundation. Currently, she directs the after school tutoring program for Whitehaven High School for the Greater Whitehaven Foundation.

Thomas C. Gettelfinger, M.D.
Director

Co-Founder of Memphis Eye and Cataract Associates (MECA), Dr. Tom Gettelfinger is an honors graduate from the University of Notre Dame and received his M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School. He has served as a national committee member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, has received its National Honor Award, as well as the Good Samaritan Award for his international volunteerism.

He founded the Tennessee Ophthalmic Personnel Society, an organization active in training ophthalmic assistants, has served as President of the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology, and is currently on the TeleMedicine Advisory Board for Project ORBIS. Dr. Gettelfinger is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He has been active in teaching and training in Ophthalmology programs in developing countries, including Afghanistan, India, Mexico, Zaire, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mynmar.

He is an avid photographer, and espouses an interest in Tango dancing.

Albert W. Morris, M.D.
Director

Dr. Morris, a Memphis radiologist, was recently elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Medical Association.  The NMA is the collective voice of the more than 25,000African American physicians in the United States and around the world. He previously served as President of the Bluff City Medical Society, the local NMA affiliate.  During his tenure as President, Bluff City Medical Society was selected as the National Medical Association’s “Chapter of the Year” award for outstanding programming, community involvement, and physician recruitment. In 2000, Dr. Morris organized and chaired the Task Force on Environmental Health and Bioterrorism of the NMA, developing protocols for physicians and patients in the advent of a bioterroism attack.  He has been a member of the World Cataract Foundation Board since 1998.

Diana Threadgill

Director

Diana brings her advertising and public relations skills to the World Cataract Foundation. Currently the Director of Development for Girls Incorporated of Memphis, Diana has extensive experience in business development, media presentations and fundraising. Her BFA degree from the University of Memphis and her continued involvement in the arts enhance the aesthetic dimension of the WCF's public appeal. Because of her own cataract surgery at an early age, Diana appreciates in a personal way the WCF's work in helping the world to see. She and her husband John have two children.

Janice Vanderhaar
Director

Janice Vanderhaar has served on the World Cataract Foundation Board since 1996 and has lived in Memphis since 1970. Professionally an educator and social worker, she has a master's degree in religious studies from Mundelein College in Chicago. She worked in emergency services with the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) for sixteen years, and shares her social work experience as a member of the Adult Protective Services Multidisciplinary Team. She serves on the board of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. She is actively involved in Pax Christi, the International Catholic Peace Movement, as well as the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center. She has traveled on peace missions to Russia, Ukraine, Philippines, Japan, Israel, and throughout Europe. She has participated in World Cataract Foundation missions to China, and twice to Mexico

Walker L. Wellford, III
Director

As a long-time friend of Dr. Jerre Freeman, Walker has been familiar with the work of the World Cataract Foundation for many years. A native of Memphis and a graduate of Rhodes College, he is a career agent with the Mass Mutual Financial Group. In 1986 Walker received his CLU designation, and is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Roundtable. During his business career he has served voluntarily in leadership roles with many organizations, including the Memphis Red Cross, Sales and Marketing Executives, Society of Financial Service Professionals, and the Kiwannis Club. In September of 2003 he was named "Kiwannian of the Year."

Remaining World Cataract Foundation Board Members

Olivia Bruce

Noble Crigler

Larry Jackson, CPA

Matthew Wesson, M.D.

Remaining World Cataract FoundationAdvisory Directors

Pan Awsumb

William T. Harrell

William C. Johns, DPh

K. C. Lam

Lawrence Madlock, MD

Frank Stockdale Carney

Toby Redshaw

International Advisory Board Members

Alfredo Amigo, M.D.
Tenerife, Spain

Gary Jerkins, M.D.
Ukraine

Mounir Khalifa, M.D.
Tanta, Egypt

Meng Yongan, M.D.
Xi'an, China

Ariel Ramirez, M.D.
Acapulco, Mexico

Juan Carlos Carrera Sanchez, M.D.
Mexico City, Mexico

Shi Yu Ying, M.D.
Beijing, China

Satish Mehra, PhD