Sharon Colle, President & CEO, The Foundation Fighting Blindness
At its Annual Roundtable Meeting on April 18, 2013, Sharon Colle, Chief Executive Officer of The Foundation Fighting Blindness, was presented with HCCC's 2013 Award of Distinction - Outstanding Employee/Volunteer by Yves Savoie, Chair of the Coalition’s Governing Council.
HCCC’s Selection Committee considered a range of criteria in awarding it to an exceptional current or former employee or volunteer of a member organization who has provided leadership, service and/or outstanding support to the charitable health sector.
Sharon joined The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) in July 1992. She has grown the organization into a multi-million dollar private funding agency for vision research, the largest in Canada.
Sharon has been instrumental in cementing alliances and partnerships with government agencies such as the CIHR and with other organizations aligned with the cause of the FFB to promote vision research. She has encouraged and empowered the FFB to nurture the Canadian vision research community.
Sharon’s active participation in and guidance to other not-for-profit organizations are testaments to her unwavering commitment to the cause of vision research. Sharon has served the following organizations in various capacities:
- Research Management Committee, Stem Cell Network
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute Advisory Board, Institute of Genetics (Board Member)
- Retina International (Vice President, Canada)
- National Coalition for Vision Health (Founding Member)
Sharon has been instrumental in developing new signature FFB fundraising events – the Cycle for Sight, Comic Vision, and a Major Gifts Campaign.
Sharon lives in Toronto with her husband Mike. They have four children.
Sharon is most certainly a role model and the members of HCCC thank her for her exceptional contributions to the charitable health sector.