Premier Eye Care CEO Lorna Taylor to Receive Ethics Award at UT Oct. 6

Lorna Taylor, president and CEO of Premier Eye Care, will receive the Tampa Bay Ethics Award from The University of Tampa Center for Ethics at a breakfast and ceremony on Friday, Oct. 6. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Vaughn Center Crescent Club on the UT campus, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Taylor is an accomplished leader, both in directing fast-growing Premier and in making impact in the community. Premier manages full-risk medical and routine ophthalmic care for more than 4 million people and is recognized for its industry-leading technology-based solutions, as well as its successful corporate culture. With commitments such as diversity at every level of leadership, paying a living wage and gender pay equity, Premier has a 4 percent turnover rate, significantly lower than the 21 percent industry average.

One of the top business leaders in Florida, Taylor was the winner in the Health & Wellness category of the 2013 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year awards, while also receiving Angie’s Award, given to the finalist who best exemplifies commitment to community service. The award reflected Premier Eye Care’s far-reaching community involvement, which ranges from supporting arts and culture to the prevention of domestic violence.

Personally, Taylor is involved in a wide variety of community and charitable causes. She serves on the board of trustees for The Dalí Museum, and on the Moffitt Medical Directors Board, Preserve Vision Florida, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Foundation, Arts Conservatory for Teens, and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts. She also serves on the UT Board of Trustees.

The UT Center for Ethics will honor Taylor at the 27th annual Business Ethics Breakfast. The center conducts many programs throughout the year that combine education and business services, and is supported by an advisory board of business and community leaders.

Former winners of the ethics award include former Florida governor Bob Martinez, Freddie Solomon, former Tampa mayor Pam Iorio, John Sykes, James Ferman Jr., Richard Gonzmart and Sam Ellison. Nominees for the award must live and work in the Tampa Bay area, and must demonstrate high ethical character in their everyday lives. They must promote and encourage ethics and integrity in the workplace or other organizations and exhibit respect, trustworthiness, caring, fairness and justice.

The event is free for UT students, faculty and staff. Individual tickets are $25, a table of eight is $150 and corporate sponsorships range from $750–$1,500. For more information or reservations, go to www.ut.edu/TampaBayEthicsAward or call the Center for Ethics coordinator, Jessica Luce, at (813) 257-3039.