The Perfect Fit

The Alabama Eye Bank recently named a new president and chief executive officer. Trussville resident Alan Blake, who has worked with the non-profit for almost 15 years, took the helm on Oct. 1, after Doyce Williams retired after 38 years of service.

The Eye Bank provides services for corneal tissue donations around Alabama.  

During his senior year at Berry College, Blake was working on a double major in athletic training and exercise science. When the school did away with both majors, he transferred to Birmingham Southern College and changed his major to biology. Before he was set to graduate, Blake said he knew he needed to start looking for a job. 

“At that time, a technical director came and spoke to our class and said if anyone was interested in science, there was a great opportunity at the eye bank. That’s how I ended up there,” Blake said. 

Blake began his career at the Alabama Eye Bank after graduating from Birmingham-Southern in 2001. Once there, he learned the ropes and fell in love with it. He became passionate about working with science and helping people restore their sight, saying it was “the perfect fit.”

After six months, he and his wife, Amber, decided to move to Chicago to be closer to her family. While there, Alan Blake worked at the Illinois Eye Bank for two and a half years before the couple moved back to Alabama in 2004 and he returned to the Alabama Eye Bank. 

He worked as chief technical officer before being promoted to executive director. In his latest role, Blake oversaw operations on the clinical side, facilitated donations and oversaw the safety and coordination of tissue placement. In his new position, Blake’s duties will evolve. 

“Even though it is still clinical, it’s also more administrative with all the things that come with that, in [the] sense of boards and meeting with people,” he said. 

So how exactly does the Alabama Eye Bank work? Blake said they are basically the keepers and distributors of donated gifts. 

“When people sign up to be organ donors, we get the eye tissue that’s donated and get it ready to transplant to help get people their sight back,” Blake said. “When someone passes away, we are notified and given the opportunity to see if they want to donate. We then recover the cornea [the clear front part of the eye] and coordinate with the ophthalmologists performing the corneal transplants. We are the stewards for the gift until it finds a home.”

The tissue has to be evaluated before it is cleared for transplant and must meet regulations from the Eye Bank Association of America and the FDA. What’s different about corneal transplants compared to transplant of other organs is that since the cornea doesn’t contain blood, it doesn’t have to be a match for someone to receive it.

The Alabama Eye Bank was created in the 1960s out of regional eye donation programs and has grown to be one of the top 10 eye banks in the U.S. for more than 20 years in tissue placed for transplant. The nonprofit has more than 50 employees, with its headquarters in Birmingham and three regional offices in Mobile, Huntsville and Montgomery. 

As Blake evolves into his new role, former President Doyce Williams will continue serving as a special advisor to the eye bank for two years. Blake described Williams as a great friend and mentor and said he has made the eye bank what it is today. 

“Doyce has 40 years of relationships in the eye community, which obviously can’t be replaced,” Blake said. “He is an invaluable resource to be able to have during this time of transition. We will leverage his knowledge along with the experience and relationships he has formed over the years.”

Blake makes his commute to the Alabama Eye Bank from Trussville each day. He and his family moved there from Hoover three years ago. His five children range from age 5 to 15 and some attend Trussville City Schools. His wife is PTO president at Paine Elementary School and homeschools their older children. 

“The draw for us to move there was community,” Blake said. “When we visited, we just loved how friendly and helpful everyone was, and we’ve experienced that ever since we’ve lived there. Trussville has everything we need and provides a homier feel than where we were.” 

As for his new role, Blake said he is excited about the challenges that lie ahead and plans to grow an already great organization into something more.

“I look forward to creatively trying to solve new challenges while maintaining the excellence and level of quality that everyone has come to know us for,” Blake said. “The most exciting thing is that every day you know you gave people their sight back and that people will be able to see again because of your efforts.”