Our People

Pamela Anderson, Esq.

Chair

Pamela Anderson has been a BostonSight Board member since 2014, serving as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee, and various CEO search committees. She is particularly interested in the long-term financial strength and stability of the organization, the development of its commercial scleral lens product, and the charitable arm of BostonSight, which supports patient care and research. Since the beginning of her tenure at BostonSight, she has been highly impressed with the dedication of the staff to their patients and the organization’s research program. Recent hires have only strengthened BostonSight’s ability to offer more in these areas.

Pam was a Director at Power & Hall PC and Of Counsel at Clarkin & Phillips LLC, specializing in business, finance, venture capital, and real estate where she represented public and closely held businesses for more than 40 years. She is now semi-retired, working exclusively for several long-time clients with international operations and philanthropic entities.

Pam has served as a Director or Chair on many other Boards. Well before learning about BostonSight and its extraordinary services, she understood the necessity of preserving vision for people in our global community, where loss of sight can end life’s opportunities. For decades, Pam has been involved in several organizations that have established free eye care hospitals and smaller mobile eye units, as well as free educational and literacy opportunities, throughout Pakistan. Locally, one of her favorite charities is Camp Jabberwocky on Martha’s Vineyard, which offers children and adults with a wide range of disabilities the individual support necessary to enjoy a summer camp experience.

Pam received her JD from Boston College Law School and a BA in English/Political Science from Tufts University.

Pam is active in community work. She has spent hours doing conservation work and town zoning throughout Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard. She also travels extensively worldwide and enjoys meeting people from different cultures. When home, she is outdoors with her rescue ‘puppy’ hiking and gardening, and occasionally skis and sails with her family.

Sara Yost, MBA

President and CEO

As President and CEO of BostonSight, Sara Yost leads a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to the organization’s mission to restore vision and improve the quality of life of people suffering from corneal and ocular surface disease.

Before transitioning to CEO, Sara held the role of Chief Financial Officer at BostonSight, where she helped to launch BostonSight SCLERAL, the organizations’ first commercial scleral lens product. She was also instrumental in the development of BostonSight’s proprietary FitConnect® software, translating practitioner needs to the software and lab team.

Sara believes strongly in promoting education and collaborating with the eye care community. She was appointed to the GP Lens Institute (GPLI) Board of Directors in 2020, where she reinforces industry leadership in practitioner education and the development of practice-building resources for eye care practitioners in the use of specialty lenses. The contributions of BostonSight’s medical professionals through research and publications have resulted in the organization becoming the #1 contributor to scleral peer-reviewed publication in the United States and #2 worldwide

Sara earned her B.S. in Health Management and Policy from the University of New Hampshire where she was the Hamilton S. Putnam Merit Award recipient from The New Hampshire Medical Society, based on academic achievement in the College of Health and Human Services. She earned her MBA, High Distinction, from Bentley University.

Melissa Albonesi, MBA

Director

Melissa Albonesi brings nearly three decades of experience in the financial services industry, with deep expertise in business development, client engagement, relationship management, and portfolio management. Most recently, she held business development roles at First Citizens Wealth and PNC Institutional Asset Management. She also held senior positions at Russell Investments and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA).

At Russell Investments, Melissa served as a Regional Director for institutional sales, partnering strategically with client and retirement advisory committees, treasurers, and CFOs. Prior to Russell, she spent 19 years at State Street Global Advisors, where she held a range of leadership roles across portfolio management, relationship management, and business development. In her most recent role at SSGA, she served as Head of Client Engagement, leading the Americas Client Service Team.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Political Science from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. She also holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 licenses.

Ramam Atmakuri, MSc, PMP

Director

Mr. Atmakuri is currently the Executive Vice Chair Emeritus at LV Prasad Eye Institute in India and served earlier as Executive Vice Chair, managing non-clinical operations across their network. He has also served as Vice President and head of global delivery centers in India for multinationals, led multidisciplinary teams across continents, successfully managed mergers and acquisitions, and delivered several multi-million-dollar transformation programs that resulted in business growth. Mr. Atmakuri’s passion for social impact brought him to LV Prasad Eye Institute and now to BostonSight’s Board. He holds a master’s degree in applied statistics, a diploma in operational research, is

Mr. Ramam Atmakuri

a Certified Quality Analyst, and PMP^® certification holder, and has won several awards for project management excellence and global leadership.

“Mr. Atmakuri brings strategic leadership in establishing partnerships and a global vision for healthcare in emerging markets, while Mr. Nash is experienced in introducing revolutionary technology that helps to improve customers’ lives,” said Sara Yost, President and CEO of BostonSight. “Their expertise will be invaluable as BostonSight expands and integrates advanced technologies to fuel research, innovation, and industry collaborations that drive the adoption of specialty lenses in the U.S., and worldwide.”

Donna Desmond

Director

Donna Desmond joined the BostonSight Board as a director and as chair of the Audit and Finance Committee in July 2023. She is a financial executive with a wealth of experience in change management, risk management, and business development. Donna is currently Chief Financial Officer at Roxbury Tenants of Harvard and was formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Old Colony YMCA, a nonprofit charitable organization operating in 31 communities throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and one of the largest YMCAs in the country by revenue.

Prior to her role at the YMCA, she was a lecturer at Bunker Hill Community College, a senior financial consultant at the WGBH Educational Foundation, and held senior financial roles at The Kensington Investment Company, Raytheon, and Ernst & Young. Donna also ran an accounting and financial consulting services firm for clients with revenues ranging from $60M to $500M.

Donna has an MBA from Simmons College School of Management in Boston and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University.

Marcus Hughes, Esq.

Director

Marcus Hughes is Associate General Counsel at UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester, MA. He serves as legal counsel to the UMass Memorial Health Care (UMMHC) System and its affiliates, with a primary focus on patient care matters. Prior to his role at UMass, Mr. Hughes was Attorney Fellow, Office of the General Counsel at Partners HealthCare in Boston, and Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston. Mr. Hughes began his legal career at Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston.

Mr. Hughes received his JD from Boston College Law School and his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College in Vermont where he was a Harry S. Truman Scholar Nominee and part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

He has spoken at events of the American and Boston Bar Associations on ethical behavior in the legal profession and operational challenges in responding to COVID-19, as well as written for the American Bar Association on COVID-19 and its impact on healthcare professional licensure and telehealth.

Michael Nash, MBA

Director

Mr. Nash, now a Customer Experience and Technology consultant and mentor, was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer at HP Inc. where he led all aspects of Customer Experience Strategy, Measurement and Culture. Also at HP, Mr. Nash served as Global Head of Portfolio Strategy and Chief Technologist for Personal Systems. Prior to HP, he was a Vice President in the Kindle business at Amazon.com, and he spent almost 19 years at Microsoft most recently as Corporate Vice President for Windows Product Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science with honors from the Cornell University College of Engineering and an MBA with distinction from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar. Mr. Nash brings a unique perspective to the board as a BostonSight PROSE^® patient for nearly 23 years.

Howard Purcell, OD

Director

Dr. Howard Purcell is President of the New England College of Optometry (NECO). Prior to his appointment, Dr. Purcell served as the Senior Vice President, Customer Development for Essilor of America. Prior to joining Essilor he spent 13 years as Senior Director of Professional Affairs for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.

Dr. Purcell is a second-generation graduate of NECO, Class of 1984, and has long been involved in the school through presenting continuing education, supporting student development, and serving on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Purcell began his optometric career by participating in a group optometric practice for eleven years with his father, NECO alumnus Saul Purcell, OD ’54, in Miami Beach, FL.

Beginning in June 1991, Dr. Purcell joined the faculty of Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. During his career at the college, he was a principal in the development of the Department of Cornea and Contact Lenses. As Associate Professor, Dr. Purcell was responsible for both the didactic and clinical components of the program. He later reached the rank of Deputy Dean of the college.

Dr. Purcell is a Diplomate in the Cornea and Contact Lens Section of the American Academy of Optometry. His energetic and enthusiastic style has made Dr. Purcell a popular lecturer internationally. Purcell’s unique philosophies and practices have often attracted the media to focus attention on current optometric issues and research in the industry.

Ron Remy, MBA

Director

Ron Remy is Chief Executive Officer at Mobile Heartbeat, a software company that improves clinical collaboration by connecting patients’ care teams through a single, unified platform.

Ron joined the BostonSight Board in 2021 to support BostonSight’s mission to elevate the standard of patient care through technology. He believes that BostonSight’s commitment to innovation, particularly in preventing loss of sight via software technology, is an ambitious goal that has worldwide impact.

Ron has more than 20 years of technology management and leadership experience. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Auspice Corporation, a developer of software for the broadband cable industry, acquired by Arris.

Ron’s previous leadership positions include Chief Operating Officer of Modiv Media and BioMed 20/20 Technologies. Ron began his career as a systems engineer for Sun Microsystems. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Clifford Scott, OD, MPH

Director

Dr. Clifford “Scotty” Scott, retired as President of the New England College of Optometry in 2018 after a 50-year career in optometry. He continues to remain active as a consultant and as a board member of BostonSight and one other charitable eye care organization.

He joined the BostonSight board knowing that PROSE treatment is a unique medical device with the potential to have a tremendous impact in providing enhanced vision and relief from pain. His vision science background and connections in the eye care field help provide guidance to BostonSight as it seeks to find new uses and expand its network of eye care providers.

Dr. Scott has over 30 years of clinical experience in hospital-based optometry. Immediately upon graduation, he enlisted as an Air Force optometrist. Later, as the chief optometrist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Roxbury, MA, his responsibilities included supervising all residents and students in the Optometry section of the hospital and providing direct eye care to patients. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to eye disease and is an experienced clinical researcher.

He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Massachusetts College of Optometry and his Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University, concentrating on Health Policy and Management.

Dr. Scott is a Massachusetts native, has been married for 52 years to Dr. Mary Scott, also a retired optometrist. They have two children and four grandchildren. He is an avid handball player, a competitive rower, and enjoys tending his lobster pots near their summer home in Onset, MA.