Our Founders

VisionQuest 20/20 Founders and Board of Directors are deeply engaged in our organization's purpose to put an end to the unnecessary and avoidable suffering of children and families affected by vision disorders. Members of the VisionQuest 20/20 team are personally connected to our mission as each of us has been impacted directly or peripherally by a vision disorder.

Co-Founders James W. O'Neil, M.D and Richard Tirendi

James W. O'Neil, M.D.
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Dr. O'Neil is a board-certified pediatric ophthalmologist that has been treating childhood vision disorders for more than a decade. A highly-experienced surgeon trained in laser surgery for Retinopathy of Prematurity, a blinding condition of premature infants, Dr. O'Neil established the first Retinopathy of Prematurity telemedicine program in Arizona to provide remote eye examinations of premature infants via the Internet.

Having utilized computer and Internet technology for the treatment and diagnosis of childhood vision disorders, Dr. O'Neil recognized how similar technology could deliver an efficient and cost-effective vision screening program for school children. This solution addresses the lack of viable and accessible vision screenings offered to children and is the basis for the creation of VisionQuest 20/20.

Richard S. Tirendi

At age five, Mr. Tirendi awoke one morning to find that he had lost his vision due to a poisonous insect bite. While the condition was treatable and his vision was restored, he never forgot the fear and sadness he experienced, and so his passion is manifested in his commitment to VisionQuest 20/20.

Mr. Tirendi is a successful electrical and computer engineer with numerous patents in his field. Grateful for his gift of sight and compelled to find solutions to ensure that school children across the country are not impacted by preventable vision disorders, Mr. Tirendi is deeply invested along with his co-founder in the success of VisionQuest 20/20 and serves as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer.

Board of Directors

The members of our Board of Directors are advocates for eliminating preventable childhood blindness. Our team believes this growing public health issue can be resolved through VisionQuest 20/20's common sense solution. Through their collective talents and expertise, the Board of Directors will advance our mission to effectively oversee a nationwide vision health initiative

Randal Christensen, M.D. M.P.H.
Pediatrician: Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona; Founder/Owner - Informed Media, LLC; Medical Director of Camp AZDA; Medical Director of Crews'n Healthmobile; M.D., Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA; M.P.H., Tufts University School of Public Health; B.A. (Sociology), University of Arizona

Victor Flores
Director of Executive Projects and Support, APS Community Development

Scott Harelson
Media Relations Supervisor, SRP

Bradley Hartman, J.D.
Managing Partner, Hartman Law, PLC. Located in Scottsdale, Ariz., the firm provides legal services in the areas of intellectual property, commercial litigation, and general corporate matters

Joseph M. Miller, M.D.
Board-certified ophthalmologist: Professor of Ophthalmology, Optical Sciences Center and the College of Public Health at University of Arizona; fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology; member of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus

Dan Ortiz
CPA, licensed in the state of Arizona, is currently a consultant with DLC. He earned an MBA from Thunderbird-School of Global Management and a B.S. in Accountancy from Arizona State University

Alison J. Rapping
Experienced nonprofit executive, and previous Executive Director of VisionQuest 20/20

Former Board & Advisory Committee Members

David Cover, CPA
CEO, Chandler Regional Hospital

Richard Dozer
Former President, Arizona Diamondbacks

LeeAnn Elliot
Former Federal Elections Commissioner

Wanda Kolomyjec
Businesswoman / Entrepreneur

James Leiferman, M.D.
Peditrician

Nancy Neff
Director of Public Relations, Banner Health

Susan Proctor, RN, MPH, DNS
Ph.D. of Nursing Science: Nursing Faculty/Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Programs, Division of Nursing at California State University (retired, now part-time faculty); author several publications, including To See or Not To See: A Guide for the Vision Screening of Preschoolers, School-Age Children, and Adolescents in School and Community Settings

Elena West
Senior Vice President, Marketing - Robert Half International

Will Wright
Inventor of SIMS, Co-Founder of Maxis (now part of EA Games)