Premier Eye Care CEO Lorna Taylor Given Leadership Award

CLEARWATER, FL — Lorna Taylor, CEO and president of Premier Eye Care, received the prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr. Leadership Award for Diversity in Business from the Pinellas County Urban League Feb. 21. The award, named for a leading civil rights advocate, honors those who work for diversity and inclusion.

Gina Burkett, head of school of Academy Prep, received the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Leadership Award for Diversity in Education. Carole Alexander, executive director of Next STEPP Pregnancy Center, was presented the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Leadership Award for Diversity in Community Activism.

Premier, a national expert in managed eye care, has ranked as one of “Florida’s Best Companies to Work For” by Florida Trend magazine for seven years in a row. Taylor leads a work culture built on the understanding that the more diverse the team, from entry level to senior leadership, the stronger and more innovative the team. Also, Premier plays close attention to pay equity across the company, weighing factors such as gender, race, generation and ethnicity.

“Many corporate leaders talk, however Lorna has successfully implemented social initiatives for nearly three decades in the corporate world,” said Rev. Watson Haynes, President and CEO of Pinellas County Urban League.

A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Taylor has a master’s degree in Divinity, concentrating on Social Ethics. She currently serves as president of the Athena Society, which works for women’s equality and career advancement.

Taylor has board positions with The Dalí Museum, Preserve Vision Florida, University of Tampa Board of Trustees, Arts Conservatory for Teens, Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts, and The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg.

Taylor received the award at the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Empowerment luncheon, which is the Pinellas County Urban League's premier event during Black History Month. Reflecting the Urban League's mission to obtain equality for all, the luncheon celebrates the achievements of those within the community and abroad who strive to create an equal opportunity environment for everyone.

The Pinellas County Urban League focuses on four key areas: education, workforce development, financial empowerment and health. It provides programs in those areas to help close the achievement gap for families throughout the Tampa Bay area.