Darryl Shaw
Preserve Vision Florida (PVF), the state’s premier nonprofit committed to vision screenings and eye health education, has selected Darryl Shaw as the recipient of its 2027 Person of Vision Award. The award will be presented to Mr. Shaw, the 60th honoree, at the Person of Vision Award Dinner, Wednesday evening, February 3, 2027 at the Hilton Tampa Downtown, when PVF will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Stay tuned for further details, to be announced soon.
A driving force behind the Ybor City historic district revitalization, Shaw perfectly embodies the values and impact the Person of Vision Award was created to recognize. “When considering who we might honor at this signature event, Darryl’s name was top of mind, given the vision he has created for Ybor City and the considerable work done, underway and forthcoming to fulfill that vision,” said PVF Board Chair Kevin Bakewell.
Held annually since 1979, the Person of Vision Dinner honors an individual who has had a profound impact on the Tampa Bay Region or the State of Florida through true community leadership and vision. Honorees over the past decade have included Drs. John Smith, Jr. and Juel Shannon Smith, Richard Gonzmart and Andrea Gonzmart Williams, Mayors Jane Castor and Bob Buckhorn, H. Lee Moffitt, Joe Lopano, Jeff and Penny Vinik, and Betty and Kathy Castor.
“The goal of the Person of Vision Dinner is to create a memorable evening, thoughtfully designed to reflect the recipient’s unique contributions and stories told through toasts by those who can best speak to the honoree’s visionary impact and character,” said PVF president and CEO Joanne Olvera Lighter.
“We are grateful that Darryl is providing us with this opportunity during which we can also raise needed funds, of which 100 percent go back into the community in support of vision screenings and medical eye care. The need is great, with one in three children entering school with vision loss, 75 percent of adults needing some type of vision correction, and senior concerns including falls, social isolation and depression.”
Darryl has a passion for seeing the Ybor City historic district revitalize into one of America’s great neighborhoods. He is the driving force behind Ybor City’s Gas Worx development – a five-million-square-feet mixed-use project that will link downtown Tampa, the Channel District and the Latin Quarter.
Born in South Africa, Darryl is a graduate of Brown University with a degree in international commerce. He also has an MBA in both finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and he is a retired Certified Public Accountant.
Founded by Mildred Baynard of St. Petersburg in 1957, Preserve Vision Florida (PVF) is a statewide 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to promote healthy vision through screenings, education, advocacy and assistance in obtaining medical eye care. In the coming year, PVF will screen more than 25,000 children, adults and seniors through 800 community screening events.
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