 In 1985, he became a vice president at The Franklin Mint, then joined Lenox in 1987 as president of Lenox Collections.In 1995, Stearns was named president and chief executive officer of Lenox, Inc., overseeing three divisions, six manufacturing facilities, 4,000 employees, and $500 million in annual sales.He left Lenox when in June 1998 he became president of World Vision.