2004 OWA Pleiades Honoree

New York, NY — The Optical Women's Association, (OWA), has selected its 2004 Pleiades Award recipient as Dana Weeks. The Pleiades Award was created to honor one individual each year that has shown exceptional support of the OWA and of women in the optical industry.

A member of a third-generation wholesale laboratory family, Dana joined her Father, Duane Reese, in 1988 at Optical Services International, which he founded. Since that time, OSI has become the largest independent wholesale laboratory association in the US. She has been president of OSI since 1990. Currently she directs all facets of the group’s activities, including pursuing new business opportunities for OSI members and developing and implementing marketing and educational programs for both the dispenser and consumer. She works closely with OSI’s vendors on premium product development, marketing new products and negotiating contracts. Dana has represented OSI at numerous industry conferences and events and serves as the group’s liaison to other industry groups such as the Optical Laboratories Association and Vision Council of America. She was selected as one of the 50 most influential women in optical in 2003 by Jobson Publishing.

Prior to coming to OSI, Dana was a National Account Representative for 3M Company. She is a single Mother of one grown son.

The Award is named after the star cluster "The Pleiades" in the constellation of Taurus. "The Pleiades" is also known as the "Seven Sisters" - referring to the seven brightest stars in the cluster. According to Greek mythology, each star was named after the seven daughters of Atlas who were turned into stars by Zeus. Together these stars create one of the brightest clusters visible in the northern hemisphere, just as by working together, the women of the OWA have created an organization that is bigger and brighter than the sum of their individual efforts.

The event will be held March 21st, 2003 from 6:30-8:00pm at the Marchon Showroom at 8 West 40th Street, 21st Floor (between 5th/6th Ave) in New York City. The Award presentation will be held at 7:00pm. The event is open to all Vision Expo attendees.

The OWA's Mission is to enhance and promote the leadership role of women in the ophthalmic industry through networking and peer support. The Optical Women's Association is a non-profit organization, founded in 1997. Our projects and programs include:

• Star Network mentoring program that provides women in the optical industry with personal and professional growth opportunities.
• Networking events and resources that provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among all levels of the industry.
• Creating visibility throughout the optical community that raises the level of awareness of women's roles in the ophthalmic industry.
• The annual Pleiades award, which recognizes and honors individuals who have made a significant difference for women in the optical industry.
• Publishing the Annual Membership Directory, a tool for networking and optical calendar.

The OWA would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support and belief in our mission to advance and promote the leadership role of women in the Optical industry.