Optical Women's Association - 2016 OWA Pleiades Honoree

2016 Pleiades Award Recipient — Sue Downes

Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr., is driven today by the same goal that inspired her to co-found the company 14 years ago. Sue believed that patients received the finest vision care from their local independent optometrist. However, she recognized that the demands of the 21st century patient were outpacing what the independent optometrist could deliver. So she asked a simple question — could she surround independent practices with a management services team that could help deliver a great patient experience and meet the demands of a new generation of patients? With MyEyeDr., she has done just that.

From one office in 2001, she has led the growth of MyEyeDr. brand to over 200 locations across the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States, and more practices are joining every month.

Sue has built a brand that is as unique as she is and has created a brand identity for MyEyeDr. that connects independent optometry practices under one unifying mission — to provide the best vision wellness experience possible for patients. It's fun, it's fashion, it's a caring experience, and the results speak volumes about her leadership in the industry.

Her real skill is in her ability to share that vision with her team and instill that same commitment to the profession that she has demonstrated over the past 30 years.

Sue had an extensive career in the industry before starting MyEyeDr. She was the Director of Managed Vision Care with Hour Eyes and Eye Care Centers of America. In April of 2015, Sue was named CEO of MyEyeDr.

In addition to her work managing MyEyeDr. offices, Sue served on the advisory board for the Colombia Lighthouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired, and is a past board member of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. She is the recipient of several prestigious honors including Montgomery County Chamber's "Spirit of Free Enterprise" Award, Vision Monday's 2011 Most Influential Women in Optical honor, the 2012 Smart CEO Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit and the 2015 ACG Corporate Growth Award.

Sue's many professional accomplishments are too long to list but for those that know her best they know that her proudest accomplishment is raising her two sons. Sue lives in Northern Virginia with her beloved husband, PJ, and has no plans to slow down — ever.