Updates From The 2025 OWA Town Hall
- OWA
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The OWA held its second Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, September 4! It was an opportunity to meet and hear directly from OWA board members and Committee Chairs, hear more about the OWA’s activities and initiatives, and greet fellow members. Attendees discovered how impactful the OWA’s committees are and learned how to get more involved.
The OWA brings together a wonderful community of women in the optical industry that is supported and encouraged by our members and sponsors. We want to make sure we continue to do our best to fulfill our mission of connecting, leading, and inspiring. We enjoyed seeing everyone at the 2025 Town Hall!
Watch the Town Hall video to learn more about:
About the OWA
Founded in 1997 as a nonprofit, the Optical Women's Association is committed to supporting and promoting the professional development of women involved in all facets of the optical industry.
We work diligently to create visibility throughout the eye care community in an effort to raise the level of awareness of the multifaceted roles and contributions made by women in our industry. These efforts are supported by the programs offered by our organization, which include networking events, the annual award programs, our membership directory, professional optical women's workshops, webinars, and mentoring tools.
The OWA's Mission
Our mission is to empower women in the optical industry through networking, education, and peer support. We strive to create a community where women can connect and collaborate to achieve their personal and professional goals.
The OWA's Values
Connect: We connect our members at regional and national events, along with engagement on our volunteer committees.
Inspire: We inspire our members by honoring and celebrating some of the most impressive women in the industry.
Lead: We promote leadership roles for our members with mentoring connections, insightful webinars, and job opportunities.
Accomplishments Over the Past Two Years
Fully updated our bylaws to reflect our current structure and operations.
Completely overhauled our website—migrating to a new platform to better serve our members.
Reorganized our committee structure, creating clear leadership roles including Chairs, Vice Chairs, Associate Chairs, and sub-committees to increase engagement and effectiveness.
Rebranded two committees and launched an entirely new one—the International Expansion Committee.
Hosted the first two OWA Unplugged Retreats, providing unique spaces for connection and renewal.
And we successfully obtained registered trademark status for the OWA in the United States, United Kingdom, and just a few weeks ago, European Union, which encompasses 27 countries!
Updates From Each OWA Committee:
Sponsor Relations Committee
Membership & Welcome Committee
Connections and Enrichment Committee
Events Committee
Digital Marketing Committee
Communications and Website Committee
International Expansion Committee
Nominating Committee
Q&A Addressed:
How do I get more involved with OWA?
How do I get more involved in OWA events?
Tell me more about the OWA Unplugged retreat and how I sign up
If I don't travel to events, how can I connect with OWA members?
How can people participate in virtual OWA things?
How can I get nominated for OWA leadership?
Watch the 2025 OWA Town Hall here:
Closing
Connect with board members or committee chairs any time – we’d love to hear from you. Visit the board member or committees pages to find email addresses for each.
Helpful Links And Where To Find Us
Get involved In our committees — OWA members, update your member profile to express interest in the committees mentioned in the Town Hall recording.