(Keywords: Good Vibes)
I have always loved this time of year. It's a unique moment in our calendars when we embrace the unknown and all that is to come in the new year. It's a time of new beginnings, renewed goals, and the ever present potential to reach new heights as the OWA. As we enter the year 2020, I wonder - has there ever been a more highly anticipated year in the optical industry?
I recently came across an article that outlined how the most important first step to effective goal setting is to begin by taking time to reflect on your recent accomplishments first. Reflect with me. In 2019, the OWA celebrated its 22nd anniversary. Our membership now totals more than 1,000 women, including 50 new members from Canada! With more than 60 sponsors and Individual Contributors, we were able to produce and deliver more quality programs to our members. Our events have attracted nearly 2,000 attendees. Hundreds of women participated in our Tuesday Talks, which will soon change formats from webinar to podcast. We granted our first leadership scholarships to two amazingly talented and deserving future leaders of our industry. Our social media platforms, delivering quality content, have grown 400%, and visits to our newly designed website have increased by 36%.
As your president, I'm incredibly proud of these 2019 achievements and our continued growth as the premier women's organization in the optical industry. In 2020, the OWA will continue to fulfill our promise to connect, and to inspire and lead female talent in this ever-changing market. This year, we strive to deliver maximum value to our corporate sponsors and individual contributors so that we can continue to innovate and offer new programs such as our leadership scholarships. We plan to grow our membership to bring our message and resources to even more women who aspire to grow in their career and leadership development. With a commitment to cultivating future leaders, we invite women who are interested in leadership positions to get involved, join our committees, become active and have influence in shaping the future of the OWA and the optical industry.
The OWA is made possible by the incredible dedication, enthusiasm, and love for our industry that shines bright among our membership, board and committees, and sponsors. To each, I say a heartfelt thank you and I look forward to seeing what amazing strides our industry will make in our year 2020.
Robyn Crimmins is the president of the Optical Women's Association and VSP's Division Vice President, Ophthalmic West. She can be reached at .
Doubt is a killer. You have to know who you are and what you stand for.
Jennifer Lopez
