Optical Women's Association - 2006 OWA Pleiades Honoree

Janet Callif, Luxottica Retail North America
Senior Vice President of Merchandising/Lenses

Janet Callif has built her 19- year optical career with Luxottica Retail North America, starting as a buyer and merchandiser in the founding years of LensCrafters. Janet now oversees the entire lens buying team for all Luxottica Retail optical bands as well as all store merchandising for LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut.

Her position enables Janet to do what she likes best, frequently visiting stores and talking with associates about what customers like and what they want. Most recently she enjoyed seeing the positive response of associates and customers to LensCrafters' newly launched FeatherWates® Complete lenses Made with Scotchgard™ Protector, a lens product that Janet helped bring to market.

Janet also believes community involvement is important to balance success in the workplace. She is a board member for Give the Gift of Sight Foundation, and recently finished a three-year term on the board of the Cincinnati Hamilton County Community Action Agency, which included projects like Headstart. Janet is a graduate of the Leadership Cincinnati program (Class 25) and is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned her BSBA in marketing.

The Pleiades Award spotlights an individual who has shown a commitment to the mission of the OWA by fostering the growth of women in the industry. The Pleiades Award is named for the star cluster Pleiades in the Taurus constellation. The Pleiades is also known as the "Seven Sisters" referring to the seven brightest stars in the cluster.

The invitation to attend this event is extended to both OWA members and non-members. Guests are asked to RSVP by Feb 28 via email to .

The OWA's Mission is to enhance and promote the leadership role of women in the optical industry through networking, education, 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.