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2015 OWA Pleiades Honoree

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Maureen Cavanagh

2015 Pleiades Award Recipient — Maureen Cavanagh

Maureen Cavanagh was recently named president of the Vision Impact Institute, currently supported by Essilor. The mission of the Vision Impact Institute is to raise awareness of the importance of healthy vision, including the socio-economic impact of Uncorrected Refractive Errors (URE) and quality-of-life benefits of visual correction.

Cavanagh joined Essilor in October 2005 as the director of DEFINITY lenses, launching DEFINITY throughout the Essilor network, following the acquisition of The Spectacle Lens Group. Soon after, she was named vice president of integrated retail, carving out a separate division and launching a new platform to specifically meet the needs of surfacing retail customers for Essilor. In December 2009, Cavanagh was promoted to president of Nassau Vision Group and OOGP, overseeing several stock lens and contact lens distribution centers, along with a local digital lens laboratory, Nova and the Shore Lens division.

Cavanagh is a strong advocate for women in leadership roles. She currently mentors several women in business and was integral in the launch of the Diversity and Inclusion initiative at Essilor. She has served as keynote speaker on topics of inspiring change and was a guest on the Power Hour radio show, advocating on behalf of women taking control of their own career development. In 2011 she was recognized as one of Jobson's "Most Influential Women in Optical."

Pleiades Award — Past Honorees

Click on the award winners' names from 2003 forward to see more information about the Pleiades Award recipient.

2024 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Rebecca Giefer

2023 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Karen Roberts

2022 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Erinn Morgan

2021 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Gai Gherardi

2020 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Millicent Knight, OD

2019 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Holly Rush

2018 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Ashley Mills

2017 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Kate Renwick-Espinosa

2016 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Sue Downes

2015 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Maureen Cavanagh

2014 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Sherrie Rogerson

2013 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Marge Axelrad
Press Release

2012 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Shirley Platzer-Stocks
Press Release

2011 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Christie Walker
Press Release

2010 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Danne Ventura
2010 Awards Cocktail Reception and Presentation

2009 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Rene Soltis

2008 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Stephanie K. De Long

2007 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Deborah Malakoff

2006 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Janet Callif

2005 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Mimi Friedfeld

2004 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Dana Weeks

2003 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Carene S. Kunkler — Sight Resource Corporation

2002 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Andrea Gluck — Eyewear Designs

2001 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Tom Styers — Southern Optical

2000 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Pat Patterson — Walman Optical


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