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.
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
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2012 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Shirley Platzer-Stocks
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2011 OWA Pleiades Honoree — Christie Walker
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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