Ann Elgert (l) and Sue Downes.
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NEW YORK—The Optical Women’s Association has selected Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr., as the 2016 Pleiades award recipient, and Ann Englert, owner of Solutions—a concierge-style business that works with wholesalers, retailers and ECPs in the eyewear industry—as its 2016 Pyxis award recipient.

The two women will be honored at two special events in 2016—the OWA Champagne Breakfast on April 14, and the Star Award ceremony and networking event on the evening of Saturday, April 16, a new date for the event. The location of the events has yet to be announced.

OWA said Downes, who co-founded the MyEyeDr. retail chain, is “highly regarded for her passion and innovative thinking.” The organization noted that Downes led the chain’s growth from a single office in 2001 to over 200 locations across the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S.

In addition to her work managing MyEyeDr. offices, Downes served on the advisory board for the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, and is a past board member of the Montgomery (Maryland) County Chamber of Commerce. She is the recipient of several honors including the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s “Spirit of Free Enterprise” award, Vision Monday’s 2011 Most Influential Women in Optical, the 2012 SmartCEO award and the 2015 ACG Corporate Growth Award.

“The positive response to Sue’s nomination for the Pleiades Award was nothing short of overwhelming. This award honors an individual for showing exceptional support in advancing the leadership role of women, and we were flooded with examples of how Sue has done just that,” said OWA president Heather Smith. “She has been an inspirational leader and that is exactly what we look for in our annual honoree.”

Pyxis award honoree Englert has a long and rich history within the OWA. Prior to starting the consulting company in 2001, she held senior leadership positions at top optical and sunwear companies. She was selected as one of Vision Monday’s Most Influential Women in Optical in the Executive Suite category in 2013. An active OWA member since 2001, Englert has served on the board and chaired multiple committees, including serving as president of the OWA.

“The Pyxis award recognizes someone who contributes to the OWA’s growth by actively participating in the organization and promoting it throughout the industry, and there is no one who does this with more enthusiasm than Ann,” said Smith.