RELATED CONTENT



Naheed Ahmad, OD

DIRECTOR
Dr. N. Ahmad & Associates
Rosewell, Georgia

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “Naheed is an incredible leader and innovator—not only is she practicing full scope optometry, she is also a leader, and speaks about diversity and our patients.”

Naheed Ahmad, OD, is adamant about putting her patients first. Her personal philosophy, “Always do what’s right for the patient,” comes with the understanding that, “you can do as much marketing as you want, but unless you treat your patients well and with respect, they will not continue to come back.” Dr. Ahmad prioritizes communication, and believes that patients should be in the know about every step of the treatment process—from procedures, to diagnoses, and treatment options.

Aside from running her two practices in Georgia, Dr. Ahmad is a member of the AOA, Georgia Optometric Association, a part of a leadership team for the Walmart ODs in Atlanta. She also serves as secretary on the executive board of Energeyes Association, the first national optometric association created to foster, support and demystify corporate-affiliated practices of all types. Through her ties at Energeyes, Ahmad mentors young ODs in corporate-affiliated practices by answering questions from them.

SHE SAYS… “My advice is to do your best, work hard and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do something. Optometry offers so many ways to practice and allows you to tailor your career the way you want or need it to be.”


Sue Creek

VP SALES & TRAINING
Adlens
Boston, Massachusetts

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “Sue is one of the most motivating, hard working and mentoring people—she makes people feel good about themselves.”

The optical industry has been Sue Creek’s ticket to traveling the world. She spent 15 years opening retail optical stores globally for Vision Express and lived in Australia, Argentina and Russia, enjoying “lots of adventures” along the way. Throughout her globetrotting career, Creek has worked in every optical environment including private practice, lab, retail sales and big box retail, enjoying them all.

Creek is currently VP of sales and training for Adlens, a manufacturer of adjustable focus prescription eyeglasses that represent a new approach to vision correction. One of the industry’s greatest challenges, said Creek, is getting doctors and opticians to embrace new technology. She believes, “If we embrace new technology versus hiding from it, we will move our industry forward quicker.”

Training and empowering people are the strengths that have propelled Creek forward in her career. She has trained over 2,000 people in optical retail sales around the world, motivating and inspiring them to develop and love their jobs and the industry. “I encourage people to try new things. People learn more from mistakes than wins, so I give them the freedom to make mistakes and come up with better solutions.”

Her advice to women entering the industry is simple: say “yes” often. “There are so many different avenues and opportunities in our industry, if you are open to them you will never get bored. “

SHE SAYS… “Life’s about relationships, the rest is just details.”


Cindi Davis, ABOC, CPOT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING MANAGER
Carl Zeiss Vision
San Diego, California

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “Cindi develops training modules for the entire sales organization and is the ‘mom’ who is very successful in on-boarding new hires.”

A part-time job in a progressive vision care practice evolved into a rewarding optical career for Cindi Davis. Working with the late Dr. Joe Clay and his son, Dr. Greg Clay, for over 16 years provided Davis with the learning opportunities that encouraged her to improve her optical knowledge and skills. “I am forever indebted to the Clays for providing me with a strong foundation and love for patient care,” said Davis.

Building on that foundation, Davis held positions of increasing responsibility in retail optical, and in 2008, she joined Carl Zeiss as regional sales manager. In 2011, she was promoted to her current job as professional development and training manager. Davis creates and delivers training programs for new hires and for the company’s sales professionals nationwide, and works with client ECP staff to develop their optical knowledge and dispensing skills.

Davis believes that the best advice for anyone, not just women, to succeed in the industry is to constantly hone your skills. “The optical landscape is changing at such a rapid pace, we need to take it upon ourselves to learn all we can through publications such as Vision Monday, online CE courses, webinars and seminars.

SHE SAYS… “If we always remember that everyone deserves the very best vision possible and we strive to deliver the necessary services and products to provide that vision, we have done our professional duty.”


Molly Drenen

PROGRAM MANAGER OF OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY AND OPHTHALMIC MEDICAL ASSISTING
Cuyahoga Community College
Cleveland, Ohio

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “She inspires all prospective students as well as students in the program to excel and be the best that they can be in the field of optics.”

As the program manager at Cuyahoga Community College, Molly Drenen helps students to develop into opticians. Her strength is in the passion she has for educating, and she realizes the importance of encouraging her alumni because they tend to more patients than she does and are able to make a wider impact. Drenen always instills in her students that, “Opticianry is about designing eyewear that will best meet the visual needs of the patient.”

Though she serves as a mentor now, Drenen is also grateful to her own mentors who not only gave her advice, but taught her about ophthalmic dispensing, influenced how she educates her opticianry students and reminded her that the profession of opticianry is a constant source of inspiration.

Drenen is also optimistic about the changing role of women in the field. Over the past decade, she believes women have worked their way into leadership roles and have pioneered the way for others.

SHE SAYS… “Opticianry is a mixture of math, fashion design and medicine. I encourage women who are interested and are trying to have a career in the optical industry to develop their skills by continuing to educate themselves. There is always more to learn, which is what makes opticianry so exciting.”


Tracey Glendenning, OD, FCOVD

DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING
MyEyeDr.
CLINICAL FIELD DIRECTOR
SE
North Carolina

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “In a state where the board exam pass rate is lower than 40 percent, she is a source of positivity and encouragement. ‘If you dream it, you can become it’ is her motto, and she lives it every day.”

Inspired by the stories of individuals who have overcome adversity, Tracey Glendenning, OD, has always made a point to pay it forward. “I truly believe it is my goal to help everyone around me become the best they can be and never stop learning,” Glendenning said.

At MyEyeDr., she successfully balances many roles, one of which is preceptor for optometry student externships. During these, she acquaints students to a large private practice setting with an emphasis on contact lenses and ocular disease, and goes the extra mile by helping with test prep and administering mock board exams. She is also responsible for hiring optometrists at all of MyEyeDr.’s 250 locations, for which she actively visits schools and conferences.

Among many organizations and affiliations, Glendenning is an active member of the AOA, NCSOS, COVD and SE District Optometric Society.

Glendenning said her most rewarding work is providing vision therapy for her traumatic brain injury patients, whom she treats as part of her management role at MyEyeDr.’s Center for Visual Learning and Rehabilitative Therapy.

SHE SAYS… “This is the best industry for women. There are so many opportunities to grow and make a lifetime career in it—and it can start small with no experience. The key is to just start!”


Lynette K. Johns, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA

CLINICAL & EDUCATION CONSULTANT
Bausch + Lomb Specialty Vision Products
ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
New England College of Optometry
Boston, Massachusetts

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “Dr. Johns is regarded internationally as one of the foremost scleral lens fitters and educators.”

When Lynette Johns, OD, joined the Boston Foundation for Sight in 2005 as a senior optometrist, she saw patients fly in from around the world for scleral lens care because so few practitioners were fitting these specialty contact lenses. Today that is changing, with most optometry schools now teaching scleral lenses, enabling patients to be fitted by their local optometrists, Johns said.

Her work as a clinical and education consultant with Bausch+Lomb allows Johns to introduce scleral lenses to optometrists, ophthalmologists and fitters across the globe while providing hands on education in fitting. Fitting scleral lenses properly is critical, she noted, for both effective outcomes and practitioner confidence.

“I have two passions: scleral lenses and education,” Johns said. She combines both by teaching at New England College of Optometry, consulting with Bausch+Lomb and working as an attending clinician at New England Eye Commonwealth.

In her practice, Johns treats patients with severe visual impairments or devastating eye pain and light sensitivity. Scleral lenses can visually rehabilitate these people to functional levels, she says, allowing them to return to work after years of disability. “It is a gift to witness a patient transform within a minute of simply applying a scleral lens on his or her eye.”

SHE SAYS… “In my opinion, this is a very exciting time to be involved in specialty contact lenses with the increased awareness and acceptance of scleral lenses.”


Brandie Shaw

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
Coburn Technologies
South Windsor, Connecticut

CHOSEN BECAUSE… “In an industry sector dominated by men, she has shattered the glass ceiling for women in capital equipment.”

Brandie Shaw knows what it’s like to be a woman in a mostly man’s world. She was named national sales manager this year for Coburn Technologies, a manufacturer and distributor of surfacing, finishing and diagnostic equipment. While women have made significant career inroads throughout the optical industry, the equipment side of the business has been, until recently, primarily a male domain. But that’s changing too.

“Early on, I faced subtle prejudices because I am a woman in a highly technical part of the business,” said Shaw. But she is quick to note that some of her most valued mentors have been the visionary men who supported her career and gave her permission to step into roles that were outside her past experience. “These gender-blind mentors helped provide me with opportunities to learn and grow professionally,” she said.

Experience, hard work and “spending time to really learn the business” are qualities that have enabled Shaw to succeed throughout her 35-year career in different optical settings. “I hope I can set a positive example for anyone entering the industry, knowing that hard work can pay off with a truly rewarding lifelong career.”

SHE SAYS… “I like Woody Allen’s quote: ‘Eighty percent of success is showing up.’ It reminds me that I need to just jump in and give it a try even when I feel uncertain about my ability to do something. It’s the work ethic I hold myself to.”