LEXINGTON, Ky.—The United Opticians Association (UOA) has announced its 2027 board of directors, which began its work this month after meeting in July to form key committees. The new board will help guide UOA’s strategic direction, oversee the organization’s growth, and support initiatives that strengthen the opticianry profession, the announcement said. The board members were elected at the delegate assembly held during UOA’s annual conference in June in Chicago, which brought together nearly 250 opticians, educators, industry partners and association leaders from across the U.S.
New members of the UOA 2027 board of directors include:
Michael Gatti, ABOC, NCLEC, industry representative and chair of the Sightline Industry Panel, is head of global learning and sales enablement at Hoya Vision Care and has spent nearly two decades across the optical industry, from dispensing and practice management to sales, training, and global learning strategy.
John Bruening, ABOC, NCLEC, UOA government affairs chair, is CEO of Geauga Vision Group and has spent his career across nearly every corner of the optical industry, from wholesale production and sales to group practice management and consulting.
Lisa Bourque, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC, UOA member at large and conference co-chair, is an experienced Massachusetts licensed optician, business owner, and professional association leader with more than 20 years in opticianry, education and organizational governance.
Michael Gzik, ABOC, NCLEC, conference and education committee – focus on content lens programming, is a New York state-licensed optician and contact lens practitioner with more than five decades of experience in clinical care, education and professional leadership.
Robert Russo, professor emeritus, ABOC, NCLEC, education committee, is past chairperson of Vision Care Technology, and has taught for national organizations including the ABO/NCLE Education Conference, OptiCon, and Vision Expo East and West. He’s a past president of the National Federation of Opticianry Schools.
(L to R) Michael Gatti, ABOC, NCLEC; Lisa Bourque, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC; John Bruening, ABOC, NCLEC; Michael Gzik, ABOC, NCLEC and Robert Russo, professor emeritus, ABOC, NCLEC.
“The strength of UOA lies in the leadership of our board and the extraordinary committees they guide, committees powered by dedicated volunteers from state associations, industry and individual UOA members who give their time, expertise, and passion to advance our mission,” Gwen Cooper, executive director, UOA, told VMAIL. “Together, our national network of leaders is shaping the future of opticianry through collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to elevating competency and professionalism across the country.”
The UOA has outlined several high-level strategic goals for its committees in 2027, centered on expanding the impact of its “Get Certified. Stay Certified” initiative across multiple functional areas:
• The membership committee aims to drive growth in both state-level and individual memberships by positioning “Get Certified. Stay Certified” as the unifying standard for the profession.
• The government affairs committee is focused on strengthening the national regulatory narrative by supporting three to five states in modernizing their opticianry regulations, with a particular emphasis on framing certification and registry as essential for title protection.
• The education committee plans to review and expand formal education standards, apprenticeship standards, and CTE pathways into a cohesive national education framework that directly feeds into certification. It will also ensure education aligns with industry expectations for competency, professionalism and workforce readiness.
• The marketing committee will launch an omnichannel campaign across its podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms to establish “Get Certified. Stay Certified” as the defining identity of modern opticianry.
• The conference committee intends to evolve the “One Vision | One Voice | One UOA” event into a flagship convening. This conference will feature a multi-track experience designed to highlight the “Get Certified. Stay Certified” initiative and the Sightline Industry Panel as central themes that connect membership value, advocacy and educational excellence.
“In FY27, their work becomes even more essential as we align around our national initiative, ‘Get Certified. Stay Certified’ and leverage the momentum created by the ‘One Vision | One Voice | One UOA’ conference this past June to drive meaningful progress in membership, advocacy, and education—our three strategic pillars,” Cooper told VMAIL.
