A huge congratulations to the winners of the ODA 2023 National Excellence Awards!
The award ceremony was a highlight of the ODA Gala that took place in Sydney on April 28th, and saw close to 240 attendees.
The ODA National Excellence Awards honour outstanding Optical Dispensers in Australia, and celebrate the vital contribution they make to the industry and the important role they play within the optical practice.
The following recipients were all nominated and selected because they demonstrate a range of core values that not only fit the award category but that also makes them outstanding optical dispensers.
Rookie of the Year – Charlote Swailes, Specsavers Karinyup, Western Australia. She is dedicated towards her career in optical dispensing and is an enthusiastic employee. She completed her high schooling, commenced her role as an optical assistant, then enrolled and completed her Certificate IV all within three years.
Community Champion Award – Bobby Bugden, Be Seen Eyewear Lismore & Ballina, NSW. This special award recognises the acts of someone that has gone above and beyond their call of duty. Bugden is an ophthalmic practice director in Lismore and newly qualified optical dispenser. In February 2022, Lismore and the surrounding areas were devastated by floods and he participated in the flood rescues and the re-build that followed.
CEO’s Member Dedication Award – Keeley Wicks, Wicks Eyecare in Keilor, Victoria. Recognised for taking pride in her role as an optical dispenser and her own professional development, she is an advocate for continuing education and is constantly striving to better herself. It is unusual to not see her at one of ODA’s CPD events and in 2022 she was a recipient of and ODA Currency Certificate for achieving 10 ODA CPD points for the year.
Role Model & Leadership Award – Sarah Thompson, Will Street Eyecare, Bendigo, Victoria. Thompson is a practice manager with a can-do approach to the operational needs of the business and is an approachable mentor to her team. She takes her own ongoing professional development seriously and regularly communicates with team members and patients about the Cert IV she has completed. She is a role model both in and outside of the practice, giving her time to aged care, volunteering in the local netball club and co-hosting a successful podcast.
Outstanding Practice Owner Award – Belinda Musitano, Eyes@Optometry, Western Australia. Musitano has built a small successful group of three independent practices in Western Australia. She has won business person of the year and business awards on more than one occasion and is involved with the community through facilitating a vision learning program in schools, is actively involved in fundraising and encourages sustainable practices through participating in the Terracyle frame recycling program. She empowers her team, putting them through industry training, coaching workshops and constantly encouraging ongoing development.
ODA National Medal for Optical Dispensing Excellence – Lisa Raad, Pinpoint Vision, Sydney NSW When she’s not hard at work in her own practice, Raad is either testing children’s vision at schools across greater Sydney or onsite in workplaces, teaching at UTS or facilitating workshops to other allied health professionals in the optical industry. She continues to grow her own knowledge of dispensing via ongoing voluntary CPD and through developing strong relationships with industry suppliers. She believes that optical dispensers are the superheroes of the practice and puts her patients first.
Congratulations to all our ODA National Excellence Awards winners, and thank you to everyone for coming and celebrating our industry with us.
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