To celebrate our 40th year, Eyecare Business reached out to our board members and past #EBGameChangers for their thoughts on how eyewear and eye care have changed since our launch in 1986. Here are reflections from the United Opticians Association (UOA) board, compiled by 2025 EB Game Changer, Gwen Cooper, MPA, CFRE, executive director and CEO of UOA:
“In the last 40 years, technology has allowed opticians to fabricate better lenses with less effort, imagine frame designs that were once thought to be impossible, and lessen our administrative load so we can spend more time building relationships with our patients.”
—John M. Bruening, CEO of Geauga Vision Group
“Over the last 40 years, the eyewear industry has experienced an extraordinary evolution. What was once a limited range of lens and frame options has grown into a diverse and innovative marketplace that offers customized vision solutions to meet nearly any need while enhancing both performance and style.”
—Bob Alexander, ABOM, NCLEM, director of education at the UOA
“The evolution of eye care from the 1980s until now has evolved from basic exams to high resolution imaging, automated AI-assisted testing and personalized care instead of a ‘one size fits all’ mentality. Eyewear has evolved from primarily a medical device to a fashion identity and a revolution in lens technology to include freeform lens production, antifatigue lenses, and smart eyewear.”
—Sandy Brown, UOA board vice president, general manager recruiter at Visionworks
“My perspective from 30 years at a GP lens lab is that technology has allowed ECPs to offer life-changing vision to patients with corneal conditions that would otherwise have left them visually impaired.”
—George Mera, BS, NCLEM, contact lens fitting consultant at TruForm Optics Inc
“Eyewear has advanced through highly personalized options, digitally optimized progressive lenses tailored to individual visual habits, and AI-driven tools that match the patient’s lifestyle and prescription with better precision. Eye care has unfortunately shifted toward a more transactional model, with large retail chains and online platforms prioritizing high-volume sales of glasses and contacts over extended, relationship-based clinical time.”
—Michael Gatti, head of global learning & sales enablement at Hoya Vision Care
“For 47 years—and now across 3 generations from my father to my daughter—opticianry has been our family’s lifeblood. Decades ago, craftsmanship meant physical benchwork: an artist using a handstone, file, and torch to shape limited lens materials into a perfect fit. Today, while we still cherish classic tools like manual lensometers and trusty PD sticks, our craft has shifted from hands-on manufacturing to bespoke optical design. We now combine deep knowledge of modern frame materials and visual needs with advanced technology, digital fitting tools, and AI to craft tailored visual solutions. The tools may have evolved, but master opticianry remains a deeply personal, hands-on, human-centered craft.”
—George Bourque Jr., ABOM, NCLE, LDO, director at the UOA and co-owner of Concord Optical