Cathy Firman (left) and Carissa Dunphy (right). Photos courtesy of the Optical Women’s Association.
Sept. 17, 2026
The Optical Women’s Association (OWA) welcomes two new board members to its 2026-2027 Board of Directors.
Cathy Firman, senior director of customer success for GPN Technologies, has been an OWA member since 2017. An active committee member for several years, she is now the OWA Events Committee co-chair.
Carissa Dunphy, ABOC, a Digital Marketing Associate for PECAA, joined the OWA in 2021. Active on several of its committees, Carissa is currently co-chair for the OWA Communications & Website Committee. Read her recent ROB article here.
The OWA would like to give special thanks to two departing board members: Katie Lauver of GPN Technologies chaired the Website & Communications Committee and played an integral role in transforming the OWA website into an interactive, user-friendly platform that continues to evolve; Liz Friedfeld of ClearVision Optical tirelessly shared her passion for the women of the OWA by serving as the Membership & Welcome Committee co-chair for four years.
“On behalf of the Optical Women’s Association, I am delighted to welcome our two newest Board members. Their leadership, expertise and commitment to advancing opportunities for women across the optical industry will be invaluable as we continue to grow our impact and strengthen our mission,” OWA President Megan Molony says. “We are excited to have them join the OWA leadership team and look forward to the perspectives and energy they will bring to our organization.”
