At the 2012 Opticians Association of America leadership meeting, Diane M. Charles, of Woodlawn Optical in Redmond was voted “State Leader of the Year.”

This is the most prestigious award given by the Opticians Association of America and is selected based on  votes by the recipient’s peers.

Charles became a licensed dispensing optician in 1985 and has received a number awards since then.

She opened Woodlawn Optical of Redmond in 1986 and has been an active leader in many community organizations including the Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International and the Business and Professional Women’s Association, through which she was recognized as “Woman of the Year” in 1989. In 1992 Charles was named among the “Top 50 Women in the Optical Industry.”

She currently holds the record for being the only optician in the state of Washington to win “Optician of the Year” twice. Charles has been president of the Opticians Association of Washington three times and in 2009 became the first woman to be president of the Opticians Association of America. Charles has also been the legislative director for the Opticians Association of Washington for almost 30 years.

In 2011, she received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Opticians Association of Washington.

In addition to her full-time career and leadership roles in the community, Charles has also volunteered her optical skills locally at Emerald Heights Retirement Community and internationally in Ecuador and Honduras on mission trips for Medical Ministries.

In 2004, Woodlawn Optical of Redmond joined Children’s and Family Eye Doctors, at 17130 Avondale Way, with Thomas Lenart, Karen Sahota and Autumn Mantel.

“Our patients range in age from newborn to 98,” said Charles.