March 12, 2026 | Articles, News
GOLDEN, Colo. and CALGARY, Alta.—Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), a global organization dedicated to ending preventable blindness, today announced the appointment of Karen Walsh, Senior Director of Global Professional Affairs at CooperVision, to its Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled that Karen is joining the team,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, OGS Board President. “Her deep-rooted commitment to advancing global eye health and her extensive experience in clinical education make her an invaluable asset to our leadership. Having seen her passion for sustainable eye care firsthand through our long-standing partnership with CooperVision, we know she will play a pivotal role in helping us unlock the potential of underserved communities through the gift of sight.”
In her role at CooperVision, Walsh leads the company’s Global Professional Affairs organization, working closely with international teams to support eye care professionals through education and collaboration. Prior to joining CooperVision in 2021, she built a distinguished career as an educator, researcher, and author at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo.
“Joining the board of Optometry Giving Sight is a natural extension of my work to support eye care professionals and expand access to care,” said Walsh. “I have long admired OGS for its focus on building permanent infrastructure and training local personnel—creating a world where vision care is a right, not a luxury. I look forward to working with this esteemed board to continue building a future where everyone has the opportunity to see clearly.”
Walsh joins an already distinguished Optometry Giving Sight Board, which includes Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, Dr. Susan Cooper, Dr. Luigi Bilotto, Dr. John Flanagan, Dr. Millicent Knight, Dr. Paul Karpecki, Tony Sommer, and Dr. Meng Xu.
Optometry Giving Sight raises funds from the optometric community to support programs that end preventable blindness and vision impairment worldwide. By offering immediate eye care and building the sustainable infrastructure needed to expand permanent access, OGS empowers communities to thrive. Over the last 20 years, OGS funding has provided basic eye care services to more than 15 million people, assisted in training over 14,000 eye care personnel, and established more than 200 vision centers in over 70 countries.
Learn more at givingsight.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Emma Alvarez Gibson
+1 310-721-5177
emma.alvarezgibson@givingsight.org