February 2026
Dear Friends of GPLI,
It’s hard to believe another year has already passed. 2025 was a year of meaningful progress, collaboration, and growth for the GP Lens Institute (GPLI), and it has only heightened our excitement for what lies ahead. I have been honored to serve alongside you and can’t wait to see what we do together in 2026.
As we reflect on the year, we are incredibly proud of the impact and momentum GPLI has achieved. 2025 was defined by collaboration, innovative education, and a shared commitment to advancing specialty contact lens care for patients and practitioners. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.
The year began with an unforgettable presence at the 2025 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) in Las Vegas, where GPLI proudly served as a Gold Sponsor alongside the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (CLMA). This gathering brought together educators, practitioners, residents, industry partners, and innovators to celebrate education and collaboration in our field. We sincerely appreciate the entire GSLS leadership team as well as Conexiant and Contact Lens Spectrum for their commitment to outstanding education, and ongoing partnership with GPLI.
Throughout 2025, education remained the cornerstone of GPLI’s work. We offered a robust lineup of learning opportunities for students, residents, and practitioners at every stage of their careers:
- Monthly expert-led webinars covered topics such as keratoconus, myopia management, dry eye disease, higher-order aberrations, GP and scleral lenses, billing and coding.
- Quarterly student webinars bridged theory and clinical practice and had record attendance.
- The Advisor, our educational journal, featured timely clinical topics including custom soft lenses, keratoconus, high ametropia, dry eye updates, and practice management.
- GPLI Radio provided meaningful conversations with clinicians, educators, and patients to offer insight, empathy, and practical guidance.
GPLI also maintained a strong commitment to training future leaders through:
- Complimentary GPLI membership for students and residents.
- Hands-on Schools Workshop Programs across multiple colleges of optometry.
- The Cornea & Contact Lens Residency Symposium (CCLRS) and Specialty Contact Lens Symposium (SCLS), hosted as parallel symposia with record participation.
- Resident case features highlighting real-world clinical decision-making and patient success.
These initiatives reflect our belief that education, mentorship, and community are essential to long-term professional growth.
Supporting clinical success remained a priority. In 2025, we expanded and enhanced resources to support practitioners and their teams:
- Updated Best Business Practices Module
- Patient Education Guide and staff training tools
- Launch of Contact Lens Essentials for Staff, a comprehensive onboarding and training series
- Growth of member-only tools focused on coding, billing, communication, and specialty lens workflows
- Updated Doctor Finder
We are deeply grateful to our GPLI staff (Dr. Tom Quinn, Beth Anderzhon, Kim Mahrt, and Ursula Lotzkat), Board of Directors, Advisory Board, volunteers, educators, residents, students, industry partners, and the CLMA.
As we start 2026, we are energized by what’s to come: new programs, expanded partnerships, and continued innovation in specialty contact lens education. Thank you for being an integral part of the GPLI community. We are inspired by what we can accomplish together and look forward to another impactful year. Thank you for all that you do!
With gratitude,
Jenn Harthan, OD
Executive Director
GP Lens Institute
