International Optician of the Year Award finalist: Steve Stenersen

The annual IOA / Silmo International Optician of the Year Award recognises the importance of the optician in the optical business and their role in the choice of the optimum products for their clientele. Read on to find out more about one of the opticians who have been shortlisted for this prestigious award.

Steve Stenersen began his career in the optical profession as a trainee optical mechanic in 1978, spending five years manufacturing lenses, glazing and repairing spectacles. He moved into retail and practical dispensing in Auckland in 1983 and qualified as a dispensing optician in 1989.

“This has given me a broad range of skills which I apply to my day to day tasks as a Dispensing Optician. Whether it is an adjustment, facial measurements, problem solving, or soldering a spectacle frame I feel I am able to undertake these tasks with confidence and the necessary skills.”

As part of Steve’s daily tasks he performs specialised OCT, retinal photography and visual field tests and has the expertise to interpret results and discuss with the Optometrist in making recommendations.

Steve is engaged by the Optometrist and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand (O&DO), to examine overseas opticians who wish to practice as dispensing opticians in NZ. He has compiled a one day practical and theoretical assessment course, where students come to Gisborne and he observes their skills in comparison to the NZ standards, making recommendations to the board at the completion of the exam.

Giving his take on professionalism in optics, Steve says, “The underpinning philosophy of our practice is to ensure that the client is well looked after, and this involves first and foremost listening to what the client has to say. I would go as far to say that this is one of the most important components of my career – the ability to listen. It is easy to just assume a person’s requirements; however, we are all individuals. If a person has a problem, it is my job to solve that problem. This could involve spectacles, contact lenses, an optical aid, or engaging in discussion.”

Steve often has clients popping in to discuss many and varied issues, not just regarding spectacles but also for example the outcomes of cataract surgery, or how to navigate low vision issues.

“I really enjoy the relationships I have with my clients and seeing them regularly throughout their lives. My partner Sue and I also have a loyal staff – our optometrist has been with us since we established our practice over 25 years ago, and other staff members have been with us more than a decade. This speaks to not only the professional nature of our practice, but also the close rapport we enjoy with our employees. Due to our philosophy of care, we also enjoy very strong relationships with the public hospital system and local medical practices. This is important in a rural and isolated environment, where we often attend to out of hours or emergency issues when no one else is available.” Steve set up his practice in a small rural town in New Zealand in 1993. In the past 25 years he says it has gone from strength to strength. “We have buildt up our business and our reputation as providers of quality eyewear and eyecare. Despite the changing face of optics in New Zealand over the last decade, we have maintained a loyal client base.”

In 1995 Steve was involved in setting up OptiBlocks NZ, the teaching arm of ADONZ (Association for Dispensing Opticians New Zealand). Since the commencement of OptiBlocks NZ, Steve has held the positions of co-director and chairperson. “I have been passionately involved in establishing and maintaining high levels of education for the New Zealand industry through teaching, management and director responsibilities since 1989, which makes30 years this year.”

Steve’s area of specialisation is ensuring the provision and maintenance of high standards of optical training for dispensing opticians in New Zealand. “It is of utmost importance to me that we continue to provide high levels of professionalism and care in an ever changing industry, and this is evidenced by my work over the years being involved with teaching and also establishing and continuing the delivery of the Australian TAFE training course in New Zealand.”

In 2001 Steve collaborated with his colleague and friend Dr David Wilson to produce the Practical Optical Workshop textbook which was utilised to train new dispensing opticians in New Zealand and Australia.

Over the span of his career, Steve has been actively involved in the New Zealand optics community . He was the first student through the New Zealand written training course when it was established in the country New Zealand, and on completion of that, began teaching both the theory and practical aspects of the course. About a decade down the track, he was one of the instigators involved in securing the delivery of the Australian course in New Zealand, ensuring ongoing quality education for New Zealand students and industry. In the late 1990s this involvement with teaching spilled over into the role of first a committee member, then as President of the ADONZ and this involved navigating the association through some difficult times within the optics industry in NZ.

Locally in Gisborne, Steve was involved with providing free screening at schools for 20 years., “I visited schools annually at the start of the school year to conduct visual screening on students. Following the optometrist appointment, I worked with the families to dispense glasses, often under the government funding programme.”

Steve’s practice was involved in a pilot program which trialled eye testing in local Maraes for indigenous people. “Both the optometrist and I would pack up the necessary equipment and visit a new Marae once a month. This spanned over a number of years in which we visited all of the local Maraes. This venture allowed our practice to engage with individuals who may have otherwise missed out on optical services.” He has also been involved in the visual screening at Gisborne’s public health camp STAND, which provides a ‘wrap around’ service for children and young people who are at risk of harm. He also volunteers within the community in Step to Move, for elderly persons in which the attendees receive information, through discussion-based seminars, regarding eye health, low vision, and safety navigating optical aids, and as a committee member and Chairperson at the Gisborne branch of the Blind Foundation NZ.

Over his career Steve has been heavily involved in the promotion of education and has pushed for the continuation of quality education in New Zealand. He says, “During this time, I have seen optics being pushed towards commercialisation rather than what was once a profession considered part of the medical world. I have advocated against the simplification and automation of the skills required of a dispensing optician. I feel strongly that as an industry, we need to continue to ensure that we are training high quality dispensing opticians so that New Zealand’s public can continue to receive quality care. This has been one of the key drivers for my involvement in education for the past 30 years.”

You can discover who has won the IOA / Silmo International Optician of the Year Award at the Silmo D’Or awards ceremony on Saturday 28th September. Find out more about Silmo and the awards here.