This photo is of me being sworn in as the first female President of the OPS.  This was taken at the Business Meeting November 1994 in San Francisco, which also happened to be the 25^th Anniversary of the OPS.  I’m surrounded by many of my lifelong friends, a few whom alas, are no longer with us.  Patrick Saine, CRA, past president, is passing the gavel to me. 

It was a bittersweet victory.   An OPS member since 1980, I had been and continue to be a strong advocate for the inclusion of more women, and technicians in particular, into our society.   It took 25 years to elect me, and there have only been two other female presidents since.  In a society comprised predominiately  of women, I would have expected this event to happen sooner, and more often.  Ladies!  Time to lean in!  In addition, I beat out my good friend and mentor, Michael Coppinger, of JMC Eye Photo for the position.  He and I went on to lecture together with JMC Eye Photo for the next 20 years.

I'm giving my first speech as President at the banquet same year in a maternity dress and here I am with "my BOD".  Lucky me, I was the only female!

While I will never again go down in the history books as the only female president, I may well still retain the title of the only PREGNANT president in the history of the OPS.

Denice ( Bartlett ) Barsness, CRA, COMT, ROUB, CDOS, FOPS

OPS President 1994-1996