Council member Lisa Gerson awarded MBE
Congratulations to Lisa Gerson, who has been awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in His Majesty The King’s 2026 New Year Honours List. Lisa, who currently supervises student clinics at Cardiff University, has been recognised for her services to optometry, education, and social cohesion.
Lisa has served as a General Optical Council (GOC) Council member since 2021 and is the Chair of the statutory Registration Committee and Nominations Committee. Prior to this she was a registrant member of the GOC’s fitness to practise panel, Acting Chair of the Investigation Committee, and a member of the Education Visitor Panel.
Lisa served on the Board of Directors of Optometry Wales for many years, and was its Chair during the Covid-19 pandemic, navigating the considerable challenges faced by the profession in Wales during that time. She was involved in elevating the profile of the optometric profession and developing clinical eyecare pathways.
She has been a Council Member for Wales for The College of Optometrists, Vice-Chair of the Lay Advisory Panel and a previous Trustee of The College of Optometrists and Association of Optometrists’ Benevolent Fund.
She has served as a Patient Representative for the NICE Patient Access Scheme, a lay member of Medical Training Application Service (MTAS), and lay member of the Graduate Entry Medicine Programme for Swansea University.
In 2021, Lisa was appointed as Wales Leadership Magistrate, where she provided leadership for magistrates in Wales until the end of December 2027. She is a Deputy Lieutenant of South Glamorgan. She has also been a school governor for 20 years and is currently Chair of Governors at a school for children with special needs.
Lisa said:
“I have been an optometrist in Wales for over 40 years and have been very fortunate to have held a number of varied positions which have enabled me to contribute to the profession that I love. I am thrilled, honoured, and genuinely humbled by this recognition. I had no idea that I was being considered for an honour and consequently I am rather overwhelmed, but at the same time, shocked and delighted in equal measure. I would like to pay tribute to my professional colleagues for their unwavering support, without which this honour would not have been possible.”
Chair of Council, Dr Anne Wright CBE, congratulated Lisa on behalf of the GOC:
“I’m thrilled to congratulate Lisa on the award of an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours. This award recognises Lisa’s breadth of achievements during her forty years of working in optometry, including her work at Cardiff University and dedication to improving training and promoting fairness and efficiency in the magistrates' courts. Lisa is a highly valued member of the GOC Council. We are proud that her dedication and contributions to public service have been deservedly recognised.”
