Advancing Eyecare Insider
Employee Newsletter | Issue 2 | November 2021
Save the Date!
Next Town Hall is February 2, 2022
Welcome to the second issue of the AEC Insider!
Fall is here and we’re excited to share news from around the company. In this issue you’ll get to know about Service Technician, Jared Stevens, and learn more about our Clinical Support team in Toronto.
We’ll also cover how a new AEC product, the VisuALL Virtual Reality Perimeter, is changing the way doctors are diagnosis glaucoma. Finally, check out who’s celebrating milestone anniversaries, who’s joined our employee team, and other exciting employee news.

We are THANKFUL for our employees!
As we head into our busiest time of year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year and ask our employees, “What are you thankful for?” Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our company. Enjoy!

Lombart Instrument
New Jersey

OII/ Advancing Eyecare Services
Irvine, CA

S4Optik
Zapopan, Mexico

Innova
Toronto, Canada

OII/Advancing Eyecare Services
Irvine, CA

S4Optik
Zapopan, Mexico

OII/Advancing Eyecare Services
Irvine, CA

Marco/Advancing Eyecare
Jacksonville, FL

Innova
Western Canada
I learned over time, that there is nothing more beautiful than one self. Don’t ever give up your ambitions and always keep going forward despite the obstacles life throws at you. Thankful for everyone who allowed me to achieve my goals.

Innova
Quebec, Canada

S4Optik
Zapopan, Mexico

EMS/Advancing Eyecare Services
St. Louis, MO
Employee Spotlight

Jared Stevens
If it’s broken, he can fix it!
Jared is an Ophthalmic Instrument Service Technician who works in our St. Louis, MO office and specializes in OCTs and Zeiss diagnostic equipment. He can usually be seen working on the guts of an OCT or visual field, or on the phone troubleshooting with customers, sales reps, and service techs.
Q: How long have you been with Advancing Eyecare?
“I joined EMS in 2015. My background was in health sciences, and my first position was doing field service on classical lane equipment in the St Louis area. As the company grew, we became a Topcon repair depot and I took on the role of Topcon Repair Specialist.
Over time, I apprenticed with EMS’s expert on Zeiss diagnostic equipment and eventually took over for him. Now I am AEC’s primary resource for repairs on OCTs and Zeiss equipment.“
Q: What is your favorite part about your role at AEC?
“I like being able to provide a second opinion to customers about the issues their machines are having. I often can save a customer thousands of dollars from what the manufacturers recommend. I also like helping customers learn the various features of their equipment so that they can get the most out of their purchase. Lastly, I really like the hands-on aspect of repairing a device.”
Q: Describe your ideal weekend.
“As a parent of two young children and a dog, I would love to just relax, do nothing, and have some peace and quiet.”
Q: Tell us something we don’t know about you.
“I own about 15 different types of Rubik’s Cubes and can solve them all!”
Location Spotlight
Clinical Support, INNOVA Medical, Toronto, Canada
INNOVA’s Clinical Support team based in both Laval and Toronto, Canada supports AEC customers, sales reps, and service technicians in Canada, the US, and Mexico. This team of four specializes in the computerized ophthalmic instruments the company carries, from Haag-Streit to Nidek, and everything in between. They help with instrument preparation in the Toronto office and work remotely on network configurations, clinical trainings as well as software/network troubleshooting.
The team recently was cross-trained to support Marco equipment which has increased the amount of support available to our alliance customers. Their overall working environment is very fast-paced and a bit nerdy, but there’s never a dull moment!

Product Spotlight

NEW! VisuALL Virtual Reality Perimeter
According to scientific studies and surveys, glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness. When detected in the early stages, glaucoma can often be controlled, preventing severe vision loss and blindness. However, symptoms of noticeable vision loss often only occur once the disease has progressed, and once vision is lost from the disease, it usually can’t be restored.
Glaucoma prevention is only possible with early detection and treatment. Since symptoms are often absent, regular eye exams that include a glaucoma screening are essential.
A new product in Marco’s portfolio, the VisuALL Virtual Reality Perimeter, is an innovative technology for screening glaucoma and other eye diseases and has been clinically validated by one of the top eye hospitals in the US. Its light-weight, mobile design and patient-friendly interface allows for a faster, more comfortable, and easy experience for both adults and children.
Poll Time!
Final results will be posted in the next issue

Employee News & Announcements
Do you have news you’d like to share? Submit it here and be sure to include a picture!



Welcome to All of Our Recent New Hires!
Alexis Ambeault Sales - Ophthalmic, Toronto, Canada
Gerrod Bookhard Warehouse Associate, Jacksonville, FL Tisha Lee A/P Clerk, Jacksonville, FL Abraham Sanchez Services, MexicoWilhelm Chira Service, Toronto, Canada
Cherianne Cramer Accounting, Jacksonville, FL
Nivethaa Kulendran Service, Toronto, Canada
Paul Micenko Marco Area Manager, North FL TerritoryLogan Miller Core Territory Manager, Ohio Territory
Gates Muller Core Territory Manager, Chicago, IL Territory
Guillermo Quinonez Sales Representative, Mexico
Kevin Rodillas Accounting & Financing, Toronto, Canada
Henry Xiong Service, Toronto, Canada
Lisa Anderson Sales Support Specialist, Jacksonville, FL
Logan Crow Field Service Technician, Kansas City, MO
Aaron Garcia Warehouse/Inventory Control, Elk Grove, CA
Cedric James Temp Processing Return/Credit, Norfolk, VA
Jesus Nino Field Service Technician, Garland, TXKirby Richardson Field Service Technician, Greensboro, NC
Jennifer Gillispie Sales Specialist, Garland, TX
Tonza McLeod Temporary RMA processing, Jacksonville, FL
Happy 35th Anniversary to INNOVA and David and Victor Spear!
July-December Work Anniversaries
Thank you for your hard work & dedication over the years!
26+ years
James Campbell Parts Manager | Lombart Instrument | 42 Years
Robert Kalapp VP – Corporate Accounts | Marco/Advancing Eyecare | 40 Years
Linda Walker Manager, IT | Lombart Instrument | 39 Years
James Parker Assistant Operation Mgr – VA | Lombart Instrument | 35 Years
Jeffrey Perrye Chief Operating Officer | Marco/Advancing Eyecare | 35 Years
David Spear Principal Sr. Management | INNOVA | 35 Years
Victor Spear Principal Sr. Management | INNOVA | 35 Years
Connie Macias Accounts Payable Clerk | Lombart Instrument | 34 Years
Michael Propst Territory Sales Manager | Lombart Instrument | 34 Years
Don Quinn Territory Sales Manager | Lombart Instrument | 34 Years
Thanh Tai Ha Repair Technician | Lombart Instrument | 33 Years
26+ years (cont.)
Dawn Grier Operations Manager, West Coast | Ophthalmic Instruments, Inc. | 32 Years
Phillip Herschel Territory Sales Manager | Lombart Instrument | 32 Years
Gerard Talliere Warehouse Manager | Lombart Instrument | 32 Years
Jason La Bounty Business Development Manager | Ophthalmic Instruments, Inc. | 30 Years
John Land Sales Representative | INNOVA | 28 Years
Ronald Wyatt In-house Technician | Lombart Instrument | 28 Years
Ruthann Schwab Government Business Manager | Marco | 27 Years
William Coyle Warehouse Associate | Lombart Instrument | 26 Years
Robert Metelsky Product Manager | INNOVA |26 Years
Diana Ozarko Sales Representative | INNOVA | 26 Years
20 years
Suzanne Holt Regional Office Manager | Lombart Instrument
Sabrina Jackson Customer Service Representative | Marco
Christopher Sarakaitis Director of Sales East | Marco
15 years
Ryan Nugent Machining Manager | Blue S4
Michel St. Jean Service Supervisor | INNOVA
Doug Wood Production Manager | Blue S4
10 years
Stephen Deleeuw In-house Technician
Anita Harris Inside Sales Support
5 years
Michael Butler Area Manager West | Marco
Lorenzo Caputo Field Service Technician | Lombart Instrument
Jennifer Cliff Customer Service Representative| Lombart Instrument
Michael Cox Field Service Technician | Lombart Instrument
Priyanshi Doshi Service Team Leader | INNOVA
Pedro Echegaray Service Manager, CA | Ophthalmic Instruments, Inc.
Bennett Howe Area Manager West | Marco
Alfred Huang Service Advisor | INNOVA
Sofiane Kharbeche Senior Technician | INNOVA
Mathieu Paquette Technical Service Coordinator | INNOVA
Curtis Pieske Classical Equipment Specialist | Marco
We are looking to expand our Values Ambassadors team!
The AEC Values Ambassadors meet monthly to brainstorm, promote, and reinforce our four key values across our entire employee base. If you are interested in becoming an ambassador, fill out the form below.

We create trust by being honest with our customers, our colleagues, and ourselves.

We create value by correcting failures and celebrating successes.

We create loyalty by sharing meaningful experiences and diverse perspectives with others.

We create results by being first, fast, and fearless.
Advancing Eyecare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.