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!

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!

Kristen Tischler, Vice President Global Marketing, and husband Chris welcomed their first child in October

Stacy-Lee Annis, Clinical Support Supervisor in Toronto, and Liam born in July

Jon-Erik Aragon, Lombart Territory Sales Manager, and his wife Erika are expecting a new edition December 20, 2021. Big sisters Caroline and Charlotte can’t wait!

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, Mexico

Wilhelm Chira Service, Toronto, Canada

Cherianne Cramer Accounting, Jacksonville, FL

Nivethaa Kulendran Service, Toronto, Canada

Paul Micenko Marco Area Manager, North FL Territory

Logan 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, TX

Kirby 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

26+ years (cont.)

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

Do you have ideas for our next issue of The AEC Insider? SHARE NOW

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.

Newsletter Archive

AEC Insider Issue 1 – August 2021

Advancing Eyecare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.