Advancing Eyecare Insider
Employee Newsletter | Issue 9 | August 2024
Enjoy the new issue of the Advancing Eyecare Insider!
Thank you to our incredible AEC team for your continued hard work and dedication. As we approach our busiest season, we will continue to work together to put our customers first and to make a difference in all that we do. We’re grateful you’re here!
Welcome, Eyefficient!
We are excited to welcome the Eyefficient team to our Advancing Eyecare family. Eyefficient has built a solid reputation in ophthalmic instrumentation over the last 30 years. They specialize in providing eye care providers with a carefully curated line of diagnostic instruments that are well-made and well-priced. Eyefficient works with a network of third-party distributors and independent representatives to bring specific lines of products to providers nationwide.
Based in Twinsburg, Ohio, founder Mark Newkirk will continue as President of the Eyefficient division. We look forward to working together to leverage the expansive capabilities of Advancing Eyecare to foster continues growth for the company. Welcome to the team!
Marco Lombart Team Kicks Off Q3 with a Big Bang!
Product Training, Motivational Messages, and Camaraderie
Members from the former Marco and Lombart sales teams recently met in Jacksonville for face-to-face time to get to know one another and discuss year-end sales strategies as the new Marco Lombart. The meeting kicked off with an inspirational message from Mike Massimino, former NASA astronaut, best-selling author, Big Bang Theory alumnae and the first person to tweet from space. His stories about NASA and his personal experiences were both motivational and eye opening, including how the US bridged the gap with Russia to work towards a common goal of space expansion, resonating with the team as they come together as one Marco Lombart team. The team also attended extensive product knowledge sessions, which were facilitated by peer subject matter experts and the Advancing Eyecare training and clinical support team. The training provided not only product knowledge but also the latest industry trends and sales strategies, helping the team to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. They rounded out the week with some friendly competition and year-end goal setting.
Advancing Eyecare Supporting Our Communities
While together for the mid-year sales meeting, the Marco Lombart team had the chance to spend an evening of fun, philanthropy, and teamwork as they gave back to the local Jacksonville community. The team created 100 teddy bears and made a monetary donation to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit hospital that treats all children, regardless of ability to pay. Thank you Marco Lombart team for putting your hearts into action to create these special bears and supporting the needs of the children at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. View the inspiring video about Wolfson Children Hospital.
August is Children's Eye Health & Safety Month
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has designated August as Children’s Eye Health & Safety month to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of children’s eyes. Good eyesight and eye health are essential for a child’s physical and cognitive development and it’s important for parents to stay on top of the issue. Statistics reveal that one in 20 children between the ages of three and five has a serious eye problem that, if left untreated, could result in permanent vision impairment.
There are many ways to support this important initiative, including encouraging parents to schedule an eye exam for their children and raising awareness through social media posts. You can like and repost Advancing Eyecare posts or create one of your own and include #ChildrensEyeAndSafetyMonth.
Take the AEC Eye Exam to be entered into a drawing for cool prizes!
Three winners will be randomly drawn. Deadline to enter is August 23, 2024. Click the image to take the exam and enter!
HR Wellness Corner - The Benefits of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being, offering a range of benefits that extend far beyond just physical fitness. Below are some benefits and tips about how to keep yourself active and healthy, provided by our US wellness partner Cigna.
Physical & Mental Benefits of Staying Active
- Help maintain or lose weight by increasing metabolism and building muscle mass
- Can reduce the impact of illness and chronic disease. People who exercise have:
Improved immune and digestive systems
Better blood pressure and bone density
Lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, hip fractures, and certain cancers
- Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
- Extended lifespan
- Improve sleep, mood, and self-confidence – exercise is a huge stress reliever and produces endorphins.
- Staying physically active can help keep your brain active.
Tips for Staying Active
- Walking – This is a perfect way to start exercising
- Sports or fitness classes – These keep you motivated
- Water aerobics and water sports – Improves your cardiovascular system while reducing stress and strain on your body’s joints
- Yoga – Improves strength, flexibility, and balance
- Tai chi and qi gong – Increase balance and strength
Learn more about the benefits of physical activity by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Expanding Excellence: Clinical Support Team Promotions & Updates
We are pleased to announce several key changes within our Clinical Support team. Stacy-Lee Annis has been promoted to Clinical Support Manager and will now oversee the Clinical Support Team across Advancing Eyecare in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, aligning with the successful model previously established at INNOVA. Jiayi Zhu will now lead the Clinical Support Team in Canada as the Clinical Support Team Lead, bringing her expertise and dedication to this important role. Additionally, Maria Pulido steps into the role of Training Specialist, where she will focus on enhancing the skills and knowledge within our team. Congratulations to Stacy-Lee, Jiayi, and Maria on their well-deserved new roles!
Spotlight: AEC Services Introduces New Lead Technician Role
The Advancing Eyecare Services team has experienced rapid growth and with that can come growing pains. To tackle the issue head on, a new Lead Technician position was created. The position combines technical expertise with leadership responsibilities to ensure the smooth functioning of our field service team. Their primary focus is on mentoring technicians and serving as a central point for technical inquiries and process knowledge. Congratulations to our recently promoted Lead Field Service Technicians!
BILL BARNES
Georgia/East Region
RON CURRAN
New England/East Region
MATTHEW VOLK
Wisconsin/West Region
IAN VILLAESCUSA
Irvine, CA/West Region
Shade Parade: AEC Employees Celebrate National Sunglasses Day with Style
Life Events Around the Company
Congratulations to our 2023 Core Values Winners
JUNE LIU
INNOVA | Toronto, Canada
“June always shares experience and knowledge, and she always listens to opinions and suggestions. She displays integrity in everything she does. As a manger, she provides clear instruction and diligently leads to find solutions.”
GREG GANT
MARCO | Jacksonville, Florida
“Greg is one of the most helpful and supportive people I have ever worked with. He has amazing follow up with customers and always has a happy and positive attitude.”
JAY MEHIC
EMS | St. Louis, Missouri
“Jay is constantly spearheading efforts to proactively increase internal efficiencies and eliminate bottlenecks in our process that also improve savings to our bottom line. He holds himself to high standards and pushes for fellow members of AEC to do the same when it comes to better service for our customers.”
CHRISSIE PATTISON
ADVANCING EYECARE | Jacksonville, Florida
“Chrissie works her tail off and it shows in the success of our trade show activities. She manages hundreds of shows, communicating with every single one of our sales teams and almost every department in the company. The shows are a huge effort and she does it with grace and dedication.”
Welcome to All of Our Recent New Hires!
- George Alexandrovich, AEC Technical Support
- Brian Beaty, Santinelli Sales Consultant
- Kathleen Heckenstaller, AEC Service Coordinator
- Jeff Perrye, Acting VP Marco and Logistics
- Trong Tin Tran, INNOVA Service Technician
- Jeff Welsh, Marco Lombart Area Sales Manager
- Adeline Bishop, AEC Accounting
- Maureen Cavanagh, AEC Chief Sales Officer
- Travis Franklin, AEC Service Technician
- Erick Guyton, AEC Warehouse Associate
- Nathan Lacovara, AEC Field Service Technician
- Tana Ngin, INNOVA Territory Sales Manager
- Mo Sabra, INNOVA Clinical & Technical Support
- Luis Valencia Moran, S4Optik Operations Manager
- Ivory Washington, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Gabriel Durant, AEC Senior Staff Accountant
- Andrew Katynski, AEC Field Service Technician
- Vicky Peterson, INNOVA Accounts Receivable Administrator
- Crystyn Ramos-Lopez, INNOVA Clinical & Technical Support
- Laurin Stayton, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Lydon Whittingham, AEC Field Service Technician
- Shatice Blue, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Teresa Gary, AEC AR Collections Specialist
- Luis Gutierrez Medina, S4Optik Service Engineer
- Andia Jackson, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Darnessia Martin, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Rodrigo Padilla Apango, S4Optik Sales
- Ian Perez, Santinelli Sales Consultant
- Zenobia Riley, AEC Customer Experience Specialist
- Luis Enrique Sanchez Ramirez, S4Optik Sales
- Rajnal Sharma, AEC Field Service Technician
- Cecilia Vargas, AEC Senior Accountant
Celebrating Milestone Work Anniversaries
Celebrating April - July milesone anniversaries. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and loyalty!
30+ years
Bill Barnes, AEC Lead Field Service Technician – 38 years
Debby Elder, AEC Inventory Processor – 32 years
John Thatcher, INNOVA Sr. Bench Technician – 31 years
26-30 years
Adrienne Lauro, Sios Administrator – 27 years
Vincent Costanzo, AEC Technical Specialist – 28 years
Joshua Hughes, AEC Field Service Technician – 28 years
David Simpson, AEC Warehouse Associate – 29 years
Greg Gant, AEC Customer Service Rep – 26 years
Jocelyn Hamilton, SVP AEC Corporate Accounts – 26 years
Robert Metelsky, INNOVA Product Manager – 29 years
Ruthann Schwab, AEC Government Business Manager – 30 years
20-25 years
Mark Bell, AEC Field Service Technician – 25 years
Rick Clemente, President, Santinelli – 21 years
Caroline Duperron, INNOVA Corporate Sales – 22 years
Carl Metcalf, Receiving Clerk – 24 years
Maya Bowen, Director of Wavefront – 22 years
Randy Dykman, VP National & Corporate Accounts – 21 years
Ginny Fannin, AEC Service Technician – 23 years
Lennie Olson, System Administrator – 24 years
Enrique Ortiz, Field Service Technician – 24 years
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Advancing Eyecare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
