professional experience

• Licensed Optician
• Registered Spectacle Lens Dispenser (RSLD)
• ABO Certified (ABOC) by ABO-NCLE nationally
• 15+ years experience in retail optical, optical labs, optometry practices and VA Hospital
• Trained by the most skilled and traditional Optician who practiced Opticianry to the full capacity for over 45 years: refracting patients, crafting eyewear, and cutting lenses manually, repairing eyeglasses, and more.
• Started from the very bottom as a sales associate to becoming an optician apprentice, becoming a certified optician (ABOC), to becoming a Licensed Optician (RSLD), working in a lab, medical billing/coding, inventory management, e-commerce, marketing/advertising, management, to opening flagship locations for the biggest corporate retailer
• Crafted, adjusted, troubleshoot, and repaired well over 50,000 pairs of eyeglasses
• Committee Member, Dispensing Opticians Committee (DOC) with Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) CA State Board of Optometry served a 4 year term 2017-2021
• Subject Matter Expert (SME), Optical Technology Program, Los Rios Community Colleges District 2019-present

SPECIALTY

• Precise Fitting for Patients with cerebral palsy, autism, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, photophobia, hearing loss and more.
• Lens Design Customization
• Digital Free Form Progressive Measurements
• Troubleshooting Prescription Issues
• 4 Point Frame Adjustments
• Pantoscopic/Retroscopic Tilt Adjustments
• QC Final Inspections
• Eyeglass Repairs

Educational experience

• American Board of Opticianry Certified (ABOC), ABO-NCLE
• Pre-Med, minor in Pre-Law, Bachelor of Science, University of California, Davis, CA
• Biological Science, Associate of Science with Honors, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
• Physical Science, Associate of Science with Honors, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
• Natural Science and Mathematics, Associate of Arts with Honors, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
• Business Administration, Associate of Arts with Honors, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
• Social and Behavioral Science, Associate of Arts with Honors, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA

WHO DO WE PARTNER WITH?

• Optometrists who sub-lease spaces within Retail locations (i.e. Target, Walmart, Lenscrafters, Sears, Costco, and more.)
• Optometrists and Ophthalmologists who specialize in Vision therapy 
• Ophthalmologists and Medical Doctors (MD) who specialize in Lasik
• Optometrists who work for Hospitals or Medical Centers (i.e. Kaiser, VA Hospital, Sutter, VA Clinics)
• Senior Care Homes, Health Facilities, Rehabilitation Centers, Retirement Homes, etc.
• Local Businesses needing vision plans for their employees
• Businesses needing safety prescription eyewear for their employees.

SETTING THE BAR FOR QUALITY

Anna has a passion for opticianry, which she communicates through the quality of her work. Whether it's fitting patients for their next set of eyeglasses, or repairing broken eyeglasses; she makes sure the work is something that leaves a long-lasting and positive impression. Her goal is to grow with the same patients over the next 35+ years, fitting every person properly, making quality eyeglasses, down to mounting the lenses, aligning the frames to spec, and dispensing each pair of eyeglasses to her patients. Whether you're visiting The Vision Parlor in Auburn, CA or ordering online from Florida or Texas, every single pair of eyeglasses that leaves our office goes through Anna to ensure everything is precise and passes her inspections. She wants to continue to honor her mentor who passed down his 45+ years of experience so that she can continue to do what's right for every patient and customer.

"Good enough isn't good enough. It must be done right. There are people who still exist in this world that isn't looking for the cheapest this or that. I am blessed with customers who wait for me because they know I will do my best every single time. I still see patients from old practices I've worked at because I've earned their trust over the years.

My patients value their sight and put their trust in me to make sure quality eyeglasses are made and properly dispensed. Because I've fitted so many patients and troubleshoot issues that arise for many Optometrists (ODs), I know for a fact that this whole "one size fits all" marketing trend isn't what's best for my patients. Paid marketing isn't my thing; every customer and patient who finds me is by word of mouth or referral. Many of them aren't tech savvy, some are deaf, many are wheelchair bound, and I serve many veterans who love to share their stories with me. I don't do the whole, "oh you need to go back to your doctor" thing. That's most often why my patients trust me; I don't pass off blame to doctors, I exhaust all options before I even think to have my patients run around in circles and waste their time. Oftentimes, it's the lens design, the optician measurements, the frame adjustment, etc. ALL of those components can cause patients to not see clearly. I've had less than 1% of my patients go back to their doctors and I've had less than 0.5% redos.

When it comes to all this marketing out there, many don't need what's being marketed. I don't accept kickbacks for promoting a product; I do what's right for my patients. Not every patient can be fitted with polycarbonate lenses. Not every patient can be fitted with Zeiss or Varilux progressives. There are non-adapts and many of those people self-measuring their own PDs end up inducing unwanted prism and creating image jumps. The long lasting effects will catch so many on the backside, and it's a shame. Your vision should never be an afterthought and the fact that the eyewear industry and dropshipping companies has turned opticianry into this retail trend is sad for our profession.

My patients' vision means everything to me. I've worked with so many near blind patients and veterans who can't function properly because of their vision, that I never take anyone's vision for granted. Without your vision, how could you function and complete everyday tasks? This is why customers and patients come to me to fit them properly, make their glasses and repair their eyeglasses. I also know not everyone can afford brand new glasses, and because I have the ability to find the right product for everyone's budget, I am in no way limited. This ensures I never let patients leave without doing everything I can to ensure they can see. Whether you want the best quality, top tier everything or the most affordable option, I will always do my best to take care of every person like how I was raised to care for my loved ones." - Anna