Our Great Staff

Melanie is one of our receptionists and has been with Uptown Eye Care since 2005. Melanie has over 18 years of experience that she will use to make our patients’ visits as pleasant and problem free as she possibly can, whether it is with scheduling, checking-in for appointments, or understanding insurance benefits. Melanie comes to us from Texas and she brings a special, southern charm to our office.

Any spare time Melanie has is spent with her family which is divided between Texas and Minnesota.

Theresa Z. joined our reception staff in the fall of 2012. Theresa will help set up your appointments and answer any questions you may have about your visit to our office. You will find Theresa at the front desk most days of the week.

When she does take some time off she likes to spend time with her family, especially if it means visiting her son in the beautiful state of Alaska.

Trish joined Uptown Eye Care in 2013 with many years in the optometry industry. She started her career in the optical field in 2002 and has experience as an optician, optometric technician and now she is part of our receptionist team. Trish received her paraoptometric certification in 2014. You will recognize Trish by her friendly smile and warm and her outgoing personality when you check in at the front desk.

During her free time Trish devotes her time to her husband, 3 children, 2 dogs and a cat. She enjoys watching movies, arts and crafts with her daughter and if the weather is warm and the sun is shining you might find her out on a long drive with the windows rolled down and the music turned up.

It took years of trying to convince Kim that she should join our staff here at Uptown Eye Care and we finally succeeded when her children completed their home schooling. Now she gives our patients the same care and gentle guidance she gives to all who are privileged to know her. You will meet Kim at the reception desk in our office where she always has a welcoming smile and does her best to make sure everyone’s visit here is a successful one. She is well equipped to assist you with any questions you may have on your visit here.

When not at work Kim continues to focus on faith, family and friends.

Kristi has been a fantastic addition to our front desk team since 2015. She wears a permanent smile, is always eager to help and will always respond to a request with “you got it”. When you ask Kristi for something it is as good as done. Kristi likes spending her days helping all who visit our office have the best possible experience.

We are lucky that Kristi’s husband and two boys are willing to share her with us. Kristi loves to travel, especially when there are beloved family members waiting for her at her destination, and she always has entertaining accounts of her travels with young children when she returns to work.

Shayna became part of the Uptown Eye Care team shortly after she moved from Eagan, MN to Buffalo in 2016. Her experience includes being an ophthalmic technician and surgical assistant at TLC Vision of Edina and Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville. Shayna’s leadership skills are an asset to our technician team as she focuses on providing professional and personalized care to each of our patients. Please feel free to ask her any questions you may have about your eye health or your exam here at Uptown Eye Care.

Shayna and her family are happily enjoying their home and getting to know their neighbors as they settle into their new community.

Kendall has been part of the Uptown Eye Care Team since 2012, first as an optician and currently as a technician. Kendall is trained to assist the doctors with your eye exam, to do contact lens insertion and removal instruction and to do special testing. She will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have during your visit.

Alyssa joined the Uptown optical team in the summer of 2016. She recently graduated from Hamline University with her Bachelor’s in biology and is currently applying to optometry school. She loves the eye care industry and all she is learning as part of the staff at Uptown Eye Care. Her favorite experience is seeing the expression on a child’s face when they put on their new glasses and see the world clearly for the first time in their life. “ It puts a smile on your face for the rest of the day”

Another thing that makes Alyssa smile is spending time with family, friends and her two cats, Jewel and Alley.

John joined the Uptown Eye Care team in March of 2010. He brought with him seven years of optical experience and strives to educate our patients on the best options available for their optical needs. As our optical team leader he sets the standard for providing superior care to each of our patients. He especially focuses on making sure each individual enjoys their experience choosing their new eyewear.

Outside of work he loves to spend time with friends, family and his two furry canines.

Shelagh L. joined our optical team in the fall of 2012. We know you will love her contagious smile as much as we do. Shelagh is here to assist you in your selection of frames and lenses and to instruct new wearers in the proper care of their glasses. She especially enjoys seeing the looks of joy on the faces of those that can finally see clearly for the first time.

Shelagh (also known as Shay) also assists at the front desk, and we love having her smiling face greeting everyone who stops by.

On the weekends Shelagh divides her time between friends and family, cooking for both and being outdoors whenever possible.

Sandi has been with the optical team since June 2016. Her work experience has always been in fields where she can help and bring enjoyment to others and that is what she likes about being here at Uptown Eye Care. If you need help choosing your new pair of glasses or just need a “tune-up” on your current glasses, Sandi will be happy to assist you.

Pat has worked in numerous areas of the professional optical office for over 19 years. These areas include frame fitting; measuring and repairing of eyeglasses; insurance billing and troubleshooting; patient care; office bookkeeping and patient scheduling. She has also worked in maintaining HIPAA compliant patient records and ensuring patient confidentiality. Pat joined our team in 2008 as team leader of the front desk and business office departments.

Most of the time you can find her in the business office working with insurance billing, but occasionally you will find her helping out in optical or the front desk reception area as well. She is always available and happy to assist you with any questions or concerns that you may have regarding your account or insurance. Pat feels passionately about doing her part to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality of care.

Melonie is our office manager and has been with Uptown Eye Care since 2000. She is a certified paraoptometric assistant and her many years of experience with our office have equipped her to answer any questions you may have about your visit. Melonie is proud to be a part of a clinic that puts providing the best possible eye care as its first priority.

In addition to devoting time to making Uptown Eye Care the best choice for eye care, she enjoys spending time at the family cabin in northern Minnesota.