Our Great Staff

Melanie K.

Melanie is one of our administrative assistants and has been with Uptown Eye Care since 2005. Melanie has over 25 years of experience that she uses 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. As our Front Desk Team Leader, she lends her support and leadership skills to the front desk staff as well as providing assistance to our billing department.

Melanie’s roots are in Texas and she brings a special, southern charm to our clinic.

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

Theresa Z.

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 O.

Trish joined Uptown Eye Care in 2014 with many years of experience in the optometry industry. She started her career in the optical field in 2002. She has experience as an optician, optometric technician and now she is part of our front desk team.

You will recognize Trish by her friendly smile, warm welcome and her outgoing personality when you check in at the front desk.

During her free time Trish devotes her time to her family. She enjoys watching movies, spending time with her kids, taking her dogs for walks and being outside when the weather is warm and the sun is shining.

Kim A., CPO

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 N.

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 S., Lead Technician

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 C.

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.

Shelagh L., CPO

Shelagh L. (also known as Shay) joined the Uptown team in the fall of 2012. We know you will love her contagious smile as much as we do. Shelagh received her paraoptometric certification in 2013. Shelagh has been trained as a receptionist and an optician but as of 2019 she will be working as a technician.

Shelagh loves to travel and takes advantage of every opportunity to experience new places and cultures. On the weekends, Shelagh divides her time between friends and family, cooking for both and being outdoors whenever possible.

Alyssa R.

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.

Karina A., CPO

Karina became part of our team in January of 2018 but has been a patient here since she was 4 years old. She quickly decided she was interested in the optometry field and received her CPO certification in the fall of 2018. Her favorite thing about working here is helping children who have never had an eye exam have a fun, comfortable, and pleasant experience. She is also bilingual and is happy to help any patient that speaks Spanish as their first language.

Karina enjoys traveling, spending time at the lake, and other outdoor activities in her free time with friends and family.

John N.

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.

Aiden E.

Aiden joined the optical team in February 2018. She will be graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and a minor in Global Health. She will start applying to Masters programs focusing on similar studies in December 2019. Aiden is constantly learning from coworkers in each department, to provide patients with the best possible care. She will always be happy to help.

Aiden spends time on the weekends with her friends and family. She especially loves to travel and experience new cultures. When Aiden is not traveling, she is camping, kayaking, playing video games, or longboarding.

Latha S.

Latha has 12 years of experience in the optical industry. She says “This is my favorite job because I get to help people every day. Being a part of the optical team at Uptown Eye Care has been a very positive experience and a huge contrast to the big box stores of my past.”

Latha loves being part of the Big Lake community, in part because it is a wonderful place to live and in part because she is close to her grandsons. Family time is a very important part of her life. She is also a Young Living member and enjoys all the different things she can make for her home, family and friends.

Travel is one of the joys of Latha’s life. The one trip left on her bucket list is a trip to Italy, which is currently planned for the fall of 2020.

Pat K.

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 C., CPOA

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.