Andrew

When we say, “Our fearless leader” – we’re not kidding. He can often be heard to say, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” Dr. Peter lives for adventure and can often be found following an ascension line up a remote Alaskan ridge or backcountry biking with his daughter Thalia and his wife, Heidi, following close behind. From growing up in a small town in Iowa, to Pacific University where he graduated from optometry school, to international travel, Dr. Peter established a baseline for curiosity, ambition, and continual learning about the world around him.

Now living in Homer, Dr. Peter’s goal in life is to provide the best care to his patients while never losing his sense of adventure and vitality.

Dr. Mario Cruz

Arriving in Homer in the autumn of 2021, Dr. Mario Cruz brought his compassion and sense of adventure with him! From fishing remote lakes, hiking along ridgelines, hitting the ski slopes, catching a wave, his passions cover almost anything that might fall under the umbrella of “exploring” or “adventure.” His passion for exploration extends all over the world, seeking new connections, opportunities for growth, and, of course, adventures in the unexpected.

Raised in rural northern Nevada, Dr. Cruz graduated with honors from Southern California College of Optometry, before moving up north to Alaska. His compassion and curiosity colors every interaction, both personally and professionally. He is inspired by the potential to change a person’s life for the better.

Heidi

Heidi cuts straight to the heart of matters. There’s not much going on behind the scenes at Homer Eyecare that she’s not involved in—directly or indirectly. She propels the team to be their best self and also keeps the clinic underway. She’s calm, collected, and adventurous.

In another life, Heidi would probably be a language teacher. She gardens, bikes, runs, bakes, skis, travels, kayaks, and everything in between. On these adventures, Heidi teaches her two monsters–Andrew and Thalia–fluency in Austrian German and English.

Frank

Frank is a cool guy. He has cool shirts, cool suspenders, and, above all, he keeps a cool head. No matter what the chaos or catastrophe, he’ll stay calm, cool, and collected. Especially cool. Our senior optician’s favorite part of the day is when someone puts on their first pair of glasses and they get to see a world they didn’t know could look like that. Priceless.

He loves tinkering and troubleshooting on about anything–glasses, motorcycles, computers, and pretty much anything he can get his hands on. If you need someone for a tricky or out-of-the-box glasses repair, Frank is your guy! We freqently bug Frank about starting his own podcast. He has vetoed the name, “To Be Frank,” but I still think it’s a good idea.

Maria

Meet our newest Optician, Maria! Bio coming SOON!

Linnaea

Quietly hilarious, our Lead Technician gave us 7 descriptor words when asked for 3. Linnaea is honest, patient, thoughtful, artistic, adventurous, amiable, and easy-going—and so much more. Our most senior team member, she is the absolute best at answering questions and making even the most complex things crystal clear!  

Linnaea is, to put it mildly, obsessed with animals. She comes alive when she gets to observe, care for, or cuddle animals. Especially her ducks, chickens, and German Shepherds. If Linnaea HAD to work somewhere else, she’d obviously want to be a veterinarian and take care of all the animals!

Meagan

You’ll know Meagan Ray as soon as you hear her: kind-hearted, patient, and fiery with a southern twang. As Communications Director, Meagan loves brightening people’s day and building connections with them. She believes that one smile and one kind gesture can change someone’s day for the better.

If you need someone to get things done, Meagan is your girl. She doesn’t rest until what needs done is done. When she’s not working on communication systems, connecting with patients, or coordinating marketing, she’s busy loving on her 3 kiddos, her husband, and, their pup, Chase.

James

Our technician, James resonates with his favorite quote by George Bernard Shaw, “Accurate observation is often called cynicism by those who have not got it.” Although he is a keen observer and has a wry wit, he doesn’t fit the bill as cynical. James loves discovering new ways he can help people and keeps all of us laughing with his dry, deadpan sense of humor. Well-read, personable, intellectual, and self-effacing, Homer Eyecare would not be the same without James!

He’s a reader, a porch-sitter, a contemplator, an artist, an observer of the human experience, and just a straight-up good time to be around!

Anna

Originally from the plains of South Dakota, our Personnel Manager Anna is happiest as far “nowhere” as she can be. She’s pretty sure that she was a golden retriever in another life—loves walks, loves her people, cheerfully chill, and hair to match!

The part of her job that gets her up in the morning is seeing the daily growth in people—including herself! So it makes a lot of sense that her job consists of training hires, creating education materials, and a lot of communication! She describes herself as an “agent of chaos”. She’s not wrong—but she does keep her chaos fairly organized. Most of the time.   

Shelby

What exactly does a Billing Specialist do? We don’t know what others might do, but we think of Shelby as our own detective, tracking down paper trails and solving the mysteries of insurance! Both here and at home with her horses and family, she lives by the mantra: “Anything worth trying is worth doing to the best of your ability.” And she certainly doesn’t!

If she HAD to change careers, she’d probably own an Equine Rehab center. She finds her peace and happiness camping with her son, competing in rodeo, or just hanging with her horses, Nala and Chance.”

Bess

Though her “real” name may be Elisabeth… her name is Bess.  All the way from the other side of the US, this Maine girl keeps us grounded, on track, and laughing. She’s not only our awesome Patient Coordinator—getting things done and done well—she’s also a proud member of the Coast Guard Reserve. So she knows how to get things done and done properly.

She’s witty. She’s dry. She’s hard-working and focused. All in all, we’re a huge fan.  

Samantha

It’s rare that someone is both 100% sweet and 100% spicy. But Samantha is that person! Our bubbly optician has a zesty sense of humor that matches how she approaches life. She grew up in Ecuador and spent 7 years living in France before she found her way to Homer! We’re a crew of (mostly) dog-lovers and Samantha is no exception. Her pup Bramble is the light of her life.

Samantha connects. She loves people, she loves learning and putting things together—sometimes literally! It’s a cliché to say that someone lights up a room, but between her smile, her lively sense of humor, and her genuine warmth for people—it’s pretty dang true!