Our staff is hired because they are friendly, outgoing, and genuinely care about others. We then provide them with extensive training in eye disease, ocular testing, eyeglasses frame selection, lens technology, and contact lenses.
From the time you call our office, to the time you pick up your new designer eyewear, we know you will feel comfortable and cared for as more than just a set of eyeballs. Let us show you the difference between regular eyecare and the Family Eye Care Center.
Claire Applegate is a Clear Lake native and has been an optometric technician at Family Eye care Center since August 2021. Claire earned her bachelor’s degree in Family Services from the University of Northern Iowa in 2019. After finishing her degree, she and her husband, Evan, moved back to Clear Lake where they still reside today.
Claire loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her dog, Sully, and cat, Mittens. Second only to Evan, Claire’s favorite person to spend time with is her sister. Lucky for Evan, she lives in New York City. While Claire may love to adventure and travel, the same cannot be said for her pallet. You won’t catch her eating shrimp, tuna, or peas any time soon.
April Harrah joined the Family Eye Care Center team in November of 2022. She was born in Las Vegas, NV, and moved to Clear Lake in 2002. In 2005, she moved back to Las Vegas and has also lived in San Francisco, CA and Missoula, MT. April, her husband, Joe, and their two boys, Phillip and Leon, moved to Garner, IA in 2021.
Through April’s life experiences, she has gained a great appreciation for food and culture. She loves a good challenge whether it be learning a new recipe, or putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle. She is very proud of her children and loves spending time with them while camping, playing board games, drawing, or doing crafts.
Haley Blakesley grew up in Garner, IA and graduated from GHV in 2014. She has been the smiling face at the front desk of Family Eye Care Center in Garner since April of 2023. Haley has a great deal of prior experience working with the public in the medical field, and loves being the first person our patients encounter as they walk in.
Haley loves to spend time with her beautiful family. She and her partner Alex work hard to keep up with their three beautiful children: Barrett, Amyah, and Aspyn. Her kids motivate her to be the best version of herself that she possibly can. Over the last 6+ years, they have grown to love camping as a family, have purchased and remodeled their home in Klemme, and have even added two dogs (King and Cookie) to their tribe! In her free time, Haley enjoys reading a good book and kicking her feet up by the campfire.
Kacie Suby is a Forest City native who has been a member of the Family Eye Care Center team since February 2024. She is a Forest City High School graduate from the class of 2023, and she earned a Business Office Specialist degree through NIACC in May of 2024. Kacie is very proud to have secured her position at FECC and loves our great work environment! You will find Kacie at the front desk in our Forest City office, Monday through Friday.
In her free time, Kacie enjoys golfing, baking, and traveling. It’s not unusual for her to go on a road trip over the weekend to explore other parts of the midwest and the Dakotas. She loves spending time with her family, including her niece, Denver Jo, and her nephews, Grayson and Decker. She credits her family with motivating her to work hard and achieve great things! Stop by the Forest City office to meet Kacie, and bring pizza to get on her good side!
Gloria Heins grew up in Spirit Lake, IA – the Iowa Great Lakes. She and her husband, Larry, moved to Britt, IA when she joined the Family Eye Care Center in July of 1995. She has been in the eyecare field since 1989, and is currently our Business Manager, responsible for company financials. She has completed all three levels of the Paraoptometric Certification, earning her CPOT in 2002. Gloria has enjoyed watching the practice grow and develop over the years.
Gloria and Larry enjoy spending time with their family including their daughter, Sara, and two granddaughters, Breanna and Brooke! They love to go camping, hiking, biking, and motorcycling, and have been known to take their motorcycles cross country on different journeys. Gloria also has a lot of unique skill sets. She is a self-proclaimed math nerd, and can crochet longer hours than most people are awake. We are lucky to have her on the FECC team.
Cindy Kumsher joined Family Eye Care Center in 2008. She began as the face at the front desk in our previous Britt location, and transitioned to the HR manager in 2019. She is truly our “chaos coordinator.” Cindy acknowledges that we all have good days and bad days, but she truly loves helping and caring for others and finding “joy” in each and every day.
Cindy and her husband, Paul, are very proud of the family they have raised. They have been married for 32+ years, have 3 children, 2 son-in-laws, and one granddaughter, Charlie. Cindy loves spending time with her family and being creative with scrapbooking, photography, and diamond dotting. She and Paul also love to travel. You can find them in Custer State Park “glamping” every summer; just look for their blue tent and decor with a hint of trendy pineapple.
Pam Rolling has been part of the Family Eye Care Center team since July of 2012 as a paraoptometric technician. She grew up in Thompson, IA and currently resides there with her husband, Bill. Pam and Bill have one daughter, Rachel, and were recently blessed with a grandson, Rowan. Pam’s pride and joy are being Rowan’s Oma, being Bill’s wife for more than 32 years, and being part of the FECC team.
Pam loves to go fishing and play cards or bingo with her husband, Bill. Even more so, she loves shopping with her friends or a quiet night in with a good book. Pam loves being part of the FECC team! She has been motivated over the last 10+ years by her parents and by our HR team for their leadership and constant faith in her to overcome challenges and be a better person.
Aricka Stevens was born and raised in Forest City, IA, and is proud to be a lifelong resident. She has been an integral member of the Family Eye Care Center team since August 2012. Aricka received her CPO certification in 2013 and her CPOA certification in 2014. She has performed many roles throughout her time at FECC, but is now the head optician in Forest City.
Aricka and her husband, Tommy, have four wonderful children Caleb, Carter, Madyson & Max (two sets of twins) and have managed to survive more than 21 years with them! Their most recent adventure as a family was a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate 21st birthdays for Max and Madyson. They enjoy spending time together as a family, camping in the summer, playing with their dogs, and watching the Minnesota Vikings.
Stacy Miller grew up in Forest City, IA. She and her husband, Ronnie, have raised their three daughters in the Forest City community, Kaylee, Alyson, and Jenna. Over the years, Stacy has spent most of her time at her kids sporting events. With only one daughter left to graduate from Forest City High School, she has much more time to compete with Alicia in the competition of Who Can Read More Books.
Stacy joined the Family Eye Care Center team in March of 2016, coming to us with over 15 years of optical experience. She received her CPO certification in November of 2016. Stacy loves everything about eyecare, from the start of the exam to the frame selection process. Her passion in eyecare is getting to know patients and helping them find the right pair of glasses to make them feel great and look their best!
Alicia Savoy is a Garner native and has been an optometric technician at Family Eye Care Center since 2018. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Buena Vista University in 2016. Alicia gained her CPO certification in 2022 and her CPOA certification in 2024, for which she got two huge bonuses.
Alicia loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her adorable niece, Quinn. In her free time, she enjoys playing cards and board games, reading the latest New York Times Best Sellers, and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Green Bay Packers. She’s always planning her next vacation and seeking out new adventures.
