Meet Our
Team
Waseem
Optical Lab Technician
Waseem was born and raised in Iraq before moving to Vancouver and calling it home. He has extensive experience in the optical field, having previously worked as a machine operator and lab technician in other clinics. Waseem looks forward to assisting as many patients as he can, and he approaches every challenge with critical thinking, positivity and a good sense of humour. During his spare time, Waseem enjoys playing and watching soccer, and catching up on the latest movies. You can always count on him having a smile on his face, especially when we are using our popcorn machine, and you’ll often find yourself tapping your feet when you hear his music coming from our lab!
Samantha
Vision Therapist
Samantha was born on Vancouver Island, but takes pride in growing up on the North Shore. She has previous experience in the healthcare industry, which made her a perfect fit for our LVO team. Sam looks forward to interacting with new patients every day, and you can always count on her to be positive and energetic. Her greatest reward is seeing her Vision Therapy patients not only improve their visual system, but also learn life skills and boost their self confidence in everything that they do. When she is not in the office, she likes to spend her time reading, baking, hiking the local trails and spending time with her three daughters. Her favourite movie is Dirty Dancing, which is fitting because she makes sure that every patient has the time of their life while at the clinic!
Eric
Lead Diagnostic Technician
Eric was born in Calgary before moving to Vancouver and calling British Columbia home. He attended the University of British Columbia, where he specialized in Biology. During his time at UBC, Eric also completed an 8-month co-op work placement at the clinic and, fortunately for us, hasn’t looked back since! Like many of our team members, Eric looks forward to interacting with the patients at our clinic. He is also very interested in developing a deeper understanding of the human eye, and enjoys closely working alongside our great doctors. He’s also quick with a joke, so get ready for some laughs during your diagnostic testing! When Eric is not in the clinic, he enjoys hiking, golfing and watching Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, he can’t do the first two activities from November to March because that’s usually when winter is coming.
katarina
IPL Technician
Katarina was born and raised in Slovakia before moving to North Vancouver in 2018. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Urgent Health Care and completed further studies at Tamwood College in 2019. When she’s at the clinic, Katarina enjoys interacting with patients and learning more about the field of optometry, and she strives to challenge herself everyday. You can always count on her to be happy and supportive, which made her a perfect fit for our LVO team! During her spare time, Katarina enjoys playing volleyball, exercising and curling up with a good detective novel. Her favourite movie is Pretty Woman, but you can also find her catching up on the latest flicks that hit the big screen!
Michelle
Vision Therapist
Like many of our staff members, Michelle was born and raised in British Columbia, splitting time between Vancouver and now Squamish. Before joining the LVO team, Michelle worked as a Manager at McDonald’s for over 16 years, as well as an office assistant for two more years. She has extensive customer service and administrative experience, which made her a great fit at the clinic. Michelle always looks forward to sharing a smile with her team members everyday, and she loves helping her Vision Therapy patients improve in all aspects of their daily lives. During her spare time, Michelle enjoys travelling, cooking and exploring our beautiful British Columbia trails with her Alaskan Malamute dog, Zeus. When the weather isn’t cooperating, you can find Michelle catching up on the latest episode of House of the Dragon. And if she’s feeling a little peckish, you might even find her enjoying some Aegon toast.
lizelle
Contact Lens Technician
Lizelle was born and raised in the small town of Frankfort in South Africa, where she completed her optometry qualifications in 2000. Lizelle practiced as an optometrist for many years in Johannesburg, and also lived in Namibia for five years before relocating to Vancouver in 2017. She always strives to provide the best patient care, and her extensive experience made her a perfect fit for our LVO team. Lizelle looks forward to enhancing the lifestyle and daily needs of all of her patients, and she enjoys helping them appreciate the importance and ease of contact lenses. During her spare time, you can find Lizelle soaking her feet in the sand, exploring the beautiful and secluded B.C. trails, or spending quality time with her boys. She describes herself as a giver of nature, and this quality really shows in her positive and caring personality. When the weather is not cooperating, you can find Lizelle cozying up with a book, or rewatching her favourite episodes of Schitt’s Creek. But please, whatever you do, don’t ask her how to fold in the cheese.
Artin
Diagnostic Technician
Artin was born in Montreal before moving to North Vancouver when he was seven years old. He currently attends the University of British Columbia, where he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology. When he’s at the clinic, you can always count on Artin to provide the best service to all of his patients, while also making his team members laugh and smile. During his spare time, Artin enjoys playing soccer, trying out new restaurants and spending time at the lake. When he is feeling more low-key, you can find Artin rewatching his favourite episodes of Curb Your Enthusiam, or cheering on his favourite team, the Montreal Canadiens, both of which can be summed up as “prett-ay good, prett-ay good, prett-ay good”.
Pooneh
Lead Patient Care-Coordinator
Pooneh was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She also spent a few years in Italy, completing a Health and Engineering management program at the University of Bergamo before moving to British Columbia and calling North Vancouver home. Prior to joining our team, Pooneh also completed an Open Source Software Development diploma, which added to her already extensive educational background. When she’s at the clinic, Pooneh strives to provide the best patient care for everyone that walks through our doors, and she is always keen to learn and collaborate with her amazing team members each day. During her spare time, you can find Pooneh spending time with friends, catching up on the latest flick or trying to beat her best time on the Grouse Grind. Pooneh also loves listening to classic 80’s songs, so don’t be surprised if you hear some of her favourites playing when you visit. In other words, she’s the Radio Gaga of the office.
Caitlin
Clinic Manager
Caitlin was born and raised in Calgary before moving to British Columbia and calling it home. Prior to settling down in Vancouver, Caitlin was able to gain invaluable experience in the fields of optometry and ophthalmology, working as a front desk receptionist, physician assistant, clinic manager and executive director at numerous practices across Canada over an 11-year span. Caitlin enjoys spending time with her fantastic team members each day, and she is extremely passionate about working with people and helping them be the best versions of themselves. During her spare time, Caitlin enjoys kayaking, camping, foraging and hiking the local trails. When the weather is not co-operating, you can find Caitlin rewatching the entire Harry Potter series – accio popcorn!
Doug
Eyewear Consultant
Doug was born and raised in a small town in Alberta, and takes pride in being a true prairie dog. Doug brings an extensive amount of experience to the LVO team, having worked nationally for a variety of European eyewear brands, while also opening a number of independent boutique opticals in Canada. Doug prides himself in being a good listener and having the ability to see what you might not see in yourself, and he loves every opportunity to change peoples’ lives by having them look and see better than ever before. When Doug is not in the clinic, he enjoys spending time with his grandkids, picnicking outside with his wife and trying out all of Anthony Bourdain’s delicious recipes. Just like his dishes, there’s no doubt that you’ll be giving a chef’s kiss when he picks out your next pair of glasses!
Jackie
Eyewear Consultant
Jackie was born and raised in Edmonton before moving further west to be closer to the calm waters of British Columbia. Like Doug, Jackie brings an extensive amount of experience in the optical industry, having owned two modern and independent boutiques in Canada for many years before joining LVO. You can always count on Jackie to be funny, charismatic and trusting, three qualities that make her a fantastic person to help you with all of your exciting and new eyewear needs. During her spare time, you can find Jackie cruising around the streets of Lower Lonsdale on her electric bike, collecting (but likely not reading) all of the novels on Oprah’s Book Club List, or rewatching The Sound of Music for the hundredth time. It’s quite the eclectic list for Jackie, but what can we say? These are just a few of her favourite things!
Preet
Eyewear Consultant
Preet was born and raised in India before moving to British Columbia and calling Vancouver home. In addition to her previous Health Science background, Preet also worked as an eyewear specialist at Sunglass Hut, both of which made her a valued addition to our team. When Preet is at the office, you can find her interacting and laughing with her patients, while also helping them fall in love with their next pair of glasses. During her spare time, you can find Preet reading, listening to instrumental music or capturing Vancouver’s beautiful nature through her landscape camera lens. Currently, Preet’s favourite song is “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish, which is so fitting once you see her big beaming smile in the clinic!
ZAAHID
Optical Manager
Zaahid was born and raised in North Vancouver, and takes pride in being a true North Shore kid. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in 2017, and returned to the university in 2019 to complete a Bachelor of Education degree. He first started working at Lynn Valley Optometry in 2015 as a co-op student, and hasn’t looked back since! Zaahid loves educating, laughing and interacting with all of his patients, and his biggest reward is seeing smiles on their faces when they notice improvements in any aspect of their lives. In his spare time, Zaahid enjoys playing sports, watching hockey and spending time with his family. When he’s feeling lazy, you can find him relaxing with a cup of coffee, a bag of candy and a classic movie or TV show. He can quote practically every line from “FRIENDS” which begs the question – could he be any more obsessed?