About Us

DR. KRISTEL JEFFERIES 

Optometrist

Visual rehabilitation and vision therapy have been Dr. Jefferies’ passion since her second year of schooling when she became fascinated by the neurology behind the visual process. She has focussed her practice on behavioural optometry and the treatment of binocular vision disorders since began her career in 2013. Having suffered a concussion herself, Dr. Jefferies understands first-hand the important role that visual neuro-rehabilitative therapy can play in achieving a full recovery from a traumatic brain injury. She also offers vision therapy to individuals with eye turns and amblyopia, sports vision treatments to athletes, and developmental optometry services to children with autism, dyslexia, non-specific reading disabilities and other academic difficulties. Dr. Jefferies is privileged to have assisted hundreds of patients to improve the quality of their vision. She is thrilled to provide care to the community of Pembroke and surrounding areas.

Dr. Jefferies obtained a baccalaureate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Guelph in 2008. In 2013, she graduated with her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo, School of Optometry and Vision Science. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Jefferies started a binocular vision and vision therapy practice in Ottawa, Ontario. During her training, Dr. Jefferies was the recipient of several awards including the W. Ross Andrews Prize for Clinical Optometry, the Essilor Low Vision Award, and the Reginald Williams Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence. She was also the Vice President of her graduating class and remains a strong advocate for volunteer work and community involvement. Dr. Jefferies has been an integral part of many optometric mission trips to under-developed countries including Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Ghana, where she provided free eye-care to citizens in need.

Dr. Jefferies received her Fellowship with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development in 2020. She is also an active board member of Vision Therapy Canada and serves the College of Optometrists of Ontario in a volunteer role. Dr. Jefferies also consults on legal cases of vision and traumatic brain injury and provides independent medical assessments in the Optometric field.

Dr. Jefferies moved to Pembroke in 2015 with her family. She is a proud mother to two children and one horse! She enjoys spending her leisure time outdoors through activities such as camping, hiking, running and biking. As a young adult, she was a competitive soccer player and horseback rider. Dr. Jefferies remains a horse enthusiast but now enjoys these sports as hobbies.

DR. NICOLE MAIONE

Optometrist

Dr. Nicole Maione grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours Specialization in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario in 2015. She then moved to Waterloo to complete her Optometry degree as part of the graduating class of 2019 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science where she received the Dr. Howard A. Backman Award and GP Contact Lens Clinical Excellence Award.

After completing her second year of Optometry school, Dr. Maione’s curiosity and interest for perception and neurophysiology inspired her to become a research assistant in Drs. Bobier and Thompson’s lab group. The goal of the research was towards developing new treatment plans for patients with convergence insufficiency (CI), or post concussion and stroke patients that have difficulty with the vergence system. To further apply research and its relation to clinical practice, she attends the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Academy Meeting annually and is currently working toward her Fellowship with the AAO.

In her final year of studies, Dr. Maione had the privilege of receiving advanced ocular disease training at Houston Eye Associates in Houston, Texas. She gained experience managing ocular conditions with a special focus in cataract and laser refractive surgery, corneal disorders, uveitis, pediatrics and glaucoma management.

Dr. Maione’s passion for giving back to the community led her to take part in a humanitarian mission trip with Volunteer Optometric Students to Humanity (VOSH). With VOSH, she provided eye care with the VOSH team to over 3000 patients in underserved communities in Ecuador in 2017. In her spare time, Dr. Maione enjoys outdoor adventures, sports, yoga, dancing, travelling and spending time with her family and friends. Her passion for the outdoors, volunteering and sport guided her to accomplish her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in 2015. Dr. Maione is excited to join Dr. Jefferies along with the rest of the Ottawa Valley Vision Team to provide eye care to the Pembroke community and surrounding areas.

Dr. Kristen Letwinetz

Optometrist

Raised in the small northern community of Bonnyville, Alberta, Dr. Kristen Letwinetz has always kept a keen interest in the diversity of rural health care practice. She attended the University of Alberta’s

Francophone Campus Saint-Jean for three years of a Baccalauréat en Sciences Biologiques (BSc.) before moving to Waterloo, Ontario to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Waterloo.

She is a graduate of the class of 2023, and was an active member of the UW Optometric Student Society Sports Representative Team during her time in Waterloo. She is also the recipient of the Eschenbach Low Vision Award for her interest in low vision rehabilitation.

Her experience within the optometric industry began as an Optometric Assistant in clinics in Bonnyville and Cold Lake, Alberta. In her final year of studies, Dr. Letwinetz selected to continue her training in Grande

Prairie, Alberta where she gained experience in ocular disease, including cataract post-operative care, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy management. She completed her final internship here, at Ottawa Valley Vision, and is proud to continue to serve the Ottawa Valley community.

When she is not in the clinic, Dr. Letwinetz enjoys spending most of her time outdoors, either hiking with her dog or playing a variety of sports including volleyball, softball, golf, and pickleball. It is her travel goal to roadtrip to as many United States and Canadian National Parks as possible. 

Dr. Letwinetz brings to the clinic an interest in offering a variety of optometric services including Pediatric Care, Military Eye Examinations, Specialty Contact Lens fitting, Vision Therapy, and Low Vision

Rehabilitation. She is a strong advocate for the importance of healthcare services in rural communities, and is honored to be a primary eyecare

provider in the Ottawa Valley offering services in both English et en Français!

Jody Graham

Optical Consultant

Jody was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley. Jody joined the Ottawa Valley Vision team in 2021. She has a strong desire to help improve people's quality of life through providing them the best vision they can achieve.

Since entering the field, she has discovered a passion for the optical industry and is now pursuing the Opticianry course to become a certified Optician in Ontario. Jody hopes to spend the remainder of her career and continue to grow with Ottawa Valley Vision.

JULIA FABIAN

Lead Optician

Julia has been working in the optical field since 2020. She found a passion for the industry immediately when learning about the science behind the lenses, contact lenses and being a part of the rewarding process of helping find a patients perfect pair of eyeglasses. In 2024, Julia received her Opticianry diploma, from LaCité Collégiale in Ottawa. She enjoys being a part of the community at Ottawa Valley Vision and is excited to continue to grow with the company.

Megan nephin

Office Manager & Vision Therapist

Megan was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley. She became interested in vision therapy after meeting with Dr. Jefferies and seeing what an impact this type of therapy had on her patients and their everyday lives. Megan was trained in the provision of Optometric Vision Therapy by Dr. Jefferies and has been working with the Ottawa Valley Vision team since early 2018.

She graduated from the Canadian Practical Vision Therapy Accreditation Program with Vision Therapy Canada in 2020. When she is not in the office, Megan can be found with her growing family while they dance to music or play games. She is also involved with recreational sports in the community.

Tasha Bates

Lead Vision Therapist

Tasha moved to Pembroke in 2019 with her family of 4 children. Her roles at Ottawa Valley Vision are diverse as she is knowledgeable in many areas of our products and services. Tasha primarily provides Optometric Vision Therapy to our patients but can also be found in our eyewear boutique and is always happy to answer your questions about our services or help you book your next eye exam.

Tasha’s hobbies include camping, hiking, reading, LEGO, and spending countless hours at the hockey rink as a hockey mom.

VICKI LARIVIERE

Lead Medical Receptionist

Vicki was born and raised it the Ottawa Valley. Although she had moved away for over 25 years, she moved back with her family in 2020. She spent most of her career in the financial industry and joined the team at Ottawa Valley Vision as a medical receptionist in August 2023. Vicki loves her job and finds it so rewarding to be assisting patients with meeting their eye care needs. You’ll find Vicki at the front desk of our Pembroke clinic ready to help with anything you need!