Meet Our Staff
Meet the experienced and friendly doctors and staff who make Watts Eye Associates the leading provider of vision care products and services in Newburyport.
Rick Masiello, RDO
Lead Optician
Rick is our optical department lead, and has been in the industry for many, many years! His knowledge, care and attention to detail is what helps our patients’ choices in eyewear. A favorite pastime of his was playing street hockey and wiffle ball with his buddies. Something very old he has is his baseball glove- which is **** years old! Rick’s superpower of choice would be the power of invisibility. He prefers his coffee and tea iced! Rick has been with us since 2006.
Sarah Goulet
Practice Manager
Sarah is the practice manager and has really been here since she was young. This used to be her Father’s practice after all! When growing up, she loved playing softball. She played for 10 years and coached for one! Something really old she still has is the Watts Detective Agency sign (still hanging in her dining room) that belonged to her great Grandfathers and great, great Uncle’s business in Boston. Sarah recently started taking guitar lessons- so this talent is in process. Her favorite food is Palak Paneer from Jewel in the Crown. Sarah is a huge iced cold brew coffee fan- and enjoys hot sangria tea too! Sarah has been with the team since 1999.
Tara Watts, CPOA
Optical Administrative Assistant
Tara is our Jack of all Trades and wears many hats in the office. She mainly does behind the scenes work with contact lenses and optical administration work. A favorite pastime of hers is snowmobiling through the Maine and New Hampshire trails with her family. The oldest thing she still has is a newborn crib and toddler rocking chair from her father that was his when he was young- almost 79 years! A talent of hers some may not know is chocolate making with her mom- there is a special place in her heart for making the office favorite white trash party mix. Tara’s bucket list includes travelling to Alaska, Holland, and Australia- really travelling the world! Her favorite treat is the orange crunch cake from The Bubble Room on Captiva Island. Tara has been with the team since 2007!
Fanny Kelly, CPOA
Technician
Fanny is our Lead Technician- and really enjoys taking you through the process of tests before the doctor sees you. She is a great sponge of knowledge, and really cares for each and every one of our patients and staff! Fanny grew up in the Dominican Republic, and really enjoyed visiting her Grandfather’s farm and going to summer camp with school and church friends. Something really old she still has is her baby blanket- a gift for when she was born. Fanny is afraid of snakes. A favorite dessert is her mother’s rice pudding. Fanny’s super power would be time travel- so she could visit with people she really misses, or the power of healing, so she could heal people physically and/or emotionally. The only thing on her bucket list is to go to Europe on a holiday! Fanny likes coffee and tea- but they must be hot! Fanny has been a part of the team since 2014.
Jay Oczkowski, RDO
Licensed Optician
Jay is one of our licensed opticians, and enjoys working in our lab- cutting and putting the finishing touches on your glasses! He really enjoyed racing bikes, driving four wheelers in the woods and playing paintball when he was younger. Jay has a really old coin collection from the late 1800s and early 1900s. He is a renowned landscape oil painter. Jay loves pizza, and his super power of choice would be flying- so he could get anywhere fast. His bucket list includes going skydiving and visiting more of Europe. Jay is a huge iced coffee drinker, all day every day. He has been with the team since 2016.
Sarah Lombard, CPO
Optical Consultant and Social Media Lead
Sarah has recently made the switch from the front desk to the optical department, where she can help guide you to your next frame choice! Sarah is also the social media lead, so you may see her posts and videos on the socials here and there! She loved going to summer camp in North Carolina- it was a month-long session and she went for 6 years! Windsurfing and driving the Boston Whalers around the Neuse river were her favorite activities at camp. A secret talent she has is synchronized swimming- which also began at summer camp. Sarah is a huge fan of seafood- mussels, scallops, oysters, lobster, and fish are her faves. Her superpower of choice is super-learning- so she can understand things on the fly. Her bucket list includes Mykonos, the Maldives, and seeing the Northern Lights in an igloo in Iceland! Sarah loves hot and iced coffee, and as a true Southern girl at heart, loves sweet iced tea. She has been here since 2016.
Stefanie Lennox
Patient Care Coordinator Lead
Stefanie is part of the patient care team, and is a friendly voice on the other end of a phone call to the office. She also takes great care in helping set patients up with Specialist visits. When she was younger, Stefanie enjoyed riding her bike and playing with her Barbie dolls. Something very old she has are pearls of a relative that has passed. Her most favorite food is sushi – she loves spicy tuna rolls! Her superpower would be invisibility. Her bucket list includes going to Italy and sitting in a small coffee shop sipping great coffee and taking in all of the goings on around her! Speaking of coffee, she loves coffee- hot or iced, depending on her mood. Stefanie has been with the team since 2018.
Marianne Snow
Patient Care Coordinator
Marianne joined us at the end of August 2021, and has been a great addition to our team! She is with us part-time, so you will see her in the afternoons on the medical side helping Tatiana with checking in and checking out! Marianne enjoyed birdwatching when she was younger. A secret talent of hers is juggling- so if you want to learn, you can ask her. Marianne enjoys hiking, and a bucket list item of hers is camping under the redwoods. Her superpower of choice would be to negotiate world peace!
Desiree Raymond, CPO, NCLE
Contact Lenses
Desiree began in June of 2018. She is working on being certified to fit contact lenses, and really enjoys working with patients and teaching them how to use and wear their contacts. Speaking of contacts, she prefers wearing contacts but she does not mind wearing her Kliik frames. Desiree likes Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and Mad Men. She enjoys reading too, especially by Nicholas Sparks. She currently does not have any pets but sees a puppy in her future. Des would want to be a scientist or an astronaut (as she has her degree in Biology). She would like to meet with Katie Bouman, the woman who recently developed an algorithm for imaging black holes or, Jennifer Doudna because she has been part of the discovery of how to use CRISPR (editing genomes).
Sheldon Castro, CPO
Technician
Sheldon is one of our technicians that will take you through the pre testing prior to seeing our doctors. His cheery personality and easygoing attitude will help to ease any anxieties of seeing any of our doctors. Sheldon’s favorite food is beef bulgogi- it is a Korean dish that he could eat all day, every day! His superpower would be teleportation because it is super convenient. Sheldon’s bucket list includes driving on the Nurburgring in Germany and visiting Monaco for the F1 Grand Prix. Sheldon is a huge espresso drinker- he enjoys it hot or iced, depending on the weather. As long as it is espresso, he will be a happy camper! Sheldon has been with us since 2020.
Janissa Abreu
Technician
Janissa has been with us since the end of summer and beginning of fall of 2021. She has quickly learned the anatomy and conditions of the eyes. A favorite pastime of hers is reading and arts and crafts when she was younger. A special talent she has is baking- she does make cakes and cupcakes on the side too! She prefers glasses over contacts. Her superpower of choice would be time travel. A major thing on her bucket list would be to travel to many different countries!
Emily Balkus
Frame Stylist
Emily is a fabulous frame stylist here at Watts. She helps select the frames we bring in to showcase to the patients, and helps them select the pair just right for them! Emily enjoyed camping when growing up. If she had a superpower, she would choose x-ray vision 😎. Something really old she has is her grandparents’ first cedar chest! The top of her bucket list is Australia and Fiji to travel to and explore! Emily has been with the team since 2019.
Kristen Silveira, CPO
Patient Care Coordinator
Kristen joined our team at the end of September 2020. She may be a familiar face, as she worked at Anna Jacques Hospital for many years. Kristen is our resident laugher- she always has a smile on her face (even under the mask), and her laugh is very contagious! Kristen is enjoying learning all about the eye world, and loves her new Gucci glasses and Maui Jim sunglasses! She used to rescue Irish Setters, but now has a gaggle of white doves named Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Cardamom. If she could do anything outside of this industry, Kristen would want to be a holistic veterinarian or open a gluten-free bakery (with a side of grain-free dog biscuits)! Kristen has long admired Winston Churchill, as he was an incredible person- artist, writer, leader and all-around good person that stood up for what was right and for the little people. As her mom says about her, “nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee!” Kristen is mostly in the business office answering phones and scheduling appointments, but does help at check-in and check out too!
Tatiana Flores
Front Desk Lead
Tatiana is part of our patient care team, and is one of the first faces you see upon entering the building. She will help get you checked in to see the doctor or the opticians, and help check you out after your visit. Two favorite things she loved growing up are collecting Care Bears and spending time with her Grandmother. Tati is afraid of heights- so no roller coasters for her! Her favorite food is Mexican food- Casa Blanca in particular. It was hard to choose just one superpower, so she chose healing people, teleportation and self-duplicating (for her two kiddos! Tati also likes both hot and iced coffee. Tatiana has been with the team since 2020.
Abby Ortiz
Optical Consultant
Abby has been a fantastic addition to our optical department. Her energy and true joy for helping patients shines through with every smile at pick up! She is a glasses girl through and through, as they are another piece of jewelry to add to your collection. Her favorite line of the moment is MODO. One of her favorite things to do is spending time with those she loves. Something she has that is very old are her journals. Abby started writing in them when she was little, and still has them in a book bag from middle school. Since she wrote a lot, she really honed her penmanship skills- something she is still enjoying today! A spot on her bucket list is traveling to Alaska. Her superpower of choice would be to spread love to those who aren’t able to see it in themselves. Abby joined our team mid-July 2021.
Jessica Greenman
Patient Care Coordinator and Contacts
Jessica’s face is another you will see upon checking in for your visit. She is brand new to our office, and has jumped right into checking in and checking out like a pro. A favorite pastime of hers was camping in the White Mountains with her family. Something really old that she has is a Claddagh ring that her Mother gave her. A bucket list item for Jessi, would be to pet all of the stray cats on the Island of Santorini in Greece! Something she really loves is a big ole plate of buffalo wings. Jessi wears both contacts and glasses- each has a purpose. Something you may not know about her is that she likes to draw- and she is currently learning pixel art and coding, so some day she can make a video game! Her super power of choice would be invisibility- something she would use for good and mischief! Jessi joined the team at the end of August 2021.
Genie Kilbride
Optical Consultant
Genie is another smiling face you will see in our optical department. She enjoys helping people select frames that are perfect for them! Genie’s instinct is a secret thing that keeps her going and going. She is a huge fan of shopping- Marshall’s is a fave of hers. The oldest thing Genie has is a tea set from her Maternal Grandmother from Armenia! Genie has been wearing glasses for many years now. Something on her bucket list is going to see the hot air balloon festival on Lake Champlain in Vermont. Her favorite thing is time spent with family. Genie’s super power of choice would be light manipulation. This would allow her to create holographic images, turn invisible and even move at light speed, but adjusting the properties that surround her. Genie has been with our team since the beginning of August.
Tricia Burnham
Patient Advocate/Patient Liaison and Insurance Specialist
Tricia joined us in January of 2022, although her real first day with us was for the Holiday Party in December! A favorite pastime of Tricia’s is reading- she loves suspense or crime mysteries. Something very old she still has is a small keepsake box that was her great grandmother’s. Tricia prefers to wear glasses over contact lenses- all day every day, funky glasses are so much more fun! She would be an asset to have on a trivia team, as she is full of useless knowledge (that she doesn’t know where some came from)! Two bucket list items of Tricia’s would be to visit Ireland one day and to drive a Zamboni. Tricia’s superpower of choice would be to clone herself. That way one could go and spend time with loved ones, and the other could go to work- that way she wouldn’t miss a thing. Tricia really enjoys helping our patients with any insurance-related questions, and making sure they get the most out of their visit with us!
Gabe Speidel
Technician
Gabe has just joined the Watts team and is learning all there is to know about the eyes, through being a technician! He is a big fan of glasses but feels that everyone should wear what they are comfortable with. When he is not in the office, Gabe enjoys being outside during all seasons-skiing, mountain biking, hiking- just as long as he is outside. His favorite things- the 2 “O’s” outdoors and opossums! Something very old Gabe has is an oil lamp his Grandmother restored for him- it reminds him of her. Gabe’s secret talent is knowing too much about things that may only come up once in his lifetime. Gabe’s bucket list includes hiking up Mt. Denali and skiing (enjoying) the ride down. His superpower of choice would be flight- so he can save gas money and cats stuck in trees. Help us in welcoming Gabe!
Marie Barresi
Technician
Marie just joined our team, but went to school to be an optometric technician many years ago (in Southern California)! She was a teacher and retired, and came back to optometry for the last 3 years at another practice. Marie is a technician here at Watts, and will help to prepare you to see the doctors! Marie loves to be active and has always been involved with sports, and really enjoyed fishing with her dad. Visiting Yellowstone National Park is on her bucket list- she was supposed to go in the fall, but with the recent flooding, will have to reschedule to a later date. The oldest thing that is very special to Marie, is her mom. She is 92 and still going strong! Marie’s secret talent is golfing- she used to coach the varsity golf team at the local high school. She wears both glasses and contacts. Marie’s most favorite thing in the world is her family- she has 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 2 adorable grandsons and an incredible partner! Her superpower of choice is the ability to be in many places at once so she can be more available for her mom and grandsons. Welcome to the practice Marie!
William F. Watts
Optometrist (Retired)
He is enjoying his best life off of the coast of Maine this summer 2022!