VIENNA, Va.—MyEyeDr. is adding to its executive team and continuing to invest in its infrastructure, as the group proceeds on its path to build its brand and enter other U.S. markets this year, primarily by acquisition, as the company said it would do at the start of 2015. As of today, the group has 285 locations. In addition to its expansion in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, including Florida, MyEyeDr.’s group now includes offices in such new markets as Chicago and the Midwest as well as Connecticut and the Northeast.

Sue Downes, CEO, told VMail, “We are investing in people, new talent and our own internal systems to build a particular and special type of eyecare group, one that provides for patients’ eye health, creates an exciting atmosphere for them to choose a better selection of eyewear products and one backed by the type of service and systems that enable us to best respond to their needs.”

Dave Metzger was recently named MyEyeDr.’s chief financial officer. He comes to the company with more than 20 years of experience working with growing companies where he has held chief operating officer, chief financial officer and general counsel positions. Metzger has extensive experience in accounting, finance, M&A and corporate strategy as well as HR, IT and operations. Most recently, he led the financial and operational teams at an industry-leading real estate company. He is a CPA and attorney.

Diane Vaccaro recently joined MyEyeDr. as vice president of marketing. Previously, Vaccaro led marketing for the Kmart Apparel division of Sears Holdings. She ran award-winning seasonal marketing campaigns, CRM and strategic planning for the multi-billion dollar division. She, too, has more than 20 years of experience working in senior level marketing and licensing positions with world class brands like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Levi Strauss.

As MyEyeDr. continues to expand geographically via acquisitions, recent appointments also include Ryan Halpern, OD and Larry Wills. Halpern assumes the role of director of professional services for acquisitions. A graduate of the Southern College of Optometry in 2007, Halpern went on to be a full-time optometrist and co-owner with Halpern Eye Care in Delaware. Following in both his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, in 2010, he was named president of Halpern Eye Care and its sister ophthalmology practice, Halpern Ophthalmology Associates. Through his tenure in 2015 he doubled the size of the business.

Larry Wills assumed a newly created role as the director of learning and development when he joined the company in March of this year. Prior to this role, Wills was the director of training and development for Eye Express in Florida where he also led marketing strategy and execution. Before Eye Express, he held a variety of roles with Luxottica in both retail and merchandising.

Both Halpern Eye Care and Eye Express are recent 2015 additions to the MyEyeDr. network, as reported by VMail.

Noted Downes, “This team adds strength to the leadership at MyEyeDr. as it continues to grow its portfolio of practices. At its core, MyEyeDr. is committed to its mission of integrating independent optometric practices to provide superior patient care and great selection of eyewear.”

Within the past quarter, MyEyeDr. expanded its geographical footprint in the Midwest by acquiring Spex, a 25-unit practice located in Chicago and it entered the Northeast with the optometric practices of Opticare, an 18-unit practice in Connecticut. MyEyeDr. acquired the optometry portion of the business, the ophthalmology will continue to operate on its own.

Also, MyEyeDr. has continued to grow with the acquisition of independent optometrists in the Atlanta, Charlottesville, Tampa, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Raleigh, and Baltimore and continued expansion throughout DC metro area, Maryland and Virginia. These acquisitions include optometrists highly active in optometric associations including: Dr. Jim Lanier, Drs. Carol and Stephen Record, and Dr. Stephen Sopher.

Downes added, “We continue to be very fortunate to bring top notch single practices and other regional optometric groups into the MyEyeDr. organization and we remain highly selective with the practices we are acquiring. The integration into our MyEyeDr. family is the priority for us. What we are building is a unique company environment, in which patients, doctors and staff can feel comfortable as they join us. What makes us unique is our approach to the brand, communicating to today’s consumers and patients in ways that are meaningful to them.”