Dr. Gooden Optometry - Doctor & Staff

*Doctor & Staff*
	Joshua J. Gooden, OD Optometrist Dr. Gooden was raised on a farm in Western Kansas near Scott City. He attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS for 3 years, but left Tabor a year early when he was accepted into optometry school in Memphis, TN. Dr. Gooden graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1998. Upon graduation, he joined Dr. Terry Nelson in Oakley and subsequently bought the practice in January of 1999. Dr. Gooden is on many boards in his community. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Janeen, and their four children: Dexter Thomas, Parker John, Carter James and Tanner Jerrad. In his spare time, you might find him golfing or playing outside with his children.
Scott City Eye Center
	Shellie Carter *Technician* Shellie Carter started with Dr. Gooden in April 2012 with the primary responsibilities of assisting with eye exams and operating the vision examination equipment. Carter previously worked in the restaurant business on a managerial level for several years, and also has her license in cosmetology. Carter's love for working with people is what has drawn her to customer service-related positions, and the opportunity to interact daily with numerous clients is one of the best aspects of being a part of the Gooden team, she says. In her spare time she enjoys her two daughters, Kalacia and Kylan, and feels blessed to have a large number of close family members in Scott City. Shellie is a member and teacher at the First Christian Church and makes time for growth in her faith. Her love for running and reading adds finesse to the balance she loves about her life.
	Janeen Gooden Office Technician Making up the Gooden Optometry support crew, Janeen Gooden most prefers working behind the scenes. She fills in wherever she is needed, including office responsibilities, running errands and most often, performing pretesting. She has been an integral part of Gooden Optometry since she and Josh Gooden's returned to Western Kansas upon completion of their degrees in Memphis, Tennessee. Janeen Gooden holds a B.S. in elementary education, and much of her time is spent applying those skills in keeping up with her own four sons - Dexter, Parker, Carter and Tanner. When not helping out at the office or corralling the boys, she loves to water ski, snow ski, ride go-carts and go four-wheeling. She also just recently got her first taste of skydiving and thinks she may be hooked! Gooden enjoys listening to audio books, though she is quick to point out that she highly dislikes reading, and otherwise is always up for a good movie or card game.
	Marsha Holloway Business manager Originally from Scott City, Marsha Holloway is the backbone to the success of Dr. Gooden Optometry and the Scott City Eye Center. Holloway is responsible for numerous aspects of the business at all three of its locations, including billing, office administration, human resources and customer service. She has been a part of Dr. Gooden's team since 2000, prior to which she was involved in business management and child care. She attended Garden City Community College, and describes her career path as one she "fell into," but sincerely enjoys. Outside of the office, Holloway is an avid non-fiction reader, and loves spending as much time a possible with her eight grandchildren, all of whom live in Eastern Kansas.
	Linda Mulligan Receptionist Linda Mulligan joined Dr. Gooden Optometry with the opening of the Scott City Eye Center in 2012. Her responsibilities include assisting clients, scheduling and checking patients in. Prior to working for Dr. Gooden Optometry, she worked at the Scott City Elementary School as a paraeducator for High Plains Cooperative. Originally from the Scott City community, Mulligan also spent several years as a stay-at-home mom to her two boys, Clay and Trace. As a family, they have been very active in 4-H projects, with a particular passion for raising show pigs. In her free time, Mulligan also enjoys being outdoors or attending her sons' sporting activities and livestock shows, as well as hunting with them and her husband, Bryan.
	Alisha Pepper Technician As one of Dr. Gooden's newer staff members, Alisha Pepper joined the team in November 2011. Before that, Pepper had spent several years providing healthcare and social services to disabled individuals in a number of capacities, including medical receptionist, case manager and finance manager. Originally from Lakin, Pepper has also lived in Garden City, Denver and Las Vegas. Pepper undertakes various duties at the Scott City Eye Center, but concentrates most heavily on frame adjusting, fitting and inventory. When not at work, she loves to read and is currently working towards a goal of reading all the great classics, including Pride and Prejudice, Withering Heights and Jane Eyre, among others. Pepper also loves to paint and draw, as well as spend time with her three children.

Oakley Eye Center
	Annette ("Nettie") Parke *Optometric Technician* Annette "Nettie" Parke joined Dr. Gooden's Oakley office in 2007. As the optometric technician, she is responsible for all edging of lenses, making glasses, pretesting and assisting clients with selection and adjustment of frames. Much like her fellow coworkers, Parke readily provides assistance to customers anywhere else in the eye center that she is needed, and highly enjoys the comradery and friendly atmosphere of the office. Prior to joining the Oakley Eye Center, Parke spent much of her career working in special education at various schools across Kansas and even spent a few years providing daycare in Oakley. Recently married, Parke and her husband, Bill, have three children - Jonathan, Lisa and Lori - and several grandchildren. Parke loves spending time with her family and friends and also greatly enjoys walking, taking trips to the lake, reading mysteries and spending countless hours gardening in her back yard.
	Lisa Racette Receptionist and administrative assistant As the first face that patients see when they walk through the door at Dr. Gooden Optometry's Oakley office, Lisa Racette sets the tone for the entire visit. But her influence doesn't stop at the front desk. Racette fills a number of shoes with responsibilities that include reception, billing, managing referral calls, organizing patient information files and fitting and repairing glasses. She has been with the office since 2006, and has served at Dr. Gooden's Hoxie location as well. Prior to joining Dr. Gooden's team, Racette worked in a variety of other positions that included cosmetology, co-managing a restaurant for 14 years and working as a speech paraprofessional for 10 years. She has been married to her husband, Mike, for 29 years and the pair have three sons - Jason, Chris and Aaron - and one granddaughter. When not working, Racette enjoys spending time with friends and family, and particularly relishes her time with her granddaughter, who she describes as the "light of her life."
	Linda Shoemaker Technician For Shoemaker, joining the Gooden team in 2011 was an exciting change from her previous line of work. Passionate for early childhood development, Shoemaker had spent much of her career working as a private day care provider in Goodland and Oakley, and later joined the Oakley school district as a speech paraeducator and the Head Start Program with the Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center. Shoemaker previously worked for 5 years in cosmetology, and she holds an associate's degree in cosmetology as well as an associate's in early childhood. In the office, Shoemaker is responsible for a variety of different tasks, including showing, adjusting and repairing frames and ordering and dispensing contacts. She also fulfills certain secretarial responsibilities when needed. When not at the Oakley Eye Center, Shoemaker works part time as a children's minister at Oakley Christian Church. She also enjoys scrapbooking, visiting her daughters Amber and Kylie, spending time with friends and husband, Keith, and watching football. A native Nebraskan, she is always sure to root for the Cornhuskers!