C&C Vision Gallery in downtown Joliet recently celebrated its 11th anniversary.

The optometry office, 179 N. Chicago St. in Joliet, offers bilingual staff, medical and refractive eye exams, diagnosis and treatment of dry eye syndrome, contact lens expertise, and a wide variety of frames to fit a wide variety of budgets.

But owner Monica Cicimov is not an eye doctor.

Cicimov is the former officer manager for the practice’s former owner, Dr. James K Cutler – although Cicimov said buying the business “was a leap.”

“I didn’t know if it was going to work,” Cicimov said. “I could fail. I still can fail. I just took a chance based on the knowledge that I was going to give it the best I could. I have always been the kind of person up for a challenge.”

From office manager to owner

As office manager, Cicimov learned to help people select frames and then fit them with glasses, she said.

But as owner, Cicimov needed a doctor who didn’t want to own a practice and oversee clerical, payroll and human resource responsibilities, she said.

Cicmov found that doctor in Dr. Cassie Reeves, who came to C&C Vision Gallery seven years ago. Reeves “is wonderful,” Cicimov said.

“She’s an optometrist, but – contrary to popular belief – she can treat and manage eye diseases. The only thing she can’t do is perform actual surgery," Cicimov said. “She manages glaucoma patients, people with diabetic retinopathy, patients with dry eyes and macular degeneration. She does speciality contact lens fittings and sees seniors and kids.”

Cicimov said she is completely self-taught with all aspects of her business, from administration to filing taxes.

“I’ve never taken a single adult class in my life to do what I’m doing,” she said.

But Cicimov doesn’t spend her days tucked away in an office.

“I help patients every day,” she said. “And they have no idea the owner is helping them. It’s beautiful.”

C&C Vision Gallery accepts most insurance plans, including Medicaid. Patients range from business owners to residents to people passing by, Cicimov said.

In addition, C&C Vision Gallery is a resource for an underserved population – those who don’t have resources to “cross a bridge to get care,” she said.

“More people than you think don’t have a primary mode of transportation,” Cicimov said. “They’re on foot or bikes or take public transportation.”

During construction of the downtown improvement project, clients often parked blocks away from C&C Vision Gallery. More than once, Cicimov left her business to add change to the meters from her own pocket.

Cicimov once saw an 81-year-old with a walker and her daughter navigating the construction and the distance to reach C&C Vision Gallery – and “that didn’t feel good,” she said.

Some first-time patients refused to schedule another visit, saying “it was too hard,” Cicmov said.

“If you’ve had a negative experience, you’re not going to come back,” Cicimov said. “When you have options, why would you choose me?”

However, Cicimov said she now has parking on both sides of the street thanks to the construction.

Identity change

Cicimov said she never really dreamed C&C Vision Gallery would become “all encompassing” and that “I’d be 100% for this community.”

“I eat, sleep, breathe and identify as C&C Vision Gallery now. This is literally who I am,” Cicimov said. “I literally haven’t slept well in 11 years. I’m responsible for mothers who have children to take care of. I’m making sure people are paid and fed.”

Cicimov even moved to Joliet in 2019 to be near her business and – as the board chair for the Joliet City Center Partnership – Cicimov said she does “fight hard for Joliet.”

An introvert, Cicimov said she typically didn’t “go and be around people, go to meetings or socialize or network.” She said her business experiences “really opened my eyes” to the downtown Joliet business community.

“If you just put yourself out there, you’ll meet some really amazing people,” Cicimov said.

For more information, call C&C Vision Gallery at 815-723-2020 or visit ccvisiongallery.com.