Doctors & Staff
Meet the experienced and friendly doctor and staff who make Monocle Eye Care a proud provider of vision care products and services in Cornelius.
Brittany Flaherty, O.D.
Dr. Brittany Flaherty is excited to bring exceptional eye care and eyewear trends to the town of Cornelius. She is a native of Scranton, PA and moved to the Lake Norman area in 2014. Dr. Flaherty received her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and certificate of humanitarian engineering with highest honors from Pennsylvania State University. While at Penn State, she traveled to Nyeri, Kenya- a remote village east of Nairobi- to connect local people, who were unable to afford medical care, to doctors in the larger, more developed cities. Her role was to design medical equipment that would be sourced locally and used to collect patient health information.
Dr. Flaherty attended Pennsylvania College of Optometry to earn her Doctorate (OD). There she continued her humanitarian work by providing eyecare to people in need, both in and out of the country. After graduating from optometry school, she moved to North Carolina where she completed a residency at the Salisbury VA Hospital. This allowed her to focus on ocular disease and has furthered Dr. Flaherty’s ability to diagnosis, treat and co-manage eye disease as it relates to the rest of the body.
Dr. Flaherty moved to the area with her fiancé, Cory. They have been together since they were 15 years old. They enjoy spending time with their rescue dog, George. His favorite activity, and theirs, is laying on the couch and watching Netflix. She also loves when the weather is hot and doesn’t miss shoveling or scraping ice since moving to the south!
What is the best part of her job? Educating people about their eyes! I love utilizing technology to allow patients to be a part of the exam and understand that glasses and contacts are just a small portion of their appointment. I love hearing – “Hey, I didn’t know the eye can tell you all of that!” It sure can 🤓
Leisa Newman, Office Manager and Licensed Optician.
Leisa started her optical career in 2001. She is licensed by the North Carolina Board of Opticians, as well as the Virginia Board of Opticians. She is certified by the National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE) and the American Board of Opticians (ABO), both national certifications. She has completed additional certifications with Euclid Emerald and Paragon Vision Sciences, each for Corneal Reshaping Therapies.
While living in Virginia, Leisa partnered with local elementary schools in her county to perform yearly vision screenings for all Kindergarten, 3rd, 5th,7th, and 11th graders and has worked to raise money for Prevent Blindness America.
A native of Asheville, she feels at home in the Cornelius community. Since starting at Monocle Eye Care she has joined the Lake Norman Small Business Network, a group of over 4,000 local professionals.
In her time away from the office she likes to relax with her husband, two sons, and very stubborn dog. Her favorite pastimes include drinking coffee and watching (or reading) mysteries, listening to podcasts and volunteering at her son’s school. Leisa has co-chaired the Levine’s Children’s Hospital Parent Advisory Board for Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis, and was part of Atrium’s Big Breath Benefit for Pediatric Pulmonology. She currently mentors new parents that have children recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
What is the best part of her job?: Helping others! Sight is something that a lot of people take for granted. But there are so many people that struggle with everyday tasks because they can’t see, especially kids that don’t realize they could have better vision. Being able to fit a child in glasses or contacts and watch their face as the world comes into focus is the absolute best!
Riley, Medical Assistant
I joined the Monocle family in fall of 2020 while I was in high school. Since then, I have recently graduated from UNCW with a bachelors degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. In my free time I enjoy traveling with my boyfriend, cuddling with my fur babies, doing Pilates, and learning all things skincare and wellness! Come see me for a Radio Frequency soon!
Chloe, Technician
I am currently an undergraduate at Virginia Tech majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I am also actively involved in the Honors College, Pre-Optometry Club, and Alpha Chi Omega sorority! I just recently joined the Monocle Team and am enjoying gaining the experience before hopefully becoming an eye doctor myself. During my free time I love going to football games, working out, watching shows, and going to concerts with friends!
Melanie, BVD Patient Coordinator
Although rare to hear nowadays, I am proud to say that I am a native Charlottean! I graduated from UNC Charlotte with a BS in Business Administration. I have been married to Robbie for 33 years and have two daughters, where family is at the heart of everything I do. When I’m not working, you can find me enjoying the great outdoors, working out, or diving into a good book. I believe in balancing professional dedication with personal passions, and I strive to bring that same energy and enthusiasm to my work every day.
Twana, Scheduler/Patient Coordinator
I joined the Monocle family at the end of March 2023. I am new to the eye world and learning so much on this new journey. I was born in New York. In 2021 I moved, with my daughter, to Charlotte to be with family. When I’m not greeting our patients with the BIGGEST SMILE EVER, I am enjoying mother/daughter time, cooking, learning as much as I can about sickle cell disease, volunteering at my daughter’s school and exploring what Charlotte has to offer!
Kelley, Optical Technician
I graduated from Colorado State University with a Human Development and Family Studies degree. After working with children for 27 years, I am happy to be a part of the team at Monocle, in the field of opticianry. Andy and I have been married 28 years. We have 2 children, who are both in college, and 3 fur babies who aren’t moving out any time soon! I enjoy working out, reading fiction, and watching Britbox.