Dr. Mark Havera was born and raised in central Illinois in a town called Nokomis. He played nearly every sport imaginable, including basketball and golf. His love of sports has continued into adulthood. Some of his favorite teams include University of Alabama football, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, Duke basketball, and Tiger Woods on the golf course.

Dr. Havera loves being an optometrist! His favorite aspect of the job is knowing his patients are satisfied, especially those who suffer from complicated conditions. Dr. Havera and his team are dedicated to making sure every patient is not only happy, but delighted with the quality of their exam and the service they receive at Havera Eye Care Specialists.

Dr. Havera is a graduate of St. Louis University and University of Missouri St. Louis Optometry School.

Haleigh Jo Matthews is the Optical Manager of our Collinsville office. She's been in the optical industry for 10 years; and has had the privilege of working with Dr. Havera for 8 of those years. Dr. Havera took Haleigh under his wing in 2012 and taught her everything she knows about the industry. Her mother, Peggy Jo, and Dr. Havera also inspired her to study hard and become certified by the American Board of Opticianry in 2016. Haleigh lives with her husband, Andrew, their amazing little ones, Evie and Lucas, and their dog, Nova. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, watching scary movies, and cooking.

Andrew Matthews is the Optical Manager of our Granite City Office. He attended Robert Morris University in Springfield, IL for computer networking, but fell in love with helping others see. Andrew enjoys using his tech skills for fun side projects (like this website), as well as spending time at home with his wife, children, and dog.

Peggy Jo, our Operations Manager, grew up in Granite City and attended High School in Collinsville before marrying her high school sweetheart, Scott, 32 years ago. She has two adult children, two grandchildren, and a cavachon furbaby named Lucy. Peggy Jo started working with Dr. Havera in 2011, but has worked for both large chain optical stores as well as private practices. She enjoys working at Havera Eyecare Specialists most because we are able to be more personal than at a chain. “I am so grateful for the relationships I have made with our team members and our wonderful patients.”

Bethany, our newest optician, has been a wonderful addition to our team. Her bright and fun attitude is sure to put a smile on your face.

Cheyenne, one of our Opticians, has always been passionate about independent eyewear and lives for the opportunity to help you fall in love with your next pair of glasses. Nothing makes her happier than a patient picking up their glasses and being over the moon about how great they feel and how amazing their vision is. Cheyenne graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts from Lindenwood University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her rescue dogs, and never misses an opportunity to travel.

Sarah, one of our Opticians, has been with Havera Eye Care Specialists since August 2022. Prior to joining our team, she began working in the optical industry in 2019. Her favorite aspect of being an optician is helping patients pick the right frame for them. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys participating in a book club, crafting, and spending time with her family and friends. She currently resides in the Granite City area with her husband, Ryan, and their son, Casey.

Dr. Jeff Herberts was raised in Collinsville, Illinois and lived there for most of his life. He graduated from Collinsville High School, where he excelled scholastically and in athletics. After high school, he attended the University of Illinois in Champaign, Il, and Indiana University in Bloomington, In, where he earned his Bachelors and Doctor of Optometry Degrees. After beginning a private practice of optometry in Collinsville in February of 1979, he now practices in the same building alongside Dr. Mark Havera.

Dr. Herberts strives to provide the highest quality individual and personal eye care to each patient, and is experienced in all aspects of vision care; including treatment of vision problems, eye disease, prescribing contact lenses, and all types of optical corrections.

In his leisure time, Dr. Herberts enjoys spending time with family, traveling, hunting, and fishing.

Gail has enjoyed working in both the optical and ophthalmology fields for over 30 years, and loves being a part of our caring, knowledgeable, and fun staff.

Her main passion is being able to help others, which has led her to do volunteer work at senior centers and work with special needs patients over the years.

Outside of work, Gail loves to spend her time with her husband and friends golfing and travelling.