Dr. Fechtel

Dr. Fechtel earned his Doctor of Optometry degree with honors from Pacific University in Oregon, and has been practicing in the Surprise and Sun Cities area since 2001.  He retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel and holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, a  Masters degree in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University, and a Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.  During his Air Force tenure, he served as Operations Director for classified satellite programs and ran the mission control center which supported the first USAF payload flown on the Space Shuttle.

Dr. Fechtel is the business owner of Active Eyecare of Surprise, which is located in the heart of the growing Northwest Valley.  He opened the practice with the desire to offer the community something unique in the way of professional optometry and the availability of a larger selection of optical products than found elsewhere in the area.  The spacious showroom highlights a diverse mix of fashion, sports, and contemporary styles in a mix of price ranges.  His own love of an active lifestyle prompts and emphasis on sports eyewear that can also be made with prescription lenses.

In his spare time, Dr. Fechtel enjoys riding ATV's and motorcycles, backyard astronomy, birdwatching, and enjoying life in Arizona with his wife and their two daughters.

Kathie Finke

Kathie is a native of Arizona and is a state-licensed Optician earning accreditation for both national and state dispensing of contact lenses and prescription eyeglasses.

She has been working in the Optical industry for over twenty years specializing in fitting and dispensing eyewear for clients of all age groups and prescription types.  Her first introduction to the optical business was at sixteen years old where she apprenticed under a master optician and has since earned state licensure.  Her experience has included both private and larger retail optical businesses. Given an opportunity to start up and manage an optical shop in Scottsdale, AZ, she spent the majority of her dispensing career keeping up with all the latest technological advances in both lenses and eyeglass frames and most particularly developing a prominent luxury eyewear boutique in that area.  

She has recently transferred from the Scottsdale area to Surprise and is now looking forward to meeting and servicing the Surprise community as well.

Her educational background includes both business and the arts with an emphasis on leadership training and she is also very active in the volunteering community.

Her favorite activities other than business and volunteer involvement are spending time with her family which includes two grown children and two grandbabies and she also enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and gardening.