About Kehoe Eye Care

Dr. Kehoe earned his Diplomate in the American Board of Optometry in 2011 and was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice in 2013. Dr. Kehoe has been practicing optometry since 1984. He is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and Indiana University and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Kehoe’s father founded Kehoe Optical in 1967, and in 1984 the practice of Marshall Marvelli, O.D. was purchased and merged with Kehoe Optical to become the present Kehoe Eye Care.

As an optometrist, Dr. Kehoe has a special interest in children’s vision, contact lenses, glaucoma, macular degeneration, nutrition, and allergy/dry eyes. Dr. Kehoe has been active in the Galesburg area as a past president of the Lions Club and a former member of the Chamber of Commerce board and President of Soangetaha Country Club. He served as President of the American Optometric Association from 2008-2009 and was instrumental in the development of the InfantSEE® program. He served as treasurer or the World Council of Optometry and president of Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation. Dr. Kehoe remains an active member of the American Optometric Association, the Illinois Optometric Association, and the West Central Illinois Optometric Society. In 2001 he was named Optometrist of The Year by the Illinois Optometric Association.

In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Kehoe was recruited by EyeMed Vision Care and serves as Vice-President of Provider Relations. Dr. Kehoe continues to support the profession as a Senior Advisor and Administrator to Vision Source, a network of 3,000 independent private practices across the country. Dr. Kehoe resides in Galesburg with his wife, Melissa and enjoys golf, IU Basketball, riding his Harley and spending time with his three grown children, Vincent, Kathryn and Dr. Alexandra Kehoe-Bussa, an optometrist in Florida, and five grandchildren.

Dr. Plattner has been in practice since 2001, and is a partner optometrist at Kehoe Eye Care. His undergraduate studies were done at Bradley University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Dr. Plattner was the Beta Sigma Kappa award recipient for the top optometric student in the class of 2001. From 2003 to 2008 he also served as adjunct clinical faculty for the Illinois College of Optometry.

Dr. Plattner’s practice emphasis is in primary care, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye complications. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Optometry.

Dr. Plattner is an active member of the American Optometric Association and has served as Communications Trustee, Secretary-Treasurer, and President of the Illinois Optometric Association. In 2010, he was honored as the Young Optometrist of the Year for the state of Illinois, and in 2019 he was named the Illinois Optometrist of the Year.

Dr. Plattner is passionate about helping local area non-profits thrive and succeed. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Galesburg Community Foundation. He also serves at Bethel Baptist Church as the leader of their Hope Group- a collection of families who are committed to fostering or adopting children in need. Dr. Plattner is a past president of the Galesburg Sunrise Rotary. He has shared his passion for science and technology with area youth as a mentor and coach for a local robotics team which has won numerous local, regional, and statewide awards. He has also served as Editor- In-Chief of Focus on Health magazine.

Dr. Plattner and his wife, Jeana, have been blessed with four grown children- Lydia (and son-in-law Jan), Caleb (and daughter-in-law Natalie), Joshua, and Benjamin. He spends the majority of his free time serving at his church, watching his beloved Buckeyes play football, traveling, and hiking.

Dr. Podpeskar joined Kehoe Eye Care in 2019 and is a partner optometrist. He received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He is a graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry, Class of 2019, where he graduated Cum Laude. Dr. Podpeskar is a member of the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society and Tomb & Key Honor Society.

His clinical rotations began at the Illinois Eye Institute where he rotated through various departments including Cornea & Contact Lenses, Advanced Care, Pediatrics, and Neuro-Opthalmology. He also spent time at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind or Visually Impaired. Additionally, at the Lebanon, Pennsylvania Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center he worked with patients with advanced ocular disease including glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Lastly, he gained experience in surgical co-management at a large referral center, Minnesota Eye Consultants, based in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Dr. Podpeskar is an active member of the American Optometric Association – specifically the Contact Lens and Cornea Section, the Illinois Optometric Association, and the West Central Optometric Society. He has a special interest in ocular disease, myopia management, and contact lenses, including fitting of specialty lenses such as scleral lenses and orthokeratology.

Dr. Podpeskar relocated to the area from Eagan, Minnesota – a suburb of the Twin Cities with his wife, Dr. Alexandra Braet and their wonderful daughter, Beatrice. He is a diehard Minnesota sports fan, likes to golf, and loves to fish.

Dr. Carter joined Kehoe Eye Care in 2007. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 2007 from the Illinois College of Optometry, where he graduated with honors. Dr. Carter completed his undergraduate studies at St. Ambrose University, and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Visual Science degree. During his clinical training,

Dr. Carter managed patients at the Las Vegas Veterans Administration with low vision needs, diabetic eye disease, cataracts, and glaucoma. At the Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago he worked with complicated contact lens fits and corneal disease in the Cornea and Contact Lens Center, and managed emergency and advanced eye disease cases in the Advanced Care department. He also treated patients with binocular vision disorders and traumatic brain injuries in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Dr. Carter has special interest in children’s vision, vision therapy for binocular and developmental disorders, and the treatment of strabismus and amblyopia. He has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of eye disease including glaucoma, ocular infections, and allergies.

Dr. Carter is Board Certified by the American Board of Optometry, and is an active member of the American Optometric Association, the Illinois Optometric Association, Illinois Valley Optometric Society, and an associate of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.

Dr. Alexandra Braet is a dedicated optometrist who joined Kehoe Eye Care in 2019, bringing a passion for comprehensive eye care and a commitment to serving patients of all ages. Dr. Braet has an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and graduated Cum Laude from the Illinois College of Optometry. She was honored with inductions into the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society and the Tomb and Key Honor Society for her academic excellence and ethical practice.

During her clinical training, Dr. Braet gained extensive experience managing complex ocular conditions, including diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts at the Wilmington VA Medical Center and Illinois Eye Institute. Her externship in Midwest City, Oklahoma, further solidified her expertise in primary care, urgent eye conditions, and contact lens management.

Dr. Braet’s professional interests include pediatric optometry, primary care optometry, and urgent eye care. She is an active member of the American Optometric Association, the Illinois Optometric Association, and the West Central Optometric Society. Beyond the office, she serves on the board of the Jamieson Community Center, supporting local initiatives to strengthen her community.

Originally from Rock Island, IL, Dr. Braet now resides in Dahinda, IL, with her husband, Dr. Nick Podpeskar, and their daughter Beatrice. In her free time, she enjoys lake life—boating, fishing, and swimming—as well as crafting, scrapbooking, cooking, cheering on all Chicago sports teams, watching golf, and reading books to Beatrice.