About Us

Dr. Joanne Gronquist attended Pacific Union College before receiving her Doctorate in Optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry in 1997. She also completed an optional residency in Cornea and External Disease with an emphasis on LASIK co-management at the University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Gronquist is passionate about her profession and is a past-president of the Tri-County Optometric Society and still serves as its Chair of Governmental Affairs. Dr. Joanne enjoys seeing patients of all ages, including infants as young as 6 months old through the InfantSee program. In addition to providing routine comprehensive eye examinations, her practice emphasis is on specialty contact lenses, LASIK and cataract co-management, and glaucoma treatment and management. She prioritizes taking the time to educate her patients so they can better understand their eye conditions and preserve their vision for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Tem Gronquist completed his undergraduate work at the University of California at Santa Barbara and received his doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley in 1997. He volunteers for infantsee.org and is a member of the American and California Optometric Associations, he enjoys staying abreast of current trends in modern eye care. Dr. Tem is especially experienced in the management of chronic ocular diseases like dry eyes, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, as well as more urgent conditions like eye infections and complications related to contact lenses. He takes a methodical and thorough approach to eye care to ensure lifelong ocular health. Dr. Tem Gronquist was born in Connecticut and grew up in Boston and Santa Barbara. He and his wife, Joanne, are the proud parents of two daughters, Audrey and Sierra. In his spare time, he enjoys windsurfing, hiking, camping, and road trips.

Don (as most patients call him) joined our practice in 2015 and has been a licensed optician since 2005. He enjoys building meaningful one-on-one connections with patients and staff, as well as adopting new technologies to continually improve the quality of care he provides. In his free time, Don enjoys hiking in the Santa Barbara mountains and tennis, a sport he’s played for more than 30 years.

Taylor joined our team at SB Optometrist in 2022, first running our front desk and then honing her skills as an optician. She loves helping people choose glasses they love and feel confident wearing. Outside the office, Taylor enjoys reading, working out at the gym, and listening to new music.

Estela joined SB Optometrist in 2022, running the front desk and assisting the doctors with preliminary testing. She’s spent her career in customer service and truly enjoys learning new skills and helping people in a patient-focused environment. In her free time, Estela enjoys exploring Santa Barbara and spending time with her family.

Karina joined SB Optometrist in 2018 after a career in retail management and has always found it rewarding to take care of others with integrity and quality care. Karina loves cooking for family and friends, the kitchen is her happy place! She also enjoys going on beach walks with her husband and children.

Angie joined the team at SB Optometrist in 2026. Prior to joining us, Angie was on the staff at Goleta Valley Hospital.

Brandie joined our team in 2026 after a career as an emergency room nurse. She’s been wearing glasses since she was five years old and appreciates the importance and satisfaction of helping people see better. Outside of work, Brandie enjoys watching movies, reading, cooking, bike riding and sailing.