Doctors & Staff
Meet the experienced and friendly doctors and staff who make Tanglewood Vision Center the leading provider of vision care products and services in Austin.
Joseph McGowan, O.D.
Dr McGowan received his Bachelor of Science in 1993 from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. In 1998 he went on to receive his Doctor of Optometry Degree from the University of Houston. He also became a licensed Optometric Glaucoma Specialist in 2000. Some of Dr McGowan’s specialties include the treatment of dry eyes and glaucoma, fitting specialty contact lenses and he co-manages lasik and cataract procedures.
Dr. McGowan examines a wide range of patients including children and infants as young as six months old. His goal is to help you see the best that you can and address any and all concerns you may have about your vision.
In his spare time, Dr. McGowan enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, and swimming.
Virginia Mock, O.D.
Dr. Mock is originally from a small town in Georgia. There were only twenty-two people in her high school graduation class! She came to Austin after graduating from the University of Georgia in 2005 (Go Dawgs!) with a degree in Psychology and then graduating from the Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, CA in 2009.
While in optometry school she rotated through three VA hospitals, two in California and one in Amarillo, Texas. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends and four rescued dogs. From 2013-2018 she fostered dogs through Ay Chihuahua Rescue and Austin Pets Alive, helping over fifty dogs find their forever families. She also enjoys gardening, reading, cooking and home decorating.
Kathy – Office Manager
Kathy has been with Tanglewood Vision Center since 2007. She started in the optical field in 1996 and gained her certification as an optician in 1997. Since then she has gone on to learn every aspect of the business including pretesting patients, verifying insurance benefits as well as coding and billing medical and vision claims.
Her many years of experience with our office have equipped her to answer any question you may have about your visit. She is proud to be a part of a clinic that provides the best possible eye care as its priority. Kathy is a native of Manchaca, Texas and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, attending live Nascar racing, swimming and camping whenever possible.
You can reach her at kathy@tanglewoodvision.com
Juli – Licensed Optician
Juli is a Certified Optician and is therefore a nationally recognized professional in the field of optical dispensing. She has been a member of the Tanglewood Vision team since 2016.
Her expertise in selection, fitting, adjusting and troubleshooting eyewear is the result of nearly 20 years of both commercial and private practice experience. This level of experience allows her to interpret the vision benefits of your insurance plan so that you receive the highest level of quality eyewear possible for the lowest copay. Juli loves working in the optical field. She truly enjoys seeing the smile on the face of each patient she helps as they put their new glasses on for the first time! What people tell us most about Juli is how impressed they are with her kindness and patience as she explains your eyeglass features and benefits. When Juli is not helping people see well and look fantastic, she’s often found at home gardening, exercising, sewing, reading, baking and meditating. She is a student of classical music and performance arts, specializing in the Marimba. She plays a bit of golf and her husband tells us she has a beautiful golf swing. She is also a confirmed Harry Potter fan of the highest order; watch her break out in a grin if you ask her anything HP related!
You can contact Juli by email at optical@tanglewoodvision.com.
Cynthia – Front Desk
Cynthia joined the Tanglewood Vision team in November of 2016. As the receptionist, she answers the phones, schedules appointments, and responds to emails and texts. Cynthia is trained as a CNA and a medical assistant. For the past 13 years she has worked as support staff in the medical field and loves helping patients and making them feel welcome.
Cynthia is a native of Kyle, Texas. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, playing video games and listening to music with her two children.
You can reach Cynthia at frontdesk@tanglewoodvision.com
Sharon – Optometric Technician
Sharon has been a Certified Paraoptometric Technician since 2015 when she joined the Tanglewood Vision team. She has been in the optometric field since 2013.
In addition to working full-time, Sharon is a student in her final semester to become a certified American Sign Language interpreter and is excited to work with deaf patients. Originally from San Antonio, Sharon is a highly knowledgeable technician with a sweet personality. She loves performing thorough preliminary testing for patients and providing everyone with a positive and enjoyable experience. Sharon is also our contact lens specialist who handles our specialty contact lens fittings and training and is studying to be a National Certified Contact Lens Examiner. She is cross trained as a receptionist and optician. She is great at frame styling and selecting proper prescription lenses.
Outside of work Sharon loves to spend time with her family and watch Disney movies.
You can reach Sharon at techstation@tanglewoodvision.com
Scott – Licensed Optician
Scott has worked in the Optical industry for both commercial and private practices for nearly 40 years. During these years, and geographically throughout six different states, he has worked as Lead Optician, Trainer, Lab technician, and in middle-management roles before landing at Tanglewood Vision Center in 2023.
He is currently certified by the American Board of Opticianry for both Ophthalmic Dispensing and Contact Lens fitting practices. His personable approach and expertise in dealing with difficult lens prescriptions and eyeglass fittings have been a valuable addition to the Tanglewood staff.
In his free time, Scott enjoys reading, motorcycle riding, hiking, meditation, and likes going to the movies. He and his wife also like to explore the Austin area for great restaurants and foodie experiences.
Nyiesha – Optician
Jynnifer – Optometric Technician
Madelyn – Front Desk
