Our History

Learn about the history of Insight Optometry

When Dr. Andrea Becker decided to return to the Traverse City area and Leelanau County in particular to start her optometry practice, she knew she wanted a practice name that was a pun on vision somehow. She set her father to work on coming up with a name for the practice. After rejecting a few offered options like “SEE”ley Optometry or Doctor My Eyes or Specs in the City, she selected Insight Optometry.

Insight Optometry opened in 1993 in the current location of Little Bee’s Italian Ice in Suttons Bay. There was one exam room with the restroom behind the exam chair and a very tiny office/optical area. Dr. Becker saw patients in that location until 1997 when she bought the building on First and Cedar streets in the village.

The new location was a home that Dr. Becker creatively converted into an optometry office. She was able to reinvent small rooms such as a kitchen and living room into an exam room and waiting/optical area.

In 2005, Dr. Randy U’Ren joined the practice and together they were able to expand optometric care and services to the community and grow the practice. In 2015, Dr. Randy U’Ren and Dr. Andrea Becker decided it was time to expand the building with a new addition and remodel the existing space. This expansion enabled the practice to offer to its patients state of the art optometry testing, increase the number of exam rooms available, and create a one of a kind optical boutique. Green energy sources were a focus of the new expansion, and the office installed solar panels on the south half of the new building.

The industrial design elements, including the unique use of the antique picture frames with frame bars installed within, must be credited to Charlotte Seeley, Dr. Becker’s daughter. Much of the art throughout the office consists of prints of drawings of Michigan freighters done by our own local artist Remy Champt. Another local resident, Donna Popke was our color consultant for the project. The result created is a unique and beautiful optical boutique on the retail side that complements our professional, high-tech examination equipment. Come in and check it out!