Meet Our Staff: Recovery Services — Montana
Michael Casey
Eye Recovery Technician
Michael Casey (call him "Casey") grew up in Billings, Montana. He is a trained paramedic and is working on his Associates Degree in Nursing.
Casey spent twenty years as a critical care flight paramedic and started working in eye banking in 1988 by performing whole globe excisions. In addition to his recovery duties with SightLife, he works in the Billings Clinic Emergency Room, studies for his nursing degree, and serves as a Critical Care Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (CCEMT-P) for Bighorn County Ambulance. Casey has received an Assoc Students Eastern Montana College (ASEMC) scholarship, was a national flight paramedic runner-up, and is a critical care paramedic certified instructor/faculty in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Basic Life Support (BLS), and Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS).
Casey's wife, Sheryl, also works in the medical field. They have two daughters, one of whom is about to start college. For fun, he enjoys fly fishing, golf, hunting, camping, taekwondo, and riding his motorcyle.
"I really believe in the mission of the eye bank," Casey says. "My brother is a bone marrow transplant patient, and one day he may need or benefit from what I do for the eye bank. That means a lot to me, that chance to recover tissue that benefits someone."
Kathy Dixon
Eye Recovery Technician
Montana's Kathy Dixon grew up in Fort Scott, Kansas. Prior to joining SightLife, Kathy worked for Deaconess Hospital in the Emergency Department and Operating Room as an EMT and a medical technician.
Kathy and her husband have three children and six grandchildren. She enjoys making porcelain dolls, camping, bowling, and spending time with her grandkids.
Kathy is proud to be able to give the best quality of life to people by helping give the gift of sight through recovering corneas for transplant.
Maria Laubach
Eye Recovery Technician
Maria Laubach grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. She graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Performers Diploma in Opera. Prior to joining SightLife, Maria worked as a Training Specialist with DIRECTV, Inc.
When she isn't recovering corneas to help the world to see, Maria likes to ride her beautiful percheron cross gelding. She also enjoys spending time with her terrific husband and eating her mom's "fantastic cooking."
Jennifer Crean
Eye Recovery Technician
Jennifer Crean spent her formative years in New Jersey, New York, and Montana. She holds a degree in Liberal Arts/Environmental Studies and an Associates Degree in Computer Networking, both from the University of Montana.
Jennifer has a wide variety of hobbies and other activities in her life. Horses, skiing, snowboarding, real estate, and caring for her daughter are some of what fills her free time.
Twila York
Eye Recovery Technician
Twila York spent her formative years in Wyoming and Oregon and is currently working toward her degree in Nursing at Montana State University – Bozeman. Her medical experience includes work as an othodontic technician.
In her free time, Twila enjoys going hiking and scuba diving.
Morgan Erickson-Davis
Eye Recovery Technician
Morgan Erickson-Davis grew up in Western Minnesota and holds a degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota at Morris. Morgan has worked as a preschool teacher, and she also collected data for NOAA as a biologist on fishing and freighter vessels.
Morgan enjoys writing articles on scientific topics, hiking in the mountains, fishing, skiing, and spending time with her dog, Xiao-Bai.
Brandon Nichols
Eye Recovery Technician
Brandon Nichols, originally from Indianapolis, holds a degree in Aviation Maintenance from the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics. Before joining SightLife, Brandon served his community as Deputy Sheriff.
Brandon is married and has two children.
Bruce Carlson
Eye Recovery Technician
Bruce Carlson grew up in Michigan's Upper Penninsula and holds a degree in Physiology/Chemistry and Surgical Technology from Northern Michigan University. Bruce has worked as a phlebotomist, was a medic in the Army National Guard, and has been a Senior Customer Representative with Merck & Co for 9 years.
A fairly recent transplant to Montana, Bruce enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping. He also volunteers his time with Eagle Mount, a Billings organization enhancing the lives of children and adults with disabilities.
