Doctors & Staff
Meet the experienced and friendly doctors and staff who make Cascade Eye Center the leading provider of vision care products and services in Yakima.
Christopher J. Babin, OD
Dr. Babin grew up in Northern Maine and earned a Zoology degree from the University of Maine. He completed his graduate studies at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, MA, and a Fellowship in Primary Care Optometry. Prior to moving to Yakima he was the Optometric Clinic Director for Indian Health Services in Belcourt, ND. He was a staff optometrist at Group Health Vision Center in Yakima for 11 years.
Dr. Babin is past president of the Yakima Valley Optometric Society, past Trustee for Optometric Physicians of Washington and currently serves on its investment and public relations committees. . He has been a member of the American Optometric Association for 30 years and served as Examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry 1999-2017. He is an adjunct instructor for the Heritage University Physician Assistant program and has lectured at a variety of professional meetings and patient groups. His practice includes all areas of optometry. He has special interest in low vision and ocular disease including the care and management of patients with diabetes, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Dr. Babin is certified by the American Board of Optometry.
Dr. Babin is a past president of Yakima Lions Club and was voted District Lion of the Year for 2015-16. He’s also a member of the Yakima Elks Lodge. He is a Co-Founder and Board member for the Vision for Independence Center (VIC), a local non-profit clinic aiding individuals with low vision. He is an avid golfer, and enjoys outdoor activities, traveling and gardening with his wife, Felicia.
Kaleb A. Dieker, OD
Dr. Dieker was born and raised in Yakima, and graduated from West Valley High School. He attended Yakima Valley College before graduating from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon with a degree in Systems and Structural Biology. He completed his graduate studies with honors at Pacific University College of Optometry in Oregon before returning to Yakima to join Cascade Eye Center in 2015. He’s very pleased to be back in Yakima to provide eye care services to his hometown community.
Dr. Dieker is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Optometric Physicians of Washington, and the Yakima Valley Optometric Society. He is an avid sports fan and a lifelong Seattle Seahawks supporter. He and his wife Lendelyn, a local pharmacist, enjoy their many travel adventures together and in early 2023 celebrated the birth of their first child, a beautiful baby girl. They look forward to watching her grow and interact at home with their loveable golden retriever and three adorable cats.
Dr. Dieker practices all aspects of optometry, including contact lens care and co-management of refractive and cataract surgery, with special interests in ocular disease and pediatric binocular vision.
Alexis L. Snodgrass, OD
Dr. Snodgrass was raised in Selah where life was centered upon family and community. She then went on to complete her degree in Biomedical Sciences at Central Washington University and graduate studies at Pacific University College of Optometry. During her time at Pacific she was provided the chance to participate in both local and international service opportunities and is looking forward to pursing these passions and connecting with her hometown community now that she has returned to the Yakima Valley.
Dr. Snodgrass is a member of the Optometric Physicians of Washington and American Optometric Association.
Dr. Snodgrass practices all aspects of optometry, but she has a special interest in contact lenses (soft and specialty), dry eye and pediatric eye care. In her free time Dr. Snodgrass enjoys spending time with family and fiancée, getting outdoors and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Michael C. Noble, OD
In 1983, Dr. Noble began practicing optometry in Yakima, on the day his oldest daughter Janelle was born. He later joined Dr. Shute at Cascade Eye Center in 1993. After 36 years in Yakima, 24 of which at Cascade Eye Center, he retired from practice in 2019.
It’s been a great ride over the years, and he can’t imagine doing anything else but optometry for a career. He will miss it a lot. He looks forward to enjoying retirement life with his wife Cindy, maximizing as much time as he can with their 2 daughters and their grandchildren.
Donald T. Shute, OD
After finishing his optometry residency in 1985, Dr. Shute began practicing in 1985 at Valley Optometric Clinic, known today as Cascade Eye Center. After 34 wonderful years of service to the Yakima Valley, he retired from practice in 2019.
While he looks forward to enjoying retirement life with his wife Deanne, their two kids and granddaughter, he will miss seeing all of the many patients he helped over the years in Yakima, as well as the many clinic staff members who helped serve them.