Dominick Maino, OD ’78, MEd, recently retired after over 40 years as an ICO faculty member. While he will be volunteering often in retirement, Dr. Maino’s side projects have already been going strong for decades. He makes time for theatre, community building, and political activism. “It’s never work,” says Dr. Maino. “It gives you an opportunity to say thanks in a very concrete way for everything you’ve received and everything that matters to you.”

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One thing that matters to Dr. Maino is family-accessible art. He was ICO’s first Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Resident, and his love for children has not faded since. Dr. Maino sits on the Board of Directors as Secretary for the Filament Theatre in Chicago’s Portage Park. Calling itself “Where families come to play,” Filament Theatre moved into Dr. Maino’s neighborhood about seven years ago. Their very first show, Crossing Six Corners, caught his attention. He says, “I told them right after that performance, ‘When you’re ready to bring non-theatre people onto your board, call me first.’ They were that good.”

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Dr. Maino has been volunteering for the Filament for “about six years now, helping them grow and evolve.” He attends all meetings, writes and distributes the minutes, chairs and participates in fundraising events, and is a “conduit of communication.” Says Dr. Maino, “I make sure people have the information they need to do the best job possible.”

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The storefront theatre “has grown exponentially.” Today, the Filament collaborates at the national level with organizations like the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. “We went from a small budget to about a couple hundred thousand dollars,” says Dr. Maino.

 

Filament Theatre incorporates sensory experiences into their shows. Dr. Maino recalls a play about the beach, after which attendees could play on a stage covered in real sand. Another recent project was titled Forts: Build Your Own Adventure. Families created various structures, forts, and tunnels made from cardboard boxes, sheets, and furniture. Then, theatre staff would do the cleanup. Dr. Maino appreciates that the Filament creates kids’ activities that do not involve digital devices. “They are moving, they are thinking, and they are creating.”

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Filament Theatre is not the only place in his neighborhood that Dr. Maino values. He is also the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Six Corners Association. This organization brings business and community events to Portage Park. Dr. Maino was inspired to volunteer after the economic downturn of 2008. “We had all these empty stores in my neighborhood,” he recalls. “I live in this community, and because of that, I want to see the community thrive.”

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When asked to list some of his favorite places in Portage Park, Dr. Maino replies, “How do I choose?” His appreciative list includes a family restaurant named Shilas, Jeff’s Redhots, Community Tavern, Josie’s Frozen Yogurt, Fannie’s Café, and Chicago’s second-ever Culver’s. (Ironically, the city’s first Culver’s was constructed in ICO’s neighborhood of Bronzeville.) Dr. Maino reviews budgets, signs checks, and helps “community-minded” businesses like these. By volunteering with the Six Corners Association, Dr. Maino feels he can positively affect large numbers of people- just like he has in optometry.

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When volunteering, Dr. Maino always has optometry in mind. A major reason for his political activism is the legislated nature of the profession. He encourages all ODs to “get to know your state legislators, city politicians, and other public servants… that personal contact will make a major difference.”

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Dr. Maino is also an avid photographer, and sometimes donates this talent to optometric conventions and meetings. He often photographs ICO’s AOA/AAO receptions, and is the official photographer for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) annual meeting. From “powers of observation” to relationship-building, the skills Dr. Maino exercises through volunteering have benefitted him as a doctor.

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Retirement will only give Dr. Maino more ability to nurture his neighborhood and express himself creatively. He hopes that his fellow alumni can become inspired and give of their “time, talent, and treasure” as he has. “Even though you’re extremely busy with your own life,” he says, “perhaps there is that one thing that inspires passion within. Use that passion to benefit others.”