Napa Valley Register 10 Questions With Jessica Cimolino

This article originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register the Week of September 3-9, 2026.

Helping people hear what they’ve been missing is what makes the work rewarding for Jessica Cimolino, the owner of Advanced Instruments Hearing Aid Center in Napa.

A board-certified hearing instrument specialist and occupational hearing conservationist, Cimolino said restoring a person’s hearing can reconnect them with the people, sounds and everyday experiences they love.

“The level of emotion I get to witness when someone hears well again is unmatched in my experience and so incredibly rewarding,” she said. “We tend to forget how important hearing is to our relationships and everyday enjoyment.”

1. What was your childhood ambition?
I wanted to be just like my uncle in New York City and become a pediatrician.

2. What was your first job?
Carol Millsap’s State Farm Insurance in Fort Bragg, California at the age of 15.

3. What’s the worst job you ever had?
The morning cleanup person at a bar in Fort Bragg called The Welcome Inn.

4. What job would you like to try/not try?
Try: Owner/operator of a bed-and-breakfast.
Not try: Bus driver.

5. How did you get into this business?
I knew since childhood I wanted to be in the health care field. I had recently graduated from Oregon State University with my degree in pre-occupational therapy and minor in psychology.

I decided to move back to California to be close to my family. I was living in San Francisco with my older brother, Justin, and working at his Bamboo Bike Studio (we taught people to build their own bicycles out of bamboo and carbon fiber). Trying to get back to the Mendocino coast where I grew up and the majority of our family still resided, I answered an ad for a receptionist/laboratory personnel position for an audiologist clinic. I interviewed and was offered the job. Little did I know this would become my life’s passion and career.

After working there for a short time, the owner/audiologist offered to help train me in the practices of fitting and dispensing hearing devices. I jumped at the opportunity. From there, I learned and mastered as much as I possibly could. I ended up helping oversee all four of his locations (Mendocino, Santa Rosa, Novato and Mill Valley) as the director of operations, was a California-licensed hearing aid dispenser, a hearing loss support specialist, an occupational hearing conservationist, front office lead and human resources manager. I loved all the knowledge I was gaining.

Sadly, when COVID-19 hit, the Mendocino location was closed and I was not able to commute as I had before (I had a 6-month-old beautiful baby boy at home by this point).

But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. I found myself in communication with a wonderful man and hearing instrument specialist in the Napa Valley looking for someone to carry on his legacy in better hearing for the local community. I was fortunate enough to purchase and take over the practice in February of 2023.

6. What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
The social stigma of hearing aids. It’s getting better with the efforts of educating the public, along with research and development, creating more discreet but better-performing devices. However, there is still a long way to go until we can help people at large understand the importance of hearing, identify the signs of potential hearing loss, and know their options in addressing the hearing or communication difficulties.

7. Who do you most admire in the business world?
Mary Barra, a female in the business world, CEO of General Motors since 2014. She redefined that a business’ focus could and should be shifted to a culture of taking care of employees and making a positive impact on the world with the move towards electric vehicles.

8. What’s one thing Napa could do to help local businesses or the economy?
Continue the efforts! Napa is a wonderful place to live, raise a family and own a business. Further local spotlighting and business-to-business support are all very helpful.

9. What’s your favorite charity or nonprofit?
Luckily, in Napa, there are lots. A few are Share the Care, Rotary, Lions’ Club, Boys & Girls Clubs, Cope and Molly’s Angels.

10. What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
My family lineage can be traced back to Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines.

Advanced Instruments Hearing Aid Center is located at 3353 Beard Road in Napa. For more information, call 707-257-3889 or email [email protected].

Want to be profiled in the Napa Valley Register’s weekly 10 Questions feature? Email business editor Jennifer Huffman at [email protected].