Meet our Charleston eye care team of caring professionals, including our developmental optometrist Dr. Jesse Willingham

Meet Our Developmental Optometrist and His Charleston Eye Care Team

Our Charleston eye care team is a group of compassionate and attentive individuals, dedicated to helping you on your journey to better vision and a better life. Dr. Jesse Willingham is an experienced developmental optometrist with a passion for helping those who haven’t found relief elsewhere. We care about our Lowcountry community and treat each individual like a friend and neighbor.

Jesse Willingham, OD

Optometric Physician

Dr. Willingham is a native of Summerville, GA. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science and Psychology from the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN (Go Aces!) and then completed his doctoral training at the University of Missouri – St. Louis College of Optometry. At graduation Dr. Willingham was awarded special honors for his achievements in vision therapy. Dr. Willingham then completed his training in the State University of New York College of Optometry’s prestigious Irwin B. Suchoff Residency in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation in New York City, where he was awarded the honor of the Dr. Martin Birmbaum Memorial Award for Behavioral Optometry.

Dr. Willingham is continuing his commitment to lifelong learning by working toward fellowship in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. He is proud to make his home in South Carolina, where friendly faces and sweet tea abound, and is excited to explore every nook and cranny of Charleston culture, especially food, history, and music, with his wife Abbigail and their two schnauzers, Posey and Perry.

Dr. Willingham’s favorite hobbies are making music, building legos, riding bikes around his neighborhood, beekeeping, and trying new food!

His favorite patient memory happened in residency, when two parents brought in their little girl, who had just started first grade. The little girl was having trouble in school and was undergoing lots of testing because she wasn’t learning to read and was performing very poorly in school. When she was tested for glasses and began to read the letters on the chart with her new prescription, her mother cried, claiming she had assumed her daughter had just not been able to learn to read! Following up with the patient later, with the help of glasses and a program of vision therapy, she was well on the path to catching up and loving school!

Charleston eye care team: Dr. Jesse Willingham, developmental optometrist at Brighter Outlook Vision in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston eye care team: Abbigail Willingham, office visionary at Brighter Outlook Vision in Charleston, SC

Abbigail Willingham

Office Visionary

Abbigail earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Evansville, where she met Jesse. The two married after college and moved to St. Louis for Jesse’s optometry schooling. Together they have lived and worked in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Oregon, New York, and now South Carolina. Abbigail is very happy to put down roots and call the beautiful Park Circle neighborhood home. She has worked in a variety of roles with children and at nonprofits, each of which has helped add to her skills so that she can best assist Brighter Outlook Vision. Abbigail says, “I truly believe that Jesse has a special gift that can help improve lives. I want to do everything in my power so that he can better help the people in our community.”

Abbigail’s hobbies include beekeeping, reading, painting, playing with her two dogs, and traveling. She has been to 49 states (she just needs Alaska!) and 23 countries. She loves to explore anywhere, from her backyard to a different continent.

Anna Warren

Vision Therapist

Anna is from Daniel Island and is a recent graduate of College of Charleston, majoring in Sociology. Her love of sociology led to her interests in psychology, which led to her interest in neuroscience, which led to her interests in vision and developmental optometry. Anna also coaches volleyball and is an avid volleyball and tennis player. She loves working with kids!

When not at work, Anna enjoys reading, painting, and being outdoors. She loves walking on the beach at Sullivan’s island with her two dogs, a basset hound named Biscuit and a goldendoodle named Bentley.

Charleston eye care team: Anna Warren, vision therapist at Brighter Outlook Vision in Charleston, SC

Gabrielle Martini - Patient Care Coordinator

Gabrielle Martini

Patient Care Coordinator

Gabrielle was born and raised in Southern Maryland and recently moved to Daniel Island. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. During her undergraduate years, she was an athletic trainer intern for UMD’s football team, a physical therapy aide, and fitness chair in her sorority. Her love for athletics and healthcare are what drove her to her role as a Patient Care Coordinator.

Gabrielle’s interests are weightlifting, hanging by the pool or beach, going on walks, watching movies, and all things football. Go Steelers! She enjoys trying new coffee shops and exploring her new home.