VT Works

There are moments in our profession that begin as a response to circumstance…and quietly evolve into something much more meaningful.

The Tuesday Think Tank was one of those moments.

Back in the early days of COVID, when our offices were closed, our routines were disrupted, and uncertainty seemed to hang over everything, there was a very real need to stay connected. Not just professionally, but personally. We needed a space to think, to share, to ask questions, and honestly, to remind ourselves that we were not navigating it all alone.

So the idea was simple: open up a virtual room, invite anyone in the vision therapy community who wanted to join, and just talk. Cases, concepts, challenges, ideas: nothing overly structured, nothing formal. Just clinicians showing up for each other.

The first Tuesday Think Tank took place on March 24, 2020.

For a few months, I had the privilege of being closely involved as it got off the ground. And then, as often happens with the best things, someone else stepped in and carried it forward.

That someone was Jules Petteruto, COVT.

What Jules has done with the Tuesday Think Tank over the past six years is nothing short of remarkable. Week after week, she has created and sustained a space that is open, welcoming, and consistently valuable. No paywalls. No barriers. Just a standing invitation to learn, collaborate, and connect. That consistency matters more than we sometimes realize.

Because education in our field doesn’t only happen in lecture halls or formal courses. Some of the most meaningful growth happens in conversations, in hearing how someone else approached a case, in asking a question you weren’t sure you were “supposed” to ask, in realizing that someone across the country (or across the world) is working through the same challenge you are.

That’s what the Think Tank has become.

It’s not just a study group. It’s a rhythm. A touchpoint. A reminder that this profession is built on shared thinking, not isolated effort.

The fact that it has continued every Tuesday for six years speaks to something deeper. It speaks to commitment. It speaks to generosity. And it speaks to Jules’ belief in the power of simply showing up. So today, on this anniversary, it feels important to pause and recognize that.

Jules, thank you. Thank you for your time, your energy, your consistency, and your leadership. What you’ve built has created real impact, even in ways that may never be fully visible.

For anyone reading this who has never joined…

Consider this your invitation.

If you’re a seasoned provider, come share what you’ve learned.

If you’re newer to the field, come ask the questions you’ve been holding onto.

If you’re somewhere in between, come listen, contribute, and be part of the conversation.

There’s no expectation other than showing up; because sometimes the most valuable thing we can do for each other…is exactly that.