ACB Conference and Convention

As we did last year, the BOP led a discussion summarizing our convention experiences and exploring the future. We may still be in the midst of elections, we still have an exciting final evening activity, but we’re close enough to the finish line to begin recapping and exploring our convention experience in this our second virtual convention.

♦ Pledge of Allegiance: ACB Staff

♦ ACB Sponsor recognition: Tony Stephens, Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

♦ Motion for future voting and discussion

♦: Treasurer’s report: David Trott, Talladega, AL

 ACBES Report: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, ACB Enterprises and Services, Missouri City, TX

♦  Membership Affiliate Relationships: Cindy Hollis, Membership Services Coordinator, Flat Rock, MI

♦ Affiliate roll call

♦ Tony Stephens, ACB Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

♦ Election results announced

♦ Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Coordinator, Saint Paul, MN

♦ Officer Roundtable

♦ Closing Remarks: Dan Spoone

• Pledge of Allegiance: JPMorgan Chase Fellows

• ACB Business ACB Sponsor recognition: Tony Stephens, Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

• Candidate Speeches

• Sponsor Presentation: Jim Sinocchi, Head of the Global Office of Disability Inclusion, JPMorgan Chase, Boston, MA; Lauren Oplinger, Vice President, Public Finance Sales Group, New York, NY

• ACB Angels Presentations

• ACB Elections; Affiliate Roll Call Presiding Officer: Denise Colley, Secretary, Lacey, WA

• Kathy Martinez, President and CEO Disability Rights Advocates, Berkeley, CA

• CCLVI Scholarship Presentations

• ACB Scholarship Presentations

•Talking Book Narrator: JP Linton, “Master of the Spoken Word”, Duart (formerly Benefit Media Inc), New York, NY

• Election results

• nominations for next election

• door prizes, and announcements

• Pledge of Allegiance: DKM First Timers', Kaila Allen, Mesa, AZ; Belinda Gail Collins - St. Pauls, NC

• ACB Business: ACB Sponsor recognitions: Tony Stephens, Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

• Candidate Speeches

• Sponsor Presentation

• ACB Angels presentations

• ACB Elections; Affiliate roll call Presiding Officer: David Trott, ACB Treasurer, Talladega, AL

• ACB's Growth report: Eric Bridges, ACB Executive Director, Alexandria, VA; and Nancy Becker, ACB Chief Financial Officer, Brooklyn Center, MN

• ACB Scholarship Presentations

•Report on the ACB Walk and Auction: Donna Brown, Walk Chair, Romney, WV; Leslie Spoone, Chair, ACB Auction Committee, Orlando FL; and Dan Dillon, Chair, ACB Resource Development Committee, Hermitage, TN

• Election results

• nominations for next election

• door prizes, and announcements

• Pledge of Allegiance: Recipients of Ross Pangere Scholarships

• ACB Business ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Tony Stephens, ACB Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

• Candidate Speeches

• Sponsor Presentation: Monica Desai, Global Head, Connectivity and Access Policy, Facebook, Washington, DC

• ACB Angels Presentations

• ACB Elections: Affiliate Roll Call Presiding Officer: Ray Campbell, Second Vice President, Glen Ellyn, IL

• Mike May: Chief Evangelist, GoodMaps, Reno, NV; and Evelyn Tichenor, Chief of Staff, Goodmaps, Nashville, TN

• ACB Advocacy Updates: Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy, Alexandria VA; and Swatha Nandhakumar, Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, Naperville, IL

• Scholarship Presentations

• ADP Awards

• Election results

• nominations for next election

• door prizes, and announcements

• Pledge of Allegiance: JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows

• ACB Business ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Tony Stephens, Director of Development, Alexandria, VA

• Candidate Speeches

• Sponsor Presentation: Google

• ACB Angels Presentations:

• ACB Elections; Affiliate Roll Call Presiding Officer: Mark Richert, First Vice President, Falls Church, VA

• International Perspective: How Are the Winds Blowing in the Caribbean?

◘  Kenneth Suratt, Executive Officer, Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

◘  Cheryl Adams, President, Voice of the Disabled and National Society of and for the Blind, Georgetown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

◘  Desmond Brown, President, Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Nassau, Bahamas 1

• Scholarship Presentations

• Presentation of Vernon Henley Media Award: Deb Cook Lewis, Board of Publications, Clarkston, WA

• News from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS):

◘  Jason Yasner, NLS Interim Director, Washington, DC

◘  Mark Santangelo, Chief, NLS Patron and Network Engagement Division, Washington, DC

• Election results

• nominations for next election

• door prizes, and announcements

• Moment of reflection

• Presentation of Colors National Anthem: Matthew H. Shifrin, Auburndale, MA

• Welcome to Convention: Janet Dickelman, convention coordinator, Saint Paul, MN

• ACB Highlight Video

• ACB President's and ACB Director's Report:

◘  President's Report: Dan Spoone, Orlando, FL

◘ Executive Director's Report: Eric Bridges, ACB Executive Director, Alexandria, VA

• Sponsor Presentation: Jeff Petty, Principal Program Manager for Windows Accessibility, Microsoft, Seattle, WA

 Convention Standing Rules and Nominating Committee Report: Brian Charlson, Watertown, MA

• Life Member Presentations: Dan Spoone, ACB President, Orlando, FL; and Nancy Becker, ACB Chief Financial Officer, Brooklyn Center, MN

• ACB Angels Presentations: Tony Stephens, ACB Director of Development, Alexandria, VA; and Dan Dillon, ACB Board Member, Hermitage, TN

◘  ACB Angel Presentations: Charlie Crawford (1947-2020), Maryland

◘  Berl Colley (1942-2020), Washington

• “Special Thank You Tribute”

• ACB First Timers: Kenneth Semien Sr., Chair, Durward K. McDaniel First Timers Committee, Beaumont, TX

• ACB JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows: Eric Bridges, ACB Executive Director, Alexandria, VA

• Roll Call of Affiliates: Denise Colley, ACB Secretary, Lacey, WA

• ACB Elections

Financial issues touch every aspect of our lives. The more we can learn about successfully navigating this whole area of interest, the more successful we can become in handling various financial matters that contribute to our independence. Although we could never hope to fully handle this subject in one panel session, we presented a sampling of topics we believe will be of interest and assistance to convention attendees.

Panelists:

♦ Brian Charlson, Watertown, MA, an expert in the area of credit through his work on the Structured Negotiation on Credit Report Accessibility, shared this expertise with us and presented a discussion of the importance of knowing your credit status, and how to obtain and utilize your free and accessible credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. All financial literacy starts with credit, and Brian will tell us just what we need to know about it to make it work for us.

♦ Judy Dixon, Arlington VA, our resident expert in iOS-related photography, stretched our comfort zones by demonstrating the techniques she uses to allow a totally blind person to deposit a check into her bank account using only her iPhone.

♦ Kelly Ford, a brilliant trainer, answer man, and problem solver from Microsoft's Enterprise Disability Answer Desk, Madison, WI, is adept at all things Excel. Kelly shared information on pivot tables and data types, two awesome and exciting features that are accessible and will allow us to track our expenses and get stock-related information using some cool Excel techniques.

Pre-Show Olympic coverage which spotlighted the process of providing audio description for the Olympics through interviews with NBC personnel responsible for delivering television coverage of the event, profiles of the audio describers, interviews with present and past Paralympians, the members of the U.S. Goalball team, and much more.

Banquet Emcee: Dan Spoone, ACB President, Orlando, FL

♠ Moment of reflection

♠ God Bless America, Anthony Corona, BPI member and host of Sunday Edition, Miami, FL

♠ Keynote Speaker: Peter Sagal Best known as the host of the Peabody Award-winning NPR news quiz “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!” One of the most popular shows on public radio. In addition, he is, has been, and perhaps someday will be again, a husband, father, playwright, screenwriter, author, journalist, columnist, marathoner, Jeopardy contestant, dramaturg, podcast host, documentary host, foreign correspondent, wedding officiant, and magician’s assistant. He is the author of “The Book of Vice” and “The Incomplete Book of Running”, a memoir about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and other adventures while running long distances. During the infamous Boston Marathon bombing incident, Peter was guiding a blind runner through his first Boston marathon. They finished just five minutes before the bombing occurred. The difference between running the last mile or taking a walking break was a literal life or death situation for the duo.