VisionServe Alliance 2026 Annual Award Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VisionServe Alliance Honors Janet Szlyk
with the 2026 Excellence in Leadership Award
Collaboration, Commitment, and Innovation
VisionServe Alliance is honored to recognize Janet Szlyk, President and CEO of The Chicago Lighthouse, for her visionary leadership that has helped transform The Chicago Lighthouse into a nationally recognized organization supporting individuals living with blindness or low vision.
The Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes exemplary leadership demonstrated by an Executive Director, President, or CEO of a member organization. Award recipients are listed on a print and braille plaque in the Hall of Fame – Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field located at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.
During her nearly 20 years at The Chicago Lighthouse, Janet Szlyk has dramatically expanded and improved its services and fortified its mission while also advancing groundbreaking research. She continues to cultivate growth through strategic collaborations and diversified revenue streams, including the addition of social enterprises generating $40 million and employing more than 200 people with vison loss. A tireless champion of the underserved, she has increased her organization’s presence in under-resourced communities, recently opening a residence for individuals with blindness and low vision.
“Janet’s deep commitment to people who are living with vision loss underpins everything she does,” said Lee Nasehi, President and CEO of VisionServe Alliance. “And she does a lot! Her thoughtful and inspiring leadership has taken The Chicago Lighthouse to ever-greater heights, and by example continues to expand the scope of our shared mission.”
We extend our deepest gratitude to Janet Szlyk for her exemplary leadership and life-changing efforts on behalf of our field and the people we are proud to serve.
The Excellence in Leadership Awards will be commemorated during lunch on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the Envision and VisionServe Alliance 2026 Conference in Columbus, OH.
About VisionServe Alliance
VisionServe leads an alliance of more than 130 organizations that vastly improve the lives of people with blindness and low vision. VisionServe Alliance collaborates with leaders to enhance the health of the vision service field, addressing strategic issues, cultivating leadership, enhancing management systems, sharing best practices, increasing capacity-building and sustainability, informing public policy, and maximizing awareness of life-changing vision rehabilitation training. For more information, visit VisionServeAlliance.org.
About VisionServe Alliance Annual Awards and Annual Conference: VisionServe Alliance bestows its Annual Awards on leaders and innovators in the BVI field. Leaders receive Annual Awards in several categories at our annual conference.
VisionServe Alliance press inquiries may be directed to SDraddy@VisionServeAlliance.org