Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Our dedicated Board – comprised of industry and business leaders – guides the vital work we do.

Meet our Board

Executive Committee

Serving January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024

Lauren Branch

Board Chair
NewView Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK

Serves on the Executive (Chair), Finance (Chair) & Fund Development Committees

Bernadette Kappen

Vice-Chair
NY Institute for Special Education
Bronx, NY

Serves on the Executive & Public Policy (Chair) Committees

Dennis Steiner

Treasurer
VisionCorps
Lancaster, PA

Serves on the Executive, Governance & Finance Committees

George Abbott

Secretary
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
Seattle, WA

Serves on the Executive, Conference & Governance Committees

Lee Nasehi

President & CEO, VisionServe Alliance
St. Louis, MO


Serves on the Executive Committee


Board at Large

Serving January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024

Courtney Plotner

Member-at-Large
ABVI- South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Serves on the Membership (Chair) & Public Policy Committees

Sharon Giovinazzo

Member-at-Large
Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco

Serves on the Membership (Co-Chair) & Public Policy Committees

Diane Nelson

Member-at-Large
Visual Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS)

Serves on the Conference (Chair) & Membership Committees

Tammy Owen

Member-at-Large
VIA

Serves on the IDEAL (Chair) & Public Policy Committees

Reinhard Mabry

Member-at-Large
Alphapointe

Serves on the Finance & Public Policy Committees

Board at Large

Serving January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2025

Craig Meador

Member-at-Large
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
Louisville, KY

Serves on the Finance & Conference Committees

Laura Park-Leach

Member-at-Large
St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired
St Louis, MO

Serves on the Membership & Conference Committees

Denise Jess

Member-at-Large
Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
Madison, WI

Serves on the IDEAL (Co-Chair) & Public Policy Committees

Board at Large

Serving January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2026

Jennifer Lake

Member-at-Large
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
Rochester, NY

Serves on the Public Policy Committee

Brian Patchett

Member-at-Large
Louisiana Association for the Blind
Shreveport, LA

Serves on the Public Policy Committee (Chair)