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
Serving on the Executive, Governance, Finance & Fund Development Committees
George Abbott
Secretary
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
Seattle, WA
Serves on the Conference Committee
Miki Jordan
Immediate Past Chair
Wayfinder Family Services
Los Angeles, CA
Serves on the Executive & Governance (Chair) 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
World Services for the Blind
Serves on the Membership (Co-Chair) Committee
Diane Nelson
Member-at-Large
Visual Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS)
Serves on the Membership Committee
Tammy Owen
Member-at-Large
VIA
Serves on the IDEAL (Chair) Committee
Reinhard Mabry
Member-at-Large
Alphapointe
Serves on the Finance and Fund Development 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 Committees
VisionServe Alliance
Innovate. Lead. Collaborate.