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

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
Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco

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