[CT-NFB] January 2024 Board Meeting Minutes

Thu Apr 11 13:22:29 UTC 2024

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF CT

AFFILIATE BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Sat, Jan. 13, 2024, Hartford Room, 11:00 AM

1st VP Wales called the meeting to order at 11:03 AM.

Board Members Present: Nathanael Wales (1st Vice-President), Mary Silverberg
(2nd Vice-President), Becky Ireland (Secretary), Allison Arbuckle (Board
Member), Veronica Alston (Board Member), Deb Reed (Board Member).

Board Members Absent: Maryanne Melley (President), Cheri Duquette
(Treasurer), Beth Rival (Board Member).

Guest Speaker: Carol Jenkins - Director of BESB

Roll Call:

Note: Pres. Melley is on a leave of absence after knee surgery, 1st VP Wales
ran the meeting in her absence.

1st VP Wales led the members in the NFB pledge.

Reports:

ABPBVI (Advisory Board for people who are Blind and Visually Impaired): 2nd
VP Mary Silverberg

2nd VP Silverberg reported the following:

*	  There wasn't a quorum, this was a formal discussion and minutes
were taken.
*	There was a discussion about pedestrian safety and measures being
taken in several towns.
*	The new logo for BESB is waiting for approval.
*	Both Carol Jenkins and Mary Burgard attended a fall conference of
the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and the
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
*	Topics of note were: 1) DEIA: Diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility, 2) Branding, and 3) artificial intelligence.
*	The 2023 Consumer Satisfaction Survey had a response under 13%. A
recommendation was made to do the survey by phone rather than email.
*	Other staff recommendations included provide more training on
Client's rights and responsibilities and making forms more accessible.
*	Additional work is being done to update state statutes and policy
manuals.
*	Tyrell Sampson gave an update on the Business Enterprise Program
(BEP). He spoke about oversight of workers under contract, expanding
training opportunities, the need for employees having experience in business
and food service.
*	The Vendor at Norwalk community College passed away and Tyrell has a
replacement candidate.
*	Tunxis and Norwalk colleges are good operations for training. There
are several more partnerships and Tyrell is looking to build on this.
*	Currently 60% of the operations are micro-marts. There are not
enough employees for over-the-counter food operations. Tyrell is working
hard to improve this.
*	There is now a full staff in VOC Rehab. New hires include: 1 VR
Counselor Bilingual statewide, a rehab technologist, two transition
counselors for pre-employment (one for northern CT and one for Southern CT).
*	Al Sylvester, the Advisory Board chair, has been appointed to the
Public Transportation Council. Both he and Steven Thal will be resigning
from the advisory board.
*	There are currently 3 vacancies on the Board. They will be looking
into state statutes and by-laws for the recruitment of new members.
*	Carol Jenkins provided a detailed budget for BESB, which was not
submitted here.
*	There was no legislative report available.

     Questions and Comments:

*	1st VP Wales asked what are the vacancies on the Board? Who appoints
members to the Board?
*	2nd VP Silverberg replied that they will be having a special meeting
to review the statutes to see if members can be reappointed and eligibility
requirements.
*	Kristen Dockendorff suggested that details about the different
Boards and vacancies be emailed out to members. This will help members fully
understand what they are applying for.

1st VP Wales encouraged all members who may be interested to apply for these
positions.  

SRC (State Rehabilitation Council) BM Deb Reed

BM Reed reported the following:

*	The SRC met on December 20, 2023. Director Jenkins is currently
working on filling vacancies on the council.
*	Congratulations goes to Melissa Thompson, newly appointed member of
the council.
*	Chairman Phil Magalnick, Vice-Chairman Bill DeMaio and I formed a
work group along with Carol Jenkins for the state plan. The main goal is to
increase participation in consumer surveys.
*	Out of 180 eligible participants only 23 responded. The low response
is believed to be due to difficulties in accessibility in the electronic
survey and the elimination of the phone survey.
*	Recommendations from the survey include: more skills training with
rehabilitative technology and more staff training on the client's rights and
responsibilities to handle complaints more effectively.
*	  January's VR success story is Nicole Jerazin, a BESB client since
2015, has received a master's degree in social work in 2019. She did this
while raising her nine-year old daughter and working full time. She has
accepted an individual counseling position and plans to get her clinical
license in the next few months.

BCAC (Bureau Consumer Advocacy Committee) Melissa Thompson

Melissa reported the following:

*	The BCAC has lost their President. Sadly, Elderrean "Ellie" Paules
has passed away on November 23rd and will be greatly missed.
*	At their next meeting, Jan 22nd, I will inform them about the
Washington seminar and the issues we plan to talk about. I will also talk
about the success of our state convention last November.
*	The BCAC meets quarterly on Mondays both by phone and virtually.
Lisa Andrews has sent out details for our next meeting.

Leap Into Life Program BM Allison Arbuckle

BM Arbuckle talked about an event she attended with her family in
Wallingford. The program, sponsored by BESB, was for visually impaired high
school students ages 14 and up. Ten students participated in the activities.
The event focused on empowerment and transitioning to life after high
school. Students were given tips to improve their self-esteem. They
demonstrated the use of both the AIRA and Be My Eyes apps. Parents attended
a separate meeting and were given information to resources available to
them. BM Arbuckle stated that they had learned a lot and that it was a great
experience. 

BESB Update - Carol Jenkins, director

Director Jenkins discussed the following:

*	Programs they plan for the summer for teenagers and adults. They
will include financial independence, technology, and cooking skills.
*	She has completed the state plan and sent it to the Commissioner.  
*	They have done well filling vacancies at BESB. They have two
secretary positions open and are accepting applications. They have hired a
second Rehab Technology specialist for Adult Services.
*	Her plan for several new positions in BESB and what responsibilities
these new positions will entail.
*	The introduction of work phones for employees. This will allow
counselors to receive information faster and to respond to clients more
quickly. 
*	She talked about the consumer survey. She discussed the issues they
had and what they plan to do to fix the problems.  There was a brief
discussion about the survey, Concerns mentioned were about the questions,
the choices given for answers, accessibility, and eligibility to take the
survey.
*	She spoke about BESB's budget and where the money is needed most.
There was a brief discussion about whether or not BESB has the authority to
charge school districts for services. This is a concern due to BESB budget
restraints.

Director Jenkins answered questions and then discussed concerns with
members.

Minutes for July 22, 2023, Meeting:

1st VP Wales asked if everyone read the minutes and if there were any
corrections.

2nd VP Silverberg made a motion to accept the minutes as written.

Seconded: BM Reed

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, minutes approved.

Treasurers Report Cheri Duquette

Tr, Duquette was not present due to an illness in the family.

1st VP Wales gave the report in her absence. If you would like a copy of the
Treasurers report, please contact Lucia and she will send you a copy.

2nd BP Silverberg spoke about a new scholarship in memory of Steve
Famiglietti. His mother has already sent donations in the amount of $3500.
She received the money from donors and the sale of several cuckoo clocks.
She would like to see a scholarship set up in his name through the NFB of
CT.

Sec. Ireland made a motion to establish the Steve Famiglietti Scholarship
fund.

Seconded: BM Alston

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, scholarship fund approved.

2nd VP Silverberg mentioned that at our last meeting we made a pledge to the
new museum in Baltimore in the amount of $25,000 over a five-year period.
She suggested we set up a restricted fund for the pledge.

2nd VP Silverberg made a motion to move $25,000 from the general funds to be
used for the museum pledge.

Seconded: BM Reed

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, new fund approved.

BM Alston made a motion to accept the treasurers report.

Seconded: BM Arbuckle

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, report approved.

PAC Plan (Planned Authorized Contribution) - Len Schlenk

Len spoke about the PAC plan. He explained how easy it is to donate and that
you can donate as much or as little as you want. He encouraged everyone to
join the plan. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Len and
he will help you.

The Federationist - Brianna Rigsbee

Brianna was not present. Melissa Thompson gave the report.

She reported the following:

*	Carole Wedler and Melissa Thompson are the new co-editors of the
newsletter.
*	Membership Initiatives: All members are invited to submit stories
about your blind journey, advocacy, or something that is dear to their
heart, The main goal is to foster community and connections.
*	The Federationist is excited about the collaboration with the Maine
affiliate, spearheaded by Pres. Melley. This will expand our community.
*	Chapters and Divisions News: Both are encouraged to keep our
community informed of their doings.
*	Member Spotlight: The Member Spotlight is where we celebrate members
who make a difference and inspire others in our community.
*	The Federationist is looking for additional contributors to provide
new perspectives and new voices.

New Business:

Washington Seminar Appointments Mary Silverberg

2nd VP Silverberg reported the following:

*	NFB National is conducting a series of online training sessions
during the month of January.
*	Jim McCullom will be conducting two online training and prep
sessions for our twelve participants.
*	In Pres. Melley's absence2nd VP Silverberg and Joe kolczynski will
be leading our delegation in D.C.
*	So far four out of seven appointments have been confirmed.
*	All who are attending have made all their arrangements and applied
for grants/travel expenses.

Questions and Comments:

*	Kristen Dockendorff asked if anyone could attend the training
sessions?
*	2nd VP Silverberg replied yes but she advised her to wait until next
year and attend all the sessions from the beginning. It will help her to
better understand what they are doing.
*	Melissa Thompson asked where we could go to see the bills they are
advocating for. 
*	2nd VP Silverberg replied that you can go to our website and read
about the bills they will be discussing.
*	Bm Arbuckle suggested that all those attending the seminar go to the
Wrap Up Meeting. This meeting could be very interesting. At this session
members will talk about what happened at the meetings with their
Representatives. 

Accessible Absentee Voting with Electronic Return - Nathanael Wales

1st VP Wales spoke about the following:

*	He reminded members why we passed the resolution and what we are
fighting for.
*	2nd VP Silverberg, Jim McCullom, and himself met with the Secretary
of State and two of her staff, one of which was her Chief of Staff, on
Thursday Jan. 11th. He stated that her Chief of Staff remembered the NFB and
the issues we have with absentee voting.
*	They talked about a website where you could cast your vote and then
do one oof two things. Print up the ballot and bring it to a local drop box
or your town clerk or submit the vote electronically. The Secretary doesn't
know if she has the authority to approve something like the latter. She said
that we might need legislation for this and that they may not have money in
the budget to purchase the necessary software for the former.
*	There are two things we can do. She will push it through in the
executive branch and we can push it through the state legislature by talking
to our Representatives and letting them know how important it is to us.
*	1st VP Wales plans to get copies of laws passed in Colorado and West
Virginia to show them what we are looking for.
*	Stay tuned to the List Serve for more information and requests to
contact your local Representatives.

Members had a brief discussion about the meeting with the Secretary of
state. Also discussed were concerns about the delay in getting accessible
absentee ballots and accessible equipment not set up at local polling
places.

Grant/Travel Expense for National Convention in Orlando

1st VP Wales stated that the National convention will be in Orlando, FL.
>From July3rd to July 8th. He spoke about what a wonderful experience you
will have when you attend the convention. He said that rates will be a
little higher this year. Rooms will be $129 a night, round trip airfare is
$365, and this may differ by airline. 

Members had a brief discussion and settled on $850 grant/travel expense for
the convention.

2nd VP Silverberg made a motion for a $850 grant/travel expense for the
National Convention.

Seconded: BM Arbuckle

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, grant/travel expense approved.

Question and comments:

*	Marchele Davis asked if a couple is going to the convention can they
individually apply for the grant/travel expense? 
*	1st VP Wales replied yes, all members going to the convention can
apply for the grant/travel expense.

2024 Convention Hotel Update -Allison Arbuckle

BM Arbuckle said she reached out to the Hilton Garden in Wallingford. She
was given a tour of the rooms available for our use and a grassy area for
the use of guide dog users. The rates are a little high, but we hope to get
them lowered.

1st VP Wales mentioned he has a call out to the Courtyard Marriot in Shelton
and is waiting to hear from them. Also, Gary Allen will look into a hotel in
Bristol for the convention.    

Chapter News:

The Hartford Chapter: Melissa Thompson

Melissa reported that in December they went to see "A Christmas Carol" and
enjoyed a party. In February they will talk about the Washington seminar and
the National convention.

The Central CT Chapter: BM Deb Reed

BM Reed reported that they held their biannual elections and have three new
officers. Carole Wedler and June Blum new Board Members and Paul Duquette
new Vice-President. In December they enjoyed a Christmas party with a Yankee
swap and in February they hope to have CTLABS come to their meeting. 

Southern CT Chapter: Marchele Davis

Marchele reported that each month a member brings a speaker to their
meetings. Since November they had speakers from Achilles and BESB. In
January Shaun Conaway, President of the D.C. affiliate, will be speaking. In
February Marchele plans  to have an African-American talk about his
experiences as a visually impaired person.

The Southern Fairfield Chapter: Jim Cronin

Jim was not present. George Reed read his report.

At their November meeting they discussed confidence and boundaries. In
December they enjoyed a holiday party, and in January they have two
outreaches planned on January 11th and Jan. 25th at the local library. 

At Large Chapter: BM Allison Arbuckle

BM Arbuckle reported that in October, her first meeting as President, they
celebrated Blind equality month. Members shared their accomplishments. In
November they shared what they were thankful for and had a speaker, Jonathon
Gantry from BESB, he talked about several programs at BESB. In December they
had their Christmas party and talked about family traditions. At their
January meeting they plan to talk about the Washington Seminar and the
convention.  

April Board Meeting, date, and location

The Southern CT chapter has offered to host the April Board meeting. The
meeting will be held on April 13, 2024, at 11 AM details to follow. 

Sec. Ireland made a motion to have the Board meeting on April 13th with the
understanding that some members can not attend.

Seconded: BM Arbuckle

Vote: 6 to 0, motion passes, meeting date approved.

Adjournment:

2nd VP Silverberg made a motion to adjourn.

Seconded: Sec. Ireland

Vote: 6 to 0 Motion passes, meeting adjourned at 3:03 PM.

Respectfully Submitted By,

Becky Ireland

Secretary

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