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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We already approved money for Washington Seminar at the state convention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Maryanne Melley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com"><span style='color:#467886'>maryanne.melley@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>860-212-5549<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A dream does not become reality through magic: it takes sweat, determination and hard work<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Mary Silverberg <marysilverfox@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 7, 2026 4:35 PM<br><b>To:</b> Becky Ireland <rmirdi@aol.com><br><b>Cc:</b> maryanne.melley@gmail.com; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb@nfbnet.org>; Nathanael T. Wales <ntwales@omsoft.com>; Cheri Duquette <cbduquette@comcast.net>; Deb Reed <deb.reed57@gmail.com>; lady1mnt@yahoo.com; merlyb1025@gmail.com; Jim Cronin <jcronin442@gmail.com>; Arbuckle Allison <allison.arbuckle@icloud.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: Agenda for January 17 State Board Meeting<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Becky & Maryanne,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Becky, you are correct about approving money for Washington Seminar but Maryanne 's agenda item is for voting on expense / travel grant for National convention.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Looking forward to seeing you at our 1-17 meeting.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Mary<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Wed, Jan 7, 2026 at 4:23<span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>\u202f</span>PM Becky Ireland <<a href="mailto:rmirdi@aol.com">rmirdi@aol.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On 1/6/2026 3:49 PM, <a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com" target="_blank">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Dear Federation Family,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Attached and below is the agenda for our January 17<sup>th</sup> board meeting in Hartford.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>January 17, State Board Meeting</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>151 New Park Avenue</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>The Hartford Room</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Hartford, CT 06106</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Roll Call</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>NFB Pledge</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Reports</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Treasurers Report \u2013 Cheri Duquette</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>ABPVI \u2013 (Advisory Board Persons with Visual Impairments) \u2013 Kristen Dockendorf</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>SRC - (State Rehabilitation Council) \u2013 Deb Reed</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>BCAC \u2013 Melissa Thompson</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>PAC Plan \u2013 (Pre-Authorized Contribution) \u2013 Melissa Thompson</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>New Business</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>2026 State Convention \u2013 Maryanne Melley</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Washington Seminar Update \u2013 Mary Silverberg</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Protect Education, Employment, and Independent Living Programs</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Access Technology Affordability Act</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Blind Americans Return to Work Act</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Birdies for Charity \u2013 Merly Ballesteros</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Vote on Subsidy for National Convention \u2013 Board Discussion </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Kenneth Jernagan Scholarship </span></b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><a href="https://nfb.org/form/convention-scholarship" target="_blank"><b>The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship application is open</b></a><b>. Application deadline is April 15, 2026.</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>National Academic Scholarship </span></b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program" target="_blank"><b>Students can now apply for the 2026 scholarship program.</b></a><b> The application deadline is March 31, 2026.</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Chapter News</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>April Board Meeting</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Best regards,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Maryanne Melley</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><a href="mailto:maryanne.melley@gmail.com" target="_blank">maryanne.melley@gmail.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>860-212-5549</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A dream does not become reality through magic: it takes sweat, determination and hard work</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><pre>Hi Maryanne,<o:p></o:p></pre><pre> I hope you had fun over the holidays. Rich and I enjoyed the holiday season.<o:p></o:p></pre><pre> Thank you for the agenda. I just wanted you to know we don't have to vote on a subsidy for the Washington Seminar. The Board already approved a $800 travel expenses/grant for the seminar at our November business meeting. If you have any questions, please let me know. Stay safe and well. -- <o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Warm Reg4rds,<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Becky Ireland<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Secretary of the Central CT Chapter, NFB of CT, and CTAGDU<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>860-384-8451<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="mailto:rmirdi@aol.com" target="_blank">rmirdi@aol.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre>"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision" Stevie Wonder<o:p></o:p></pre></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>