<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Press Releases from Iowa Governor's Office <IowaGovernorsOffice@public.govdelivery.com><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>RELEASE: Gov. Reynolds announces leadership transition at Iowa Department for the Blind</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 16, 2024 at 10:03:57 AM CDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><br></div><div><meta charset="UTF-8"><div class="Singleton"><table width="700" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><a name="gd_top" id="gd_top"></a><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR</strong> <br><strong>Governor Kim Reynolds </strong>★ <strong>Lt. Governor Adam Gregg</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <br>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 <br>CONTACT: Heather Nahas, 515-452-2931, <a href="mailto:heather.nahas@governor.iowa.gov">heather.nahas@governor.iowa.gov</a> <br> </div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><strong>Gov. Reynolds announces leadership transition at Iowa Department for the Blind </strong> </div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <br>DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds today announced the retirement of Emily Wharton, director of the Iowa Department for the Blind, effective July 18, 2024. Wharton has led the department for seven years and previously served as its technology director. She is a former client of the Department for the Blind and graduated from its Iowa Blindness Empowerment and Independence Center. </div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Emily Wharton has dedicated her career to serving the blind,” stated Governor Reynolds. “She has long been a passionate advocate, empowering blind Iowans to live independently, work, and fully contribute to their communities. She has made a difference in the lives of many Iowans, and I am grateful for her service.” </div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The governor has appointed Sarah Willeford, library director at the Department for the Blind, to serve as interim department director while the state conducts a search of candidates. </div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"># # # </div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></div><div id="Signature"></div><div id="mail_footer"><table class="mobile-footer" width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="padding: 10px;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Stay Connected with the Office of the Governor of Iowa:</div><table width="191" style="height: 42px;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FIAGovernor%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000190bc125941-60f2d2eb-9eaf-400e-bef0-76ac6449c8e7-000000/ok_6ybA1OlOT9UHHLryVq1zSIFYYtNL4EhqkmuxYOOc=362" title="Facebook "><img src="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/implementation/2016/02/754187/facebook_original.png" alt="Facebook" width="32"></a></td><td><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FIAGovernor%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000190bc125941-60f2d2eb-9eaf-400e-bef0-76ac6449c8e7-000000/D26f87Z2o34wq_CScAxZKPxEZYvPb-GfNNRed34d-Ng=362" title="Twitter"><img src="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/implementation/2016/02/754151/twitter_original.png" alt="Twitter" width="32"></a></td><td><a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fgovernor.iowa.gov%2Ffeed.xml%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000190bc125941-60f2d2eb-9eaf-400e-bef0-76ac6449c8e7-000000/zV6hkDhZV5ivk0wg5z9y1JfCognWmPQhIvwSB7XdDFw=362" title="RSS Feed"><img src="http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/implementation/2016/02/754195/rss_original.png" alt="RSS Feed" width="32"></a></td><td><div style="margin-top: 0px; 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