[IABS-Talk] 2026 NFBIL committee list

Fri Jan 2 14:47:18 UTC 2026

Hello everyone,

Here is the 2026 committee list. Please see below.

To: All Members of the National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois

From: Marilyn Green

President, National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois

January 2, 2026

This is our most up-to-date committee list.

*If you wish to be added to or deleted from  a

committee, or if I inadvertently added or left yours or someone  else's name

off one of our committees,  please let me know. My direct e-mail address is

president at nfbofillinois.org

<mailto:

president at nfbofillinois.org>

. Thanks to all of the

chair persons and members for your work on our various committees in 2025.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated by your State President, Marilyn
Green

, and the Board of Directors of NFBI.

*** Based on our protocols, please take note of the following:

***  All committee meetings are open, except for Chappell-Dennis, and state
scholarship.

*** Notices of meetings should be e-mailed to our general membership and

student listservs.

***  Notes should be taken at every meeting.

*** Please note that as of December 9, 2019, the NFBI Board of directors

passed a resolution amending the protocols to make  all programming reports

due by February 15. This starts in 2021.

*** I would also recommend that the chairs hold at least one meeting with

your committee members to get to know them, and what they can do to help

serve the committee and NFBI. Please hold other meetings as you deem

necessary to the functioning of your committee.

2026 National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Committee Appointments:

Amended and updated January 2, 2026.

COMMITTEES

XXX Advocacy Committee

Chair Michal Nowicki, Co-chair Denise Avant

Members: Debbie Stein, David Meyer, Debbie Pittman,

Linda Hendle, Cathy Randall, Kira O'Bradovich, Ken Borst and Marilyn Green 

                                         XXX Bell Committee

This committee will work with our national office to plan for our Bell 2025
programs and figure out how to tie it in with our conventions, and other
related seminars, as well as our STEM2U program.

Chair: Debbie Stein

Members: Bill Reif, Steve Hastalis,  Bridget Hickey, Paula Sprecher, Cathy
Randall,  Sarah Luna, Olivia Cichowlas, Alaula Sprecher, Esli Ramos,
Michelle Ault, Tasabih Elfaki

XXX Braille Literacy Initiative

Chair: Debbie Stein

Members: Robert Gardner, Linda Hendle (LIFE Group Chair), Debbie Pittman,
Bill

Reif,  Pam Provost, And Patrick Olson

XXX Chappell-Dennis  Award Committee

(Responsible for decisions with guidance from NFBI board on aiding and

selecting people to

attend NFB events.)

(This is our only committee where the membership remains anonymous.)

XXX Development Committee

(Prepares and submits grant proposals.  Sends out annual appeal letters.

Handles things like our

letter to estates attorneys.)

Chair: Cathy Randall

Members: Patti Chang and Michal Nowicki 

Grants: Denise Avant,  Debbie Stein, Marilyn Green, and Bill Reif

XXX Diversity and Inclusion

Responsible for developing programming for the affiliate that promotes the
inclusion of people from diverse populations.

Co-chairs: Denise Avant and Sara Luna

Members: Ken Borst, Bridgid Burke, Natalie Shaheen, Juliette Walker, Esli
Ramos, Tasabih Elfaki  and Howard Wilson

XXX Door Prizes

Chair: TBD

Members: Pam Gillmore, Tasabih Elfaki, Michelle Ault, , Bill Reif, David
Meyer, Glenn Moore,

Marco  Giannotti, Olivia Cichowlas, Pat Olsen, Ed Birmingham, and Mary
Grunwald

XXX Budget Committee

(Responsible for putting together an annual budget for presentation to the

board.)

Chair: Michal Nowicki, treasurer

Members: Patti Chang, Denise Avant, Cathy Randall, 

Debbie Stein and Marilyn Green

XXX Guide Dog

Chair: Bill Reif

Members: Leslie Hamric, Olivia Cichowlas and Debbie Pittman

xxx ISVI

(Deals with the school for the blind and its issues.)

Chair: TBD

Members:  Cathy Randall, Bill Reif, Dave Meyer and Debbie Stein

XXX State Legislation- Committee

(Responsible for State Legislative action.)

Chair: Bill Reif 

Members: Jemal Powell,  Leslie Hamric, Debbie Stein, Mary Grunwald, Steve

Hastalis, Marco Giannotti, Denise Avant, Dustin Cather,  Marilyn Green,

Kira O'Bradovich, Robert Gardner, Michal Nowicki, Patti Chang, and David
Meyer

XXX Federal Legislation

(Responsible for Washington Seminar and Federal Legislative Action.)
Co-Chairs:

Dustin Cather and Denise Avant

Members: Robert Gardner, David Meyer, Jemal Powell, Kira O'Bradovich, Michal

Nowicki, Tasabih Elfaki,  Steve Hastalis, Patti Chang, Leslie Hamric,
Michelle Ault, Mary Grunwald, Olivia Cichowlas, Jean Johnson, Dilip Shah,
Kaitlyn Ryan, Bill Reif,

Nelly Gamino, Liza Jager, Juliet Walker, Marilyn Green and Glenn Moore 

XXX Parent Committee

Chair: Debbie Stein

Members: Marilyn Green, Juliette Walker, Michelle Ault, and Julietta Meyer

XXX PR/Social Media Committee

Chair: Debbie Stein

Members: Glenn Moore, Robert Hansen, Linda Hendle, Patti Chang, 

Denise Avant and Sara Luna

XXX Resolutions Committee

(Responsible for reviewing and recommending "do Pass"  or "do not pass" to

the convention.)

2026-27

Chair: Michal Nowicki, Co-chair Dustin Cather

Members: Bill Reif,  David Meyer, Debbie Stein, Jemal Powell, Patti Chang,

Mary Grunwald,  Kira O'Bradovich, Denise Avant, Marilyn Green, Jean Johnson,
Melissa Fuller, and Steve

Hastalis, 

XXX Students Committee

(Committee for high school and older blind students)

Co-chairs:  Tasabih Elfaki and Esli Ramos

Members: Kaitlyn Ryan, Tim Green, Sidney Horne, Jalan Vaughn and Isaac Rasky

XXX Membership Committee

(Responsible to assist all chapters in strengthening present membership and

building new

members. 

Chair:  Michelle Ault 

Members: David Meyer, Brian Sumner, Pat Olson, Marilyn

Green, Robert Gardner, Bill Reif, Edward Birmingham, Cathy Randall, Bridgid
Burke, Ken Borst, Natalie Shaheen, Glenn Moore, , Juliette Walker, Linda
Hendle and Denise Avant 

XXX Sales and Fundraising Committee

(Responsible for researching sales items and other fundraising ideas, e.g.

Amazon Smile, appeal letters)

Chair: TBD

Members: Michelle Ault, David Meyer, Mary Grunwald,

Bridgid Burke, Debbie Stein and Marilyn Green.

xxx State Scholarship Committee

(Decides state scholarship candidates and internships.  Mentors those

persons at convention and

throughout the year.)

Chair: Patti Chang

Members: Debbie Stein, Dustin Cather,

Denise Avant

xxx Special Events Committee

(Plans and carries out all aspects of our spring seminars and conventions

except for press, sends out convention bulletin, and plans face-to-face
board meetings.)

Co-chairs: Patti Chang, and  Jemal Powell

Members: Denise Avant, Pam Gillmore, Nancy Gardner, Pat Olson,  Michal

Nowicki, Roberta Reif, Marco Giannotti (sound at Convention), Mary Grunwald,

Glenn Moore, Francisco Chang, David Meyer, Brian Mackey,  (webmaster),

Robert Gardner, Dustin Cather 

XXX Transportation Committee

Represent NFBI when dealing with transportation issues with both mainline

and paratransit

issues

Co-chair Steve Hastalis and Jemal Powell

Members: Debbie Pittman,  Kelly Pierce, Michal Nowicki, Sara Luna, Kira
O'Bradovich and Ken Borst

XXX Webpage Committee

(Purpose to keep the webpage growing and up to date. This committee will

design, and

implement the page as well as urge all to get content to the webmaster in a

timely fashion.)

Chair: Dan Tevalde

Members: Christopher Milsap, Glenn Moore,  Brian Mackey  and

Marco Giannotti

NFB National LIAISON APPOINTMENTS

XXX Public Relations

Debbie Stein

XXX Science Camp and STEM2U Coordinator

Aiwa Sprecher and Olivia Cichowlas

XXX Rideshare  (Uber and LYFT Testing)

Leslie Hamric

XXX Newsline Coordinator

David Meyer

XXX GOVERNMENT ADVISORY PANEL APPOINTMENTS

XXX Blind Services Planning Council

NFBI Representatives: Dan Tevelde

XXX NFB Vehicle Donation

Robert Hansen

XXX OTHER

XXX Pace Suburban ADA Advisory Committee

Jemal Powell

Marilyn Green, President

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

312-343-8396

 <mailto:president at nfbofillinois.org> president at nfbofillinois.org

 <http://www.nfbofillinois.org/> www.nfbofillinois.org

Live the life you want!

The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois advances the lives of its
members and all blind people in Illinois. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.