[il-talk] Committee list updated

[Patti Gregory-Chang]

Here is an update of our NFBI committee list.  This is still a draft. 
Please let me know if you recommend any changes or if you wish to be added 
or deleted from any committees.

Thanks.

2011 NFBI Appointments:

updated: 2/13/11



COMMITTEES



*Advocacy Committee

(Advocates with employers, schools, DRS, ICRE-WOOD and other public or 
private agencies for blind residents of Illinois.)

Chair Annette Grove

Bob Gardner

Sharon Howerton

Ronza Othman

David Meyer

Debbie Stein

Kelly Doty

Lois Montgomery



*Braille Literacy Initiative

Chair Kelly Doty

Debbie Stein

Debbie Pitman

Bill Reif

Bob Gardner

Lois Montgomery

Annette Grove

Patricia Bissel

Charlene Elder

Denise Avant

Michael Nowicki

Joe Monti

Liz Bottner

Patrick Olson



*Chappel Award Committee

(Responsible for decisions with guidance from NFBI board on aiding and 
selecting people to attend events.)

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



*Development Committee

(Prepares and submits grant proposals.  Sends out annual appeal letters. 
Handles things like our letter to estates attorneys.)

Chair: Cathy Randall

Linda Villa (annual appeal)

George Villa (annual appeal)

Kelly Doty (Treasurer NFBI)

Denise Avant (grants)

Charlene Elder (grants)

Debbie Pitman (grants)

Bill Reif

Debbie Stein

Dale Sczweck



*Door Prizes

Chair: Denise Avant

Alan Glickman

Roberta Glickman

Debbie Pittman

Don Jordan

Bob Widman

LeAnne Mayne



*Freedom Link

(Transitions Club Committee)

Chair: Kelly Doty

Debbie Stein

Bill Reif

Cathy Randall

Dave Meyer

Mary Lou Grunwald

Marco Giannatti

Steve Hastalis

Bruce Paul

Sarah Chung

Nikki Nishijima

add Michal Nowicki

Leslie Hamric.



*Fund Raising and Budget Committee

(Responsible for all Fund Raising events e.g. Carson Days, Certificates, 
Obtoberfest, and Won-Ton-O-Fun.  Responsible for putting together an annual 
budget for presentation to the board.)

Chair Joseph Monti

Bill Isaacs

Cathy Randall

Kelly Doty

Bob Widman

Don Jordon

Patrick Olson

Bruce Paul



*ISVI

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

Chair:  Denise Avant

Charlene Elder

Cathy Randall

Dave Meyer

Debbie Stein

Bill Reif



*Legislation- State, Committee

(Responsible for State Legislative action.)

Co-Chairs: Bill Reif  Jemal Powell

Marco Giannotti

Annette Grove

Bob Gardner

Charlene Elder

Patricia Bissell



*Legislation-Federal Committee

(Responsible for Washington Seminar and Federal Legislative Action )

Co-Chairs Annette Grove and Bob Gardner

Dave Meyer

Syed Yussifuddin

Jemal Powell

Ronza Othman

Denise Avant

Lois Montgomery

Allyson Slaughter

Charlene Elder

Kathy Lynch

Sarah Chung



*Newsletter Braille Examiner Committee

(Writes and distributes our Newsletter.)

Editor Debbie Stein

Connie Davis

David Meyer

Cassandra Certeza

Michelle Wesley

Jodi Witthaus

Patricia Bissell

Carolyn Nelson

Glenn Moore

Dale Sczweck

Steve Hastalis

Kendra White



*Newsline Committee

David Meyer

Byron Lee

Bob Widman

Bill Reif

Lois Montgomery

Liz Bottner

Brian Sumner



*Parents

(Plans and carries out parents' seminars and parents' events at 
conventions.)

Chair Debbie Stein

Nelly Gamino

Ronza Othman

Cathy Randall

Alyson Slaughter

Dave Meyer

Kelly Doty

Bob Gardner

Bill Reif

Byron Lee

MaryLou Grunwald

Vandana Chaudhry

Syed Yousifuddin

Charlene Elder

Denise Avant

Liz Bottner

Laurie Pokin

Dale Schweck





*Public Relations  Committee

(Responsible for notifying agencies and getting the word out generally on 
all NFBI events.  Responsible for getting as much press contact for our 
events as possible.)

Co-Chairs: Debbie Pitman and Charlene Elder

Bob Widman

Venzelma Cotton

Roosevelt (Tray) Bradley

Glenn Moore

Jana Hurgurt

Melody Osbourne

Dan Scholl

Carolyn Nelson

Kendra White

Nicole Davis



*Resolutions Committee \

(Responsible for reviewing and recommending "do pass" or "do not pass" to 
the convention.)

2010 Members were:

Chair George Villa

Ronza Othman

Bill Reif

David Meyer

Debbie Pittman

Alyson Slaughter

Mary Lou Grunwald

Denise Avant

Michelle Wesley

Liz Bottner

Steve Hastalis

Annette Grove



*Renewal Committee

(Responsible to assist all chapters in strengthening present membership and 
building new members.  Need to coordinate at-large chapter.

Co-Chairs:  Kelly Doty  and LeAnne Mayne

Bill Reif

Cathy Randall

Patricia Olson

Patrick Olson

Roberta Reif

Patricia Bissel



*Sales Committee

(Responsible to research items to sell as fund raisers)

Chair: Mary Lou Grunwald

Debbie Pittman

Kelly Doty

Marco Giannotti

Nikki N.

Patricia Bissel

Casandra Certeza



*Scholarship Committee

(Decides who is awarded scholarships and internships.  Mentors those persons 
at convention and throughout the year.)

Chair Debbie Stein

Cathy Randall

Debbie Pittman

Kelly Doty

Nancy Gardner

Ronza Othman

Bill Reif

Syed Yussifuddin

Dave Meyer





*Senior Seminar Committee

(Responsible for planning and carrying out Senior Seminar at Convention.)

Chair: Kelly Doty

Bill Isaacs

Ruth Isaacs

Ray Kwaak

Carol Kwaak

Bill Reif

Cathy Randall

Linda Villa

George Villa

Charlene Elder

Mary Lou Grunwald

Alma Hinkle

Bob Gardner

Bob Widman

Roberta Reif

Carolyn Nelson



*Social networking on the web

Chair: Ronza Othman

Byron Lee

Araceli Avina

Connie Davis

Ryan Kwaak

 LeAnne Mayne (

Liz Bottner



*Special Events Committee

(Plans and carries out all aspects of our spring seminars and conventions 
except for press, sends out convention bulletin, and plans board meetings.)

Co-chairs Denise Avant and Chris Jeckel

Ronza Othman

Kelly Doty

Cathy Randall

Linda Villa

George Villa

Joseph Monti

Mary Monti

Nancy Gardner

Byron Lee

Liz Bottner

Beth Sturman

Robert Gardner



Transportation Committee

Represent NFBI when dealing with transportation issues with both mainline 
and paratransit issues

Chair Jemal Powell

Steve Hastalis

Debbie Pittman

Leanne Mayne

Rick Parrish

Daryl Washington

Tray Bradley



*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:   Byron Lee

Bill Landram

Faheem Ansari

Byron Lee

Connie Davis

Debbie Pittman

Glenn Moore

Marco Giannotti



NFB National LIAISON APPOINTMENTS



Public Relations

Debbie Pitman



*Science Camp and Youth Slam Coordinator

Kelly Doty



GOVERNMENT ADVISORY PANEL APPOINTMENTS



*Blind Services Planning Council

NFBI Representatives: Dave Meyer and Charlene Elder Bill Reif



*Library Committee Representative

David Meyer

Nominated: LeAnne Mayne, Patrick Olson,

Nicheal N. ??

Jana H. ??



*SRC

Bob Gardner



OTHER

Pace Suburban ADA Advisory Committee

Jemal Powell



*Choir

Leader: Pam Gilmore



*Mentoring for 2010 National Convention

Debbie Stein

Cathy Randall

Ronza Othman

Bill Reif

Mary Lou Grunwald



*Protocol Development Coordinator

(Goal here is to further develop protocols for the affiliate as to how to 
handle different things like memorials, Chappell awards, notification of 
NFBI board by chapter presidents etc.)

Patti Chang to coordinate  -

P.S. Text the word BLIND to 85944 to donate $10 to the NFB Imagination Fund 
via your phone bill.

P.S.S.  National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is now on twitter at 
www.twitter.com/nfbi.
We also have a facebook page.  Just search for our full name.

Patti Gregory-Chang, Esq.
Chairperson, NFB Scholarship Committee
scholarships at nfb.org
President, National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
pattichang at att.net
www.nfbofillinois.org