[il-talk] Committee List amended and updated

Fri Dec 26 12:05:09 UTC 2014

Hello all,
I have updated the committee list. Please review it as there have been a few changes. We have new members in our affiliate wanting to participate in various events, and I would ask that the committee chairs reach out to them. thanks.

To: All Members of the National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois
From: Denise R. Avant
President, National Federation Of The Blind Of illinois
Date: December 24,  2014

This is our most up-to-date committee list. If you wish to be added to or deleted from  a committee, please let me know. Thanks to all of the chair persons and members for your work on our various committees.
Based on our protocols, please take note of the following:
 All committee meetings are open, except for Freedom Link, Chappell-Dennis, and scholarship. Notices of meetings should be e-mailed to our general membership and student listservs.
 Notes should be taken at every meeting.

2014-2015National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Committee Appointments:
updated: December 24, , 2014

COMMITTEES

*Advocacy Committee 
(Advocates with employers, schools, DRS, ICRE-WOOD and other public or private agencies for blind residents of Illinois.)
Chair: Leslie  Hamric
Members: 	David Meyer,  Debbie Stein, Lois Montgomery, Patti Chang, Denise Avant, Charlene Elder, Debbie Pittman,  Ronza Othman, Meg Cheatham, Linda Hendle

Bell Committee
This committee will plan for our Bell Program(s)in 2015and figure out how to tie it in with our Parent/TVI seminar in the spring, as well as our Freedom Link program.
Co-chairs: Patti Chang and Debbie Pittman
Members: Lois Montgomery,  Jean  Rauschenbach, Debbie Stein,  Steve Hastlis,  Amy Lund, Samantha Voll, Hilda Sandifer, Denise Avant, Jonathan Brayfield,  Cathy Randall, and Janet  Leinum

*Braille Literacy Initiative
Chair: Robert Gardner

Members: Debbie Stein, (IBRAL),  Linda Hendle, Debbie Pittman, Bill Reif,  Lois Montgomery, Charlene Elder, Denise Avant  and 
Patrick Olson 

*Chappell-Dennis  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
Leslie Hamric (annual appeal)
Patti Chang, (Treasurer NFBI)
Grants: Denise Avant,  Charlene Elder, Debbie Pittman, Jesse Rogers and Bill Reif

XX*Door Prizes
Chair: Marco Giannotti 
Members: Nancy Gardner, Roberta Glickman, Debbie Pittman,  Jonathan Brayfield, Don Jordan and Bob Widman

*Freedom Link
(Transitions Club Committee)
Co-chairs: Marco Giannotti and  Debbie Stein
Members: Adrienne Falconer, Brianna Lillyman, Bill Reif, MaryLou Grunwald,  Steve Hastalis, Robert  Hansen, Nicholas Robertson, Paul Shepherdson, Anana Saric, and Andrew Webb

*Fund Raising and Budget Committee 
(Responsible for all Fund Raising events e.g. Amazon Smile, Certificates, and Octoberfest, etc
 Responsible for putting together an annual budget for presentation to the board.)
Chair: Patti Chang, treasurer
Members: Denise Avant, Cathy Randall, MaryLou Grunwald, Debbie Stein, Bob Widman, Don Jordan, Dave Meyer, and Sean Zieda

*Guide Dog
Chair: Debbie Pittman 
Members: Edwin Rodriguez, Yusef  Dale, Jonathan Brayfield,  Donna Miles, and Steve Pangeer

xxx*ISVI 
(Deals with the school for the blind and its issues.)
Chair: Bill Reif
Members: Jonathan Brayfield, Jesse Rogers, Charlene Elder, Cathy Randall, Dave Meyer, and Debbie Stein

*Legislation- State, Committee 
(Responsible for State Legislative action.)
Co-chairs: Dave Meyer and  Jemal Powell 
Members: Bill Reif, Marco Giannotti, , Annette Grove, Robert Gardner, and Charlene Elder

*Legislation-Federal Committee 
(Responsible for Washington Seminar and Federal Legislative Action )
Chair: Annette Grove
Members: Bob Gardner, Debbie Pittman, Jemal Powell, Lois Montgomery,  Adrienne Falconer, Charlene Elder,  Steve Hastalis, Jonathan Brayfield, Leslie Hamric, and  Glenn Moore  

xxx*Newsletter Illinois Independent  Committee 
(Writes and distributes our Newsletter.)
Editor: Debbie Stein
Members: David Meyer, Carolyn Nelson, Steve Hastalis,  Bill Reif, Brianna Lillyman, Jean Rauschenbach,  Glenn Moore,  Megan Dowell  and Leslie Hamric

*Newsline Committee
Chair: David Meyer
Members: Byron Lee, Bob Widman, Bill Reif, Lois Montgomery, and Brian Sumner

XX*Parents
(Plans and carries out parents’ seminars and parents’ events at conventions.)
Chair: Debbie Stein
Members: Nelly Gamino, Cathy Randall, Dave Meyer, Bill Reif, Debbie Pittman, Byron Lee, MaryLou Grunwald,  Charlene Elder, Glenn Moore,  and Jonathan Brayfield

xxx*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:  Glenn Moore and Jesse Rogers
Members: Charlene Elder, Bob Widman, Vanzelma Cotton, Linda Hendle, , Carolyn Nelson, Margret James,  and Hilda Sanifer

xxx*Resolutions Committee 
(Responsible for reviewing and recommending “do Pass”  or “do not pass” to the convention.)
2014-15Members:
Chair: Patti Chang
Members: Bill Reif,  David Meyer, Debbie Pittman, MaryLou Grunwald,  Jesse Rogers, Steve Hastalis,  and Brianna Lillyman 

xxx*Renewal Committee 
(Responsible to assist all chapters in strengthening present membership and building new members.  Need to coordinate at-large chapter.  
Chair:  Gina Falvo
Members: Leslie Hamric,  Linda Hendle,  Lois Montgomery,  Carolyn Nelson,  Pat Olson, Patrick Olson, Bill Reif,  Bob Widman, Brian Sumner, Alma Hinkle, and  Ken Staley

*Sales Committee
(Responsible to research items to sell as fund raisers)
Chair: MaryLou Grunwald
Members: Debbie Pittman,  Marco Giannotti,  Adam Kozarewicz, Dan Peters, Sean Ziada

xxx*Scholarship Committee 
(Decides who is awarded scholarships and internships.  Mentors those persons at convention and throughout the year.)
Chair: Debbie Stein
Members: Cathy Randall, Adrienne Falconer, Robert Hansen, Jesse Rogers, David Meyer, Nancy Gardner,  and Bill Reif

*Social networking on the web
Co-chairs: Robert Hansen and Ronza Othman
Members: Byron Lee, Katie Leinum, 
Brianna Lillyman, Julia Chang, and Glenn Moore

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 Denise Avant
Members: Nancy Gardner, Pat Olson, Roberta Reif, Byron Lee,  and Robert Gardner

Transportation Committee
Represent NFBI when dealing with transportation issues with both mainline and paratransit issues
Chair Jemal Powell
Members: Steve Hastalis, Debbie Pittman,  Kelly Pierce 

*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
Members: Debbie Pittman, Glenn Moore,  Patti Chang, and Marco Giannotti

NFB National LIAISON APPOINTMENTS 

Public Relations 
Glenn Moore and Jesse Rogers 

*Science Camp and Youth Slam Coordinator
Debbie Stein

GOVERNMENT ADVISORY PANEL APPOINTMENTS 

*Blind Services Planning Council
NFBI Representatives: Andrew Webb and Charlene Elder

*Library Committee Representative
Robert Hansen

*SRC

Governor’s Task Force on ISVI and ISD and education of the blind and deaf
Patti Chang
Denise Avant
Bill Reif

OTHER 
Pace Suburban ADA Advisory Committee 
Jemal Powell

The Illinois Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind has two listservs for all interested in blindness issues in IL.  IL-Talk is for everyone and IABS-Talk is specific for those interested in student issues.  Sign up by going to www.nfbnet.org <http://www.nfbnet.org/>.
You can also find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nfbi and on facebook by searching on "National Federation of the Blind of Illinois.”
Denise R. Avant
President, National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois
Live the life you want