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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings, Federation Family,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First, I wanted to thank those of you who were able to attend the NFB of Maryland 52<sup>nd</sup> Annual Convention in person for a truly phenomenal convention. Thanks also to those of you who listened online and participated via social media. In true Maryland style, we held a number of engaging seminars and activities, the General Session was packed with fantastic presentations, and the banquet and Adelmo Vigil’s address were inspiring. Special thanks to all those who were involved in the planning and execution of this convention, from planning seminars, to running childcare, to working with teens and tweens, to troubleshooting challenges, to collecting door prizes, to running auctions and raffles, to handling streaming, social media, and sound, to managing the crab race, to managing the myriad of pieces involved in registration, to facilitating banquet exchange, and on and on and on. It truly takes a village, or in our case, an affiliate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I also want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you – I imagine most of you know me, but our family is quite large and I may not have gotten the pleasure of meeting every single one of you yet. Yesterday, I was elected to the position of President of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. I am grateful and excited about the work we will accomplish together going forward. I am so incredibly honored to follow great leaders like the incomparable Sharon Maneki in this role. It is only because of our remarkable past and our outstanding present that we have such a dynamic future ahead.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The 2018 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland elected the following individuals to the positions listed below:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>President: Ronza Othman, Baltimore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>First Vice President: Deborah Brown, Rockville<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Second Vice President: Anil Lewis, Baltimore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Secretary: Judy Rasmussen, Kensington<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Treasurer: Shawn Jacobson, Ulney<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member (2 year term previously occupied by Darlene Barrett): Sharon Maneki, Columbia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member (2 year term): Melissa Riccobono, Baltimore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member (2 year term): Maurice Peret, Baltimore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member (1 year term previously occupied by Ronza Othman): Melba Taylor, Bowie<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The following positions were not up for election:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member: Michelle Clark, Springdale<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>Board Member: Marguerite Woods, Baltimore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please join me in extending heart-felt gratitude to Darlene Barrett for her years of service as a member of the NFBMD Board of Directors. She will remain active in our organization, and she promises to continue in her favorite pastime as the Door Prize Diva.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please also join me in extending immense gratitude, appreciation, and love to Sharon Maneki, who has served as our affiliate president for 24 of the last 32 years. Sharon will remain very active in the affiliate and in the NFB, and she remains as a member of the Board of Directors of NFBMD, but her contributions to this point have been remarkable. To commemorate Sharon’s impact on the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, the Board voted to rename the NFBMD Youth Empowerment Grant as the Sharon Maneki Youth Empowerment Grant. Sharon received this commemoration when it was announced at the Board Meeting on Friday, November 9, 2018. Thus, Sharon’s name and legacy will be recorded as part of our history for all time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The theme of our 2018 convention was “Focus on the Future.” I’m really excited about our future in Maryland. We have a great deal of work to do, but with hope, love, and determination, we will live the lives we want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows 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. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>