[nabs-l] Developing an Organization Designed to Take on the Future

Fri Jun 24 12:18:25 UTC 2011

Good morning All,
Isaiah, this is extremely well written, and very well thought out.
Thank you very much!
Sincerely,
Mary

On 6/23/11, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
> Oh no!
> Not another Alexander!
> LOL!
> This is the second time, this message has come to us.
> Blessings, Joshua
>
> On 6/23/11, Isaiah Wilcox <iwilcox2011 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Greetings Fellow Members of NABS,
>>
>> As you all know, I am running for the presidency of NABS.  I would like to
>> present some of my accomplishments within NABS and the NFB, and then I
>> would
>> like to lay out my vision for the future of this fine organization.
>>
>> Two years ago I was honored when you all graciously elected me to the NABS
>> Board.  I promised all of you then that I would do my utmost to serve you
>> in
>> the highest capacity, and I have kept that promise.  During my tour as a
>> board member, I have served on the fundraising committee, and in 2010 the
>> fundraising committee and I successfully worked to implement a fundraiser
>> that would bring in thousands of dollars of crucial funding for NABS.
>> This
>> year’s fundraisers are projected to successfully bring in even more
>> funding
>> than prior years.  As a NABS board member I have also served in key
>> positions on the board at national and state conventions and seminars
>> where
>> I acted in versatile roles that included educating attendees and partners
>> about NABS and its initiatives, networking with NABS members from all over
>> the US, general event planning and execution, and volunteer and
>> participant
>> assistance in general.
>>
>> Over the past two years I feel that my experience on the state and local
>> levels have prepared me to step out onto the national stage as the
>> President
>> of NABS.
>>
>> The majority of my leadership experience has been in Georgia where I
>> formerly and currently serve in a number of capacities: former president
>> of
>> the Georgia Association of Blind Students (GABS); IT Administrator for the
>> NFB of Georgia, Atlanta Metro Chapter Board Member; and, since 2010,
>> treasurer of the state affiliate. In each of these roles, I have helped
>> grow
>> the success and impact of each entity.
>>
>> As president of GABS, I worked in concert with an excellent group of board
>> members to accomplish some truly important achievements.  Within my first
>> year as GABS president, the board and I grew membership from ten to fifty
>> students; organized and executed the first GABS student convention;
>> created
>> and maintained the Connecting the Dotz quarterly newsletter; and Georgia
>> was
>> the first state to host a regional "U Improving U" seminar for the
>> southeastern region.
>>
>> I am currently a board member for the Atlanta Metro Chapter where I
>> actively
>> educate community members about the work and mission of the NFB; I
>> participate in outreach programming; and I work to create partnerships
>> between the NFBGA and other organizations and groups.  My second role
>> within
>> the NFBGA is as the IT Administrator.  In this role I maintain the
>> website,
>> ensure continuity of information, and develop new and innovative ways to
>> use
>> technology to aid in the completion of our goals. In 2010 during a pivotal
>> leadership change where Anil Lewis stepped down and Garrick Scott was
>> elected, I was honored with a third role within the affiliate when I was
>> elected Treasurer. I am happy to say that we successfully and smoothly
>> completed the transition, and we continue to grow as a whole at an
>> astounding pace as we add more members, initiatives, and goals.
>>
>> These successful leadership and team roles have been incredible learning
>> and
>> flourishing experiences for me, and they have groomed me to be a leader
>> within the NFB. Since my initial involvement with the NFB in 2007, I have
>> grown tremendously.  NFB has taught me that it is possible to do anything
>> and everything despite being blind.  Networking with my fellow
>> organization
>> and board members on state and national scales has enabled me to hear and
>> see the individual micro and larger macro needs and interests of the NFB,
>> its members, and its affiliated groups, and as NABS President I will
>> continue to listen and respond.  My leadership roles have also taught me
>> an
>> invaluable lesson: leadership is a two-way street.  You share what you
>> know
>> as you learn from those who you are teaching; for every one thing that you
>> teach, your in turn to learn ten more.  I have unquestionably grown
>> personally, professionally, and spiritually, and I will continue to do so
>> alongside the organization and its members.
>>
>> The future of NABS is bright.  It has made tremendous strides over the
>> past
>> two years to change minds, do active work in the wider community, and to
>> encourage all to not be afraid of what others may think or believe to be
>> true. In line with these initiatives, as NABS President I will continue to
>> encourage the further education of NABS members as I put a strong focus on
>> intrapersonal growth, stronger members and a stronger organization, and
>> preparing for the workplace.  Specifically, as president I will to address
>> the following key areas:
>> 1.     Development of State Student Divisions for Sustainability,
>> 2.     Increased familiarity with and use of social media,
>> teleconferences,
>> and web for student outreach,
>> 3.     Increased amount and effective use of fundraising, and
>> 4.     Increased networking opportunities for student members.
>>
>> Development of State Student Division for Sustainability
>> One major issue within the organization is that we have a high turnover
>> ratio among leadership roles.  With the board's assistance I wish to
>> develop
>> a plan to build student divisions and helps them sustain their continued
>> growth. The key components of this plan are to foster student leadership,
>> heavily recruit nationwide, and develop a fundamentals kit to create and
>> maintain a state student division.
>>
>> Use social media, teleconferences, and the web for student outreach
>>
>> Social media and the web have become one of the primary means for reaching
>> out to millions of people.  This inexpensive means of communication is a
>> great opportunity for NABS to do numerous important tasks: notify members
>> of
>> meetings; become a stronger and more unified division; retain old members
>> while recruiting new ones; keep track of contact information; target
>> specific students by region, state, education, and age through e-mail
>> marketing tools; and, most importantly, networking.
>>
>> Fundraising
>> As a nonprofit organization we must constantly and actively work to raise
>> funds to support our programs and seminars and to build and strengthen the
>> organization.  As President, I will consistently work to raise funds while
>> putting into place cost-saving measures to ensure that we as an
>> organization
>> are intelligently using our existing and future funds with a minimum of
>> waste and over-spending.
>>
>> Networking
>> Networking is an extremely powerful and essential tool for members.  I
>> will
>> work with the board to help connect students with the valuable resources,
>> divisions and committees of the NFB, and each other.  Through these
>> networks
>> students will become stronger as individuals while bringing them into
>> other
>> aspects of the organization.
>>
>> In closing, on July 4th there are many people who will vote for me for
>> NABS
>> President because they have a firm belief in my abilities as a leader, as
>> an
>> innovator, and as someone committed to growing and building an
>> organization
>> designed to take on the future.  But I know that there are also those who
>> still have questions and who question my ability to take on this pivotal
>> leadership role, and that is okay.  I appreciate these members who are as
>> yet uncertain, as they challenge me to become a better me, personally and
>> professionally. If you are one of these members who still have doubts, I
>> encourage you to go through previous communications and posts, review the
>> facts, and make your choice for NABS President based on who you
>> conscientiously and morally believe to be the right choice for President.
>>
>> I encourage you to ask questions, to look deeper, and to really think
>> about
>> what you believe is best for NABS as a whole.  I firmly believe that I am
>> the right choice for NABS President, and I encourage you to contact me
>> through email at iwilcox2011 at gmail.com or through a Facebook message:
>> facebook.com/isaiahwilcox
>>
>> Thank you for your time and your interest. I look forward to serving you
>> as
>> the potential future NABS President.
>> Isaiah G. Wilcox
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Isaiah G. Wilcox
>> President, Georgia Association of Blind Students
>> Board Member, National Association of Blind Students
>>
>> Morehouse College C '11
>> 830 Westvew Dr. SW
>> Box 140940
>> Atlanta, GA 30314
>>
>> Cell: (404) 291-7791
>> E-mail: iwlcox2011 at gmail.com
>>
>> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real
>> problem
>> is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. If a blind
>> person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a
>> physical nuisance."
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Mary Fernandez
President: Georgia Association of Blind Students
Emory University 2012
P.O. Box 123056
Atlanta Ga.
30322
Phone: 732-857-7004

"It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much
rather you weren't doing it."
Terry Pratchett