[nabs-l] NABS Elections 2011-Briley Pollard for board member

[Kirt Manwaring]

Briley,
  I'll say that I'd be more than a little bit scared if I end up
running against you.  *grin*  And, yeah, whatever happens, it's a
great idea and I think it ought to be implimented in some form or
other.
  Best,
Kirt

On 6/29/11, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks so much for that. It looks like there is a nice pool of candidates
> this year. If I don't get on the board, I hope someone takes the idea and
> runs with it.
>
> Best,
> Briley
> On Jun 29, 2011, at 11:41 AM, Kirt Manwaring wrote:
>
>> Briley,
>>  Well said.  That advocacy idea is, quite honestly, brilliant!  Good luck.
>>  Best,
>> Kirt
>>
>> On 6/28/11, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> After wrestling with whether or not to run for the NABS board, I've
>>> decided
>>> to give it a go. If I am fortunate enough to get the position, I can work
>>> to
>>> make a difference. If not, that just means I'll contribute without a
>>> title.
>>>
>>> Firstly, I suppose I should briefly introduce myself. I'm Briley Pollard,
>>> a
>>> proud graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind as of May. I have a
>>> bachelor's degree in music, and am pursuing my master's in Educational
>>> Policy. Ultimately, I'd love to work at the Federal Department of
>>> Education
>>> to write policy that affects blind children all over the country.
>>>
>>> At the end of the day, maybe I'm not that different from any other Nabs
>>> member. Maybe there are "millions" of other college graduates just
>>> figuring
>>> out that maybe what they wanted when they were 18 isn't what they want
>>> now.
>>> Maybe I'm not the only one waiting on the edge of the next phase of my
>>> life,
>>> scared but simultaneously excited by the prospect that I might be able to
>>> impact this world for good. Maybe I'm not alone in a search for my place
>>> in
>>> the organization. And, maybe that is what makes me right for the board. I
>>> want to speak for that average member who just wants one chance, who
>>> needs
>>> one person to listen to their ideas, one person to pour into them and
>>> give
>>> opportunities to showcase their abilities. I know that as one member of
>>> an
>>> entire board, I can't do that alone. It is about a team effort, not one
>>> super star with a lot of hard working backup singers. But, I'd love to
>>> see
>>> the division spring into something member driven. This current board has
>>> already taken great steps to achieve this and I just want to be a part of
>>> continuing and improving upon this work.
>>>
>>> One vision I have is setting up an advocacy resource for our members.
>>> I've
>>> served as a disability advocate for several years, not only in high
>>> school
>>> settings, but for adults working with voc rehab agencies to get funding
>>> for
>>> education and rehabilitation training. I've found that so many students
>>> just
>>> don't have the right information. Not everyone is crazy enough to spend
>>> their Friday night reading through the federal rehabilitation services
>>> act.
>>> That's where my knowledge and experience, (and the experiences of all
>>> other
>>> board members), could be of great help to students. Whether its assisting
>>> in
>>> writing justification letters for technology or training, or creating a
>>> section of the website devoted to providing correct information to
>>> students
>>> so they can fight for themselves, the collective knowledge we all share
>>> can
>>> and should extend far beyond threads on the Nabs list. I believe in
>>> empowering and equipping people with the knowledge that will lead to them
>>> realizing their full potential. It is an unfortunate reality that blind
>>> people are served up lies at every turn about what their rights are,
>>> about
>>> what the "agencies" can or won't provide. Nabs, as a division of the most
>>> influential blindness consumer organization in the country, can really be
>>> a
>>> force for widespread change.
>>>
>>> I'm pursuing a master's in Education Policy so I can one day be a part of
>>> the change on a federal level. But I don't want to wait until then to
>>> help
>>> as many people as I can. I know what it takes to get a job done and I'm
>>> ready to take on this responsibility. I may not have a lot of
>>> "leadership"
>>> experience within the organization, but I do have leadership abilities
>>> and
>>> knowledge and resources that will only help the division grow and expand
>>> to
>>> its full potential.
>>>
>>> I have other ideas, but for brevity's sake I will leave you with these
>>> thoughts to digest. What is most important to me is that everyone voting
>>> is
>>> informed about their choice. Don't simply vote for someone because you've
>>> heard their name a lot or they've been around for a long time. Ask
>>> questions
>>> and put the person in office who you feel will meet your needs as a
>>> valued
>>> member of the division.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Briley Pollard
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>>
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