[nabs-l] Candidates Forum participation informaation

[Mary Fernandez]

Good evening,
Thanks to those of you who have submitted some excellent questions,
please keep them coming!
The forum will take place on
Wednesday June 25
at 8:00 PM EST
It will be moderated by Patti Chang, chair of the scholarship committee.
WE will be using the NABS conference line:
Phone: 605-475-6700
Passcode: 7869673

The candidates participating will be Candice Chapman and Justin
Salisbury, both of whom are running for the President's position.
I know that some of you will be disappointed by the fact that we can't
accommodate other board positions. Though it's something we can
accommodate this year, this is something that, if the membership is
interested in, can probably be arranged for future elections. But
that's something to be decided as a group.
I remember that back in 2011, when we had an amazing campaign from
both presidential candidates, Isaiah Wilcox and Sean Whalen, it
occurred to me, at around 2:00 A.M., that it'd be great to have a
debate. People often complained that no one knew who was running until
they showed up at elections, and at that point, 90- seconds wasn't
enough to get to know a candidate well. That year we had a fantastic
election, and the close numbers as well as the turn out, demonstrated
an engagement and interest on behalf of the membership, and the
excellent job both gentleman had done in campaigning. Lets take this
opportunity to get to know both of our fellow NABS members. But lets
also remember what our responsibility as a membership is. There has
been a lot of back and forth about what NABS has and has not done. And
without commenting on the board, I'd like to remind all of us, that it
is our responsibility to shape the organization to what we want it to
be. As citizens, we must vote, that is the only way we have a voice.
IN this organization, not only can we vote, but we have direct access
to those we have elected to represent us. The greatest accountability
system is not put in place and reinforced by the governing body, it is
created and maintained by those who decided who would govern. I hope
that the discussions which have been sparked in lieu of this election
do not fizzle away when there aren't exciting developments. I hope
that they continue, that they grow, and that they energize this
organization. Students and young professionals have the opportunity
not only to shape NABS but the NFB at large, but the only way to shape
is to be involved. So please, use all of that incredible energy,
critical thinking, and creativity to change and improve the
organization, and to nurture each other's skills and leadership. Don't
be afraid to think up ideas and call up whoever it takes to have
someone listen to them. Be ready to implement them. Come up with
innovative projects which can benefit the blind, and make them happen.
I hope that one day we will have not two but five or six NABS members
who want to run for president, and that the competition be intense,
because each member has contributed so much, that we as members will
have a hard time choosing.
All of that was to say to submit questions and call in on Wednesday!
But I did get a bit inspired...  --
Mary Fernandez
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will
forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel."
--
Maya Angelou