[nabs-l] Chris Nusbaum for NABS Board

Sat Jul 4 18:04:37 UTC 2015

Thanks for your support, Preston. I hope you'll be able to listen to our coverage on KJSC Radio.

Chris Nusbaum

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 4, 2015, at 1:47 PM, Preston Gaylor via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Even though that I'm not there to vote, I am still voting for you Chris!
> You got this!!
> Good luck to everyone on Monday!!
> Preston
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jul 3, 2015, at 11:24 PM, Chris Nusbaum via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Dear NABS Family:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> In a few short days we will gather together in our hundreds to celebrate our
>> past achievements, assess our present progress, and dream for our future-a
>> future full of opportunity, in which blind students can and will be
>> empowered to live the lives we want. We will be inspired by our leaders,
>> informed by our tireless advocates, and entertained by our dynamic speakers.
>> We will also exercise that most fundamental of democratic rights: the right
>> to elect our own leaders, to choose those who will represent us in the halls
>> of power. It is our duty, then, to choose those candidates in whom we
>> believe, as well as those who believe in us. I believe in each member of our
>> organization. I believe that we, working together, have the power to
>> transform dreams into reality. This is why, after much contemplation and
>> consultation with many NABS leaders, I am asking for your vote for the
>> position of NABS Board member.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> By way of introduction, I am a rising senior at Francis Scott Key High
>> School in Union Bridge, Maryland. A member in good standing of the National
>> Honor Society, I have participated throughout my high school career in many
>> extracurricular activities which have made my character very well-rounded,
>> while keeping my academic efforts at the forefront of my activities. After
>> graduation I plan to receive training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind
>> (LCB) before attending college to become a teacher of blind students. In my
>> spare time I enjoy reading, writing, singing, traveling, hanging out with
>> friends, listening to all types of music, and-most importantly-working with
>> my Federation family to build our movement.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Though I have known about the National Federation of the Blind for most of
>> my life, I did not become a contributing member until 2011, when I attended
>> a life-changing program at the Jernigan Institute at which I was inspired by
>> our positive philosophy and introduced to the myriad ways in which I could
>> get involved in our cause. Empowered and excited as I was about our
>> movement, I immersed myself in Federation activity the moment I returned
>> home from this program, and my enthusiasm has never waivered. I currently
>> serve the Federation in many capacities, most importantly as Vice President
>> of the Maryland Association of Blind Students. Through my involvement in
>> MDABS leadership since 2012, I have been able to participate actively in the
>> planning of two student seminars, a variety of fundraisers, and other
>> projects which have built and strengthened our division. Since I joined the
>> Board of our division, we have established and maintained a social media
>> presence on Twitter and Facebook, worked to engage our membership in all
>> aspects of our work, and grown our organization from a virtually unknown
>> division with do-nothing leadership to a vibrant participant in the work of
>> the National Federation of the Blind and our Maryland affiliate.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Moreover, we have expanded our membership to include many passionate and
>> energetic middle and high school students, many of whom I was instrumental
>> in recruiting into our movement. This recruitment of the younger generation
>> is a passion of mine which I will bring to my work in NABS. All the while I
>> have remained personally engaged with our members, always ready to answer
>> questions and be of support as I am able. I believe that the best way to
>> lead is through maintaining a productive dialogue with the membership,
>> listening to their ideas and collaborating with them to achieve the best end
>> result. I have tried to live up to this philosophy in my work with the
>> Maryland student division, and will do so at the national level if I am
>> elected.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I am running for NABS Board because I believe in our cause, and I am ready
>> to do my part to further us in our journey toward first-class citizenship.
>> The National Federation of the Blind has changed my life, and I am ready to
>> give back that which has been so generously given me. Moreover, I am running
>> because I believe that if NABS is to truly represent all blind students,
>> high school students too should be represented in our leadership. Too often
>> I have met blind high school students who have not yet been touched by our
>> message of hope. They believe that their futures are limited and that
>> blindness is the characteristic that defines them. We must reach out to
>> these students, showing them by our example that blindness need not hold
>> them back. As a member of this generation of students, I feel that I would
>> be the best leader to facilitate this outreach. Finally, I am running
>> because I have found NABS to be lacking in our social media engagement.
>> Through my experience as social media coordinator for the NFB of Maryland as
>> well as a member of our national Public Relations Committee, I plan to work
>> toward fixing this lapse in our leadership.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Yes, I am running for a position of national leadership. However, I do not
>> plan to use that title to distance myself from the membership. I want to
>> hear from all of you-your ideas, your suggestions, even your complaints. It
>> is only through constructive dialogue that an organization such as ours can
>> thrive. In that spirit, I would welcome your questions about my candidacy,
>> concerns about NABS, and suggestions of what you would like to see NABS do
>> in the future. In summary, the position of NABS board member is not a
>> meaningless title to be taken lightly; rather, it is a sacred trust which
>> must be honored and kept. I hope that you will trust me enough to elect me
>> as your next Board member. Let us continue to transform dreams into reality
>> together!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Yours in the movement,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Chris Nusbaum, Vice President
>> 
>> Greater Carroll County Chapter
>> 
>> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 
>> Vice President, Maryland Association of Blind Students
>> 
>> Coordinator of Social Media, National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>> 
>> Phone: (443) 547-2409
>> 
>> Email: dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
>> 
>> Twitter: @Chrisn98 and @NFBMD
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The National Federation of the Blind 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.
>> 
>> 
>> 
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