[nabs-l] Chris Nusbaum for NABS Board

Sat Jul 4 18:51:48 UTC 2015

I will be around on Monday, so looking forward to it a lot!!!

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 4, 2015, at 2:05 PM, Chris Nusbaum via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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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