[NFBA-Phoenix] Minutes for the NFBP 6-6-2026 Meeting

[Sharonda Goode]

Phoenix Chapter

National Federation of the Blind of Arizona

Meeting Minutes

Date: June 6, 2026

Time: 9:40 a.m.–12:04 p.m.

Format: Hybrid



1. Call to Order and Introductions

President Michael Smith called the meeting to order at approximately 9:40
a.m.

Members and guests introduced themselves and a quorum was present. The
meeting opened with a summer-themed icebreaker, during which participants
shared favorite summer activities, including attending the NFB National
Convention, traveling, swimming, camping, visiting the beach, and hosting
convention watch parties.

President Smith noted that similar icebreakers may be included in future
meetings.



2. Pledges and Belief Statement

The chapter recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Jordan Moon led the NFB Pledge, and Vicki Farley led the NFB Belief
Statement using a call-and-response format.

Members were encouraged to become familiar with both statements so they
could participate confidently when called upon at future chapter or
affiliate meetings.



3. Opening Prayer and Member Concerns

Our President opened the meeting in prayer.

Members shared several prayer requests and personal concerns, including
employment uncertainty, health and dental needs, safe travel during
convention season, and the continued strength of the Arizona affiliate and
its chapters. After requests were given, a time of silent prayer took
place, and then President Smith closed the prayer.



4. President’s Remarks

Our President thanked members for their continued involvement in chapter,
affiliate, legislative, and membership activities.

He specifically recognized members who had contacted legislators regarding
Senate Bill 1001, attended meetings, supported membership efforts, and
helped organize chapter events.



5. Secretary’s Report

Secretary Sharonda Goode reported that the previous month’s meeting minutes
were not yet ready for approval. It was properly moved and seconded that
the May 2, 2026 minutes be tabled. The motion carried.



6. Treasurer’s Report

Donna Silba presented the treasurer’s report. It was properly moved and
seconded that the report be accepted as read. The motion carried.



7. Presidential Release

Joe Goode played Presidential Release 561 from NFB President Mark Riccobono.

The release focused on the role of the National Convention as the
Federation’s primary policy-making and legislative body. Members were
reminded that the convention is where policies are debated, priorities are
established, leaders are elected, and information is shared across the
organization.



Members who could not attend in person were encouraged to participate by:

Joining the virtual convention experience.

Reviewing proposed resolutions.

Sharing opinions with the affiliate delegate.

Organizing convention or banquet listening parties.

Bringing information back to local chapters.

Completing the post-convention survey.

Submitting articles to the *Braille Monitor*.



The release also promoted the Give 25 campaign and encouraged members to
invite others to donate $25 to the Federation.



8. National Convention Assistance

President Smith reminded members that the deadline to request financial
assistance from the Phoenix Chapter for the National Convention was June
15, 2026.

Members seeking assistance were asked to contact him by email and explain
how the chapter’s support would help make their attendance possible.



9. Legislative Report

Jordan Moon provided an update on Senate Bill 1001.

The bill had not been included in the initial Republican budget sent to
Governor Katie Hobbs, although budget negotiations were continuing.

Jordan reported that members and supporters had made approximately 80
legislative contacts by phone, email, or message.

Members were encouraged to continue contacting the governor, state
senators, and state representatives.



Jordan also mentioned federal advocacy related to:

Increased funding for services for older blind individuals.

And The Access Technology Affordability Act.

Members were encouraged to join chapter and affiliate email lists to
receive timely legislative updates.



Jordan also invited suggestions for the legislative seminar planned for the
state convention.



10. Valley Metro and Transportation

Jordan opened a discussion regarding the recent meeting with Valley Metro
and thanked Kimberly for her transportation advocacy.

Kimberly reported that four Valley Metro representatives attended the
meeting and responded to 18 questions submitted in advance. Topics included
Ride Choice, Dial-a-Ride, city participation, service availability, and
transportation gaps in communities such as Avondale and Buckeye.



Kimberly stated that the Valley Metro Connect app was generally accessible
and could be used to schedule rides.

Members were encouraged to report service problems promptly so they could
be documented and addressed.



Members reported mixed experiences with telephone wait times. Some had
waited approximately 10 to 20 minutes, while others experienced longer
daytime delays. Evening calls were sometimes answered more quickly.

The group agreed that wait times appeared to have improved from the lengthy
delays experienced immediately after the service transition, although
concerns remained.



Members also discussed the Ride Choice support number, **602-716-2111**, as
a resource for urgent ride problems.



Joe shared information about the iPhone Hold Assist feature, which can
remain on hold and notify the caller when a live representative answers.



The chapter agreed that members should continue documenting service
concerns and providing feedback to Valley Metro.



11. Seniors Division Report

Kimberly reported that the Seniors Division had held a productive meeting.

The division was considering a social or group activity during the state
convention.

A craft fair was also being planned for June 27, tentatively from 12:30 to
2:00 p.m. at SAAVI. Participants would be able to sell baked goods, crafts,
3D-printed items, and other products to raise personal spending money for
national convention.



12. BELL Academy Report

Sharonda reported on her experience volunteering with the BELL Academy. She
led Braille reading activities for several age groups and described the
children as enthusiastic and eager to learn.



The Phoenix Chapter also helped provide lunch and refreshments the first
Tuesday of the BELL program. However, there was not much representation
from the Chapter at the luncheon.

Members were encouraged to volunteer earlier and be present in greater
numbers next year. Both President and Secretary emphasized the importance
of blind children meeting successful blind adult role models.



13. Arizona Scholarship Program

Vicki reported that the Arizona scholarship application was available on
the affiliate website.

The program was expected to award three scholarships of $1,200 each, along
with assistance for recipients to attend the state and next year’s national
convention.

Scholarship recipients would be required to attend the full state
convention.

The application deadline was June 30, 2026.



A scholarship question-and-answer session was scheduled for June 14 at 7:00
p.m. on the affiliate Zoom platform.



Vicki was distributing the scholarship information through listservs,
social media, colleges, universities, and disability resource centers.

Additional scholarship committee members were still being identified.



14. Membership Committee Report

Members discussed continuing problems with the nfbnet.org listserv. Several
members reported that they were not receiving messages consistently.

It was agreed upon that Sharonda would continue to maintain a direct email
list.

Members sending important information through the listserv were asked to
notify Sharonda and she would redistribute important messages directly when
needed directly via email to the members. This would ensure that everyone,
whether on or off the listserv would receive all communication.

Members experiencing communication problems were asked to call or text her.



The Membership Committee meets on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. using the chapter
Zoom connection.

The committee was also collecting member birthdays and preferred
communication methods. Members were asked to indicate whether they
preferred phone calls, text messages, or email.



Annual chapter dues are $5.00. Paid members are eligible to speak, make and
second motions, vote, serve on committees, and hold elected office.



Rookie Roundup

A pre-convention Rookie Roundup was being planned for first-time National
Convention attendees.

The event was tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Topics were expected to include packing, airport navigation, hotel
check-in, convention expectations, and other practical preparation.



New Member

A motion was made and properly seconded to accept Danielle Jones of Mesa as
a member of the Phoenix Chapter.

The motion carried.

Danielle shared that she had been involved with the NFB since 1997 and had
previously served as a student chapter president while attending ASDB.

The chapter welcomed her by reciting the NFB Pledge and Belief Statement.



Membership Changes

Sharonda reported that Brian and Cindy Dulude had moved to Alabama and were
no longer members of the chapter.

Zach Dreiser had also moved out of state for employment and was no longer a
chapter member.



Membership and Dues Records

Members discussed the need to reconcile the chapter’s membership and dues
records across the secretary, treasurer, Membership Committee, Seniors
Division, and convention registration lists. Sharonda, Donna, Kimberly, and
Vicki agreed to work together to update and reconcile the records.



Members were encouraged to keep receipts or confirmation messages whenever
they paid dues. Vicki explained that chapter and division dues expire on
December 31, with a grace period through February under national guidance.

A review of dues-paid members was proposed for the July meeting.



15. Blind Equality Achievement Month



President Smith announced that planning needed to begin for Blind Equality
Achievement Month in October.

Diane Taylor and Danielle Jones volunteered to serve on the BEAM month
planning committee.

Interested members were asked to contact the President to become a part of
the committee.



16. Fundraising Committee Report

Sharonda reported that the chapter’s recent game night raised approximately
**$800**, with additional funds still expected.

Including anticipated donations, total proceeds were expected to approach
**$900**.

Sharonda thanked the fundraising committee, chapter members, volunteers,
cooks, game leaders, and attendees for their support. Sharonda agreed to
provide Donna with the remaining funds and the Square transaction report.



A karaoke event was suggested as a possible future fundraiser, either at
SAAVI or at another community venue.



17. Social Committee Report

Lori announced that members would gather for lunch after the meeting at
Brunch Snob, located at 5555 North Seventh Street.



Because of the National Convention, state convention preparations, and
summer heat, she suggested pausing chapter lunches until September.



18. New Business

July Chapter Meeting: Because the regular July meeting conflicted with
Independence Day and the National Convention, the chapter discussed an
alternate meeting date. It was properly moved and seconded to hold the July
meeting virtually on Tuesday, the 14th at 6:30 p.m. The motion carried,
with one opposing vote.



State Convention Transportation Survey

Members were reminded to complete the state convention transportation
survey and send it in as soon as possible.

The survey link, hotel address, and related convention information had been
included in the June 6 meeting agenda.



19. Officer Education: Treasurer Responsibilities

As part of the chapter’s continuing officer education series, Donna
reviewed the duties of the treasurer.



The treasurer is responsible for:

* Receiving chapter funds.

* Depositing funds into the chapter account.

* Tracking income and expenses.

* Maintaining financial records.

* Presenting monthly financial reports.

* Recording dues payments.

* Coordinating information from systems such as Square and PayPal.



Donna explained that accurate reporting could be difficult when she did not
have direct access to every payment platform.

Members processing online payments were asked to provide her with timely
and complete transaction reports.



President Smith reminded members that chapter elections would be held in
November. The officer education presentations were intended to help members
understand each position and consider running for office.



20. Federation Philosophy Discussion: Initiative



The chapter’s philosophy discussion focused on initiative.



Michael encouraged members not to rely solely on chapter or affiliate
leaders to attend public meetings, research concerns, or speak on issues
affecting blind people. He noted that members could independently attend
transportation board meetings, investigate local concerns, speak with
officials, gather information at convention, and bring useful information
back to the chapter.



Sharonda observed that people sometimes remain silent because they fear
saying the wrong thing or believe someone else can explain the issue
better. She encouraged members to step outside their comfort zones and
become involved in issues that matter to them.



Joe emphasized that members could contribute according to their individual
talents and abilities. He also spoke about the importance of in-person
involvement, role models, and mentors.



Richard stressed the need to engage and mentor younger blind people so the
movement would remain strong in future generations.



Diane proposed structured advocacy training for members who may feel
uncertain about attending legislative, city council, or transportation
meetings.



Jordan suggested including practical breakout sessions in the legislative
seminar at the state convention. He reminded members that effective
advocacy does not require technical expertise and that personal stories can
be especially persuasive.



Sharonda proposed an advocacy night where members could:

* Identify issues they care about.

* Research those issues.

* Learn how to contact public officials.

* Practice calls, emails, testimony, and public comments.

* Work with experienced advocates and mentors.

Several members expressed interest in helping develop the event.

The group also discussed involving the Arizona Association of Blind
Students.

Sharonda agreed to distribute information and begin organizing the proposed
advocacy event.



21. Birthdays and Recognition

June birthdays mentioned during the meeting included:



* Hadassah Benson — June 2

* Zachary Dreicer — June 2

* Dana Rivera — June 6

* Maggie Lindsey — June 12

* Felipe Negrette — June 18

Members also wished the fathers in the chapter a happy Father’s Day.



22. Announcements

Jordan announced that his article, **“From the Back Seat to the Driver’s
Seat: The Federation’s Journey with Waymo,”** had been published in the
*Braille Monitor*.



Sharonda announced that she had been invited to sing the Black National
Anthem at the annual meeting of the National Organization of Blind Black
Leaders during the National Convention.



24. Adjournment



Our President thanked everyone for attending and encouraged members to
remain active throughout convention season. The meeting adjourned at
approximately 12:04 p.m.



Respectfully submitted,

Sharonda Goode

Secretary | NFB Phoenix Chapter

Secretary | NFB Arizona Affiliate

Secretary | NFB Performing Arts Division
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