[NFBF-Jacksonville] FW: [NFBF-L] announcing the 2026 Washington Seminar Florida Delegation plus an important Legislative Committee meeting - Tuesday, November 25th at 8:00 PM ET - All are encouraged to be with us!

Thu Nov 20 17:59:05 UTC 2025

From: NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Russ Davis via NFBF-L
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2025 12:57 PM
To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List' <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: russell at radiorusty.com; 'NFB of Florida List for Leaders' <nfbf-leaders at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [NFBF-L] announcing the 2026 Washington Seminar Florida Delegation plus an important Legislative Committee meeting - Tuesday, November 25th at 8:00 PM ET - All are encouraged to be with us!

Hello Federation Family, Friends and Supporters!

This email is packed with some truly wonderful information. We’ll lay out our next Florida Legislative Advocacy and Concerns meeting, to be held next week. We’ve provided updates lately about some important ongoing issues, such as the Federal Department of Educations intent to drastically reduce staff in certain offices vital to those of us in the blind and low vision community, but will cover that issue in more detail during our gathering next week.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who reached out to your Federally elected officials in Florida over these past few weeks, to express your concerns about the DOE’s October reduction in force announcement. Many members of our Affiliate, along with our friends and families contacted our two Senators and our House members by phone, email and by making visits to their local offices. Your actions had a very positive impact. If you contacted your elected officials, but haven’t had the chance to let me know about that, I’d be thrilled to hear from you. 

Now it’s time to pivot and proudly announce the members of the Florida 2026 Washington Seminar Delegation.  I’m excited to tell you that we have some new and extra eager attendees in the group. Because so many Affiliate members pitched in throughout all of 2025 whenever you received calls for action and because a fewer number of Delegates are receiving funding from our Affiliate, coming up with a list of eight Seminarians was especially difficult this year. It was quite the balancing act. Your Board of Directors believes we’ve put together a quality filled group of attendees, from all across Florida. I know that the veteran Seminarians will mentor the rookies very well and will pass on their passion for the work we have devoted ourselves to.

The NFB of Florida 2026Washington Seminar Delegation:

Camille Tate – Legislative Director – East Team – District 08 – Herodopolus

Adriann Keve – East Team – District 04 - Bean

Russ Davis – Legislative Director – North Team – District 05 - Rutherford

Nancy Epps – North Team – District 06 - Fine

Z’leah Liburd – West Team – District 13 - Luna

Matthew Wiemuller – West Team – District 14 - Castor

Javier Diaz – South Team – District 24 - Wilson

Sabrina Johnson – South Team – District 27 - Salizar

Obtaining success with our 2026 legislative priorities will take a dedicated effort from not just those eight Florida Federationists who are braving the late January Washington weather, but all of us here in Florida. We’ll discuss how we can work as a team during the second half of the 119th Congress.

President Camille Tate will have some terrific information about our plans to seek support from our Florida State House and Senate members on several legislative priorities in 2026. We will not be able to accomplish our goals if we wait until next year to get started, so all of us will need to get to work soon and lay the groundwork for an intense and focused legislative campaign in Tallahassee.

Camille and I agreed that we want to make sure that our meetings stay fresh, relevant and interesting. With those thoughts in mind, we have planned some interesting topic discussions and presentations for the upcoming get together. I don’t think you are going to want to miss it.

Tuesday night certainly gives us the opportunity to learn from one another on some items of major importance. I know that your time is valuable so I want to make sure that you come away from the meeting having had the chance to learn more about and gain some excitement for, the legislative process. During last years Legislative Committee meetings, which I’m thrilled to say were well attended, I’ve continued to receive positive feedback on the idea that we use our calls to gain knowledge and to learn from one another. We will be preparing to move ourselves forward with our in State campaign of action and advocacy soon and will need all of the support and involvement of members and supporters that we can muster. As we move through the months of 2024, we will need full participation from every Chapter and Division, whether you are in the North, South, East or West of Florida. One important thing I’d like to point out, is that Florida needs involvement from members in each of its 28 Congressional Districts. We don’t have that now, but it is something that is desperately needed. Having you with us on Tuesday is key.

Please see the Zoom link for the meeting below. Looking forward to having you with us on Tuesday.

Respectfully,

Russ Davis, Legislative Director

National Federation of the Blind of Florida

Ph. 904-993-8433

Email: russell at radiorusty.com <mailto:russell at radiorusty.com> 

The National Federation of the Blind of Florida is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. 

Topic: Legislative committee 

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 25th, 2025, 08:00 PM ET 

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://zoom.us/j/94416346364 

Meeting ID: 944 1634 6364 

One tap mobile 

+13126266799,,94416346364# US (Chicago) 

+16468769923,,94416346364# US (New York) 

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