<html class="apple-mail-supports-explicit-dark-mode"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Hello Jose, thank you for your service as secretary. I wish you well in your healing journey.<div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Best Regards,<div>Sheri Albers</div><div>513-886-8697</div><div>Sheri.albers87@gmail.com</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Aug 1, 2026, at 5:50\u202fPM, Yassir Bohorquez <yassirbohorquez@gmail.com> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<div dir="ltr"><p> The message below is primarily intended for members of the Florida Statewide Chapter, but I am sharing it broadly to ensure it reaches all of our chapter members who may only be subscribed to the Florida affiliate listserv, as well as our broader Federation family. </p><p><br></p><p>Hello Statewide Advocates,</p><p>I am writing to share that I have made the decision to step down from my role as Chapter Secretary of the Florida Statewide Chapter. To be open with you all, navigating grief and prioritizing my mental health right now requires my full focus, and it is time for me to step aside from this administrative capacity for a while.</p><p>Serving as your Secretary has been a privilege, and I carry so many wonderful memories with me from our time together. I will always look back fondly on our fundraisers\u2014from the whirlwind chaos of our pretzel fundraiser to those hilarious, relatable conversations with everyone about how World\u2019s Finest Chocolates are definitely smaller than they used to be!</p><p>Beyond the laughs, I genuinely enjoyed learning from each of you and getting to know you on a personal level. I am so proud of what our chapter has accomplished, especially how seamlessly we stepped up to handle the 2025 convention. Through these experiences, I\u2019ve learned invaluable lessons about what it takes to be an effective leader and communicator. Most importantly, I\u2019m proud of having had the opportunity to build modern, efficient, and truly accessible technological solutions that served our membership well. I\u2019ve loved our monthly presentations, our rich discussions, and the shared energy in every good meeting we had.</p><p>Through all of this, I also learned that I have a true passion for advocacy. I learned how to advocate on a local level\u2014like talking to Gainesville Regional Transit System and the University of Florida about the importance of high-quality, seamless transportation\u2014on a state level, discussing our policies and ways to improve life for blind Floridians with state lawmakers, and on a national level, speaking directly to legislators about our priorities during Washington Seminar.</p><p>There is a reason why I always began my emails with the greeting <i>"Hello Statewide Advocates."</i> I used that greeting to remind myself\u2014and to remind all of us\u2014that while we gather for meetings to talk about all things blindness and conduct chapter business, we are so much more than that. We are the National Federation of the Blind: the largest, most transformative organization for the blind, and led by the blind.</p><p id="gmail-p-rc_43c7e31901f0a09e-25">The most core part of our movement is the idea <span class="gmail-citation-41 gmail-citation-end-41">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. <sup class="gmail-superscript"></sup></span>Our tagline, <i>Live the life you want</i>, is emblematic of this movement\u2014but in order to achieve all that, we must advocate. We need to advocate locally, statewide, and nationally. Politics does not matter, and a board title does not matter. What matters is that we advocate for ourselves, proving that we are living the lives we want. As the Statewide Chapter, we have opportunities to advocate across a myriad of localities and at the state level. So, as a fellow member, I ask that you never forget why we are here: <b>we are advocates first.</b> <span class="gmail-ng-star-inserted"></span></p><div class="gmail-source-inline-chip-container gmail-luminous-sources gmail-ng-star-inserted"><button class="gmail-button gmail-multiple-button gmail-ng-star-inserted" aria-label="View source details. Press Enter to open sources dialog."></button></div><p></p><p>To our emerging advocates, newer members, and those with a spark for leadership: this chapter belongs to you. Never hesitate to step forward, bring fresh ideas, or share your vision. True leadership is never measured by how long someone has held a role or how loudly they speak\u2014it is about opening doors wider, validating every voice, and making sure everyone has a fair seat at the table. If you ever feel the drive to serve, just do it; you will learn a lot about yourself, learn a lot about blindness, and you can make a difference. That difference is made when we are one united movement who is there for each other and fights together so we can live the lives we want. We need your energy and your vision, and the floor is yours.</p><p>Please know that stepping down as Secretary does not mean I am leaving the movement. I am still a dedicated member, I remain deeply committed to fighting for our transformative mission, and I will continue to support the chapter and affiliate however and whenever I can.</p><p>Thank you all for the wisdom, community, and support you\u2019ve shared with me during my time in office. I wish our chapter and its leadership nothing but the best moving forward.</p><p>In solidarity,</p><p><b>Jose Bohorquez</b></p></div>
</div></blockquote></div></body></html>