[nfbmi-talk] updating mcb information

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Wed Mar 2 13:17:15 UTC 2011


Cheryl,

Again I applaud your comments here. I would like to add that the main 
problem with MCB is right at the top and that it routinely violates major 
requirements of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its 1998 
ammendments to rules. I know that you as a CRC student are required to have 
this in your curriculum, and of course, it goes without saying that MCB, nor 
any other V R entity would exist without this federal law and funding 
derived from it. In fact just one aspect here is that under Title I of that 
very act information must be made accessible to people who are blind in a 
timely manner. Moreover, under Section 504 (civil rights provisions) any 
recipient of federal funds is required to do so as well.

What makes matters worse is that MCB is also headed by the State of 
Michigan's ADA coordinator who has routinely violated similar requirements, 
and more under the ADA.

We have had the rule of man, rather than the rule of law running MCB for 
years. This goes directly against fundamentals of a Constitutionally derived 
democratic-republic let alone an agency that derives its origins from 
federal law with constitutional guarantees.

Regardless, part of your education and subsequent code of ethics once 
certified would be to follow required state and federal laws. And, I'm 
certain by this very message that you would do so.

We should accept no less of a standard from the very Director of the agency 
in my mind.

Sorry for my winded response here, but I think you'll be seeing more issues 
with performance and legal compliance by the Director.

Best of luck with your studies and God's speed with graduation. We need you 
with your commitment to the bottom line and your true, common sense concern 
for the rehabilitation and betterment of people who are blind or otherwise 
disabled.

Peace,

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cheryl Wade" <wadecher at msu.edu>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] updating mcb information


I believe one of the problems with MCB is that some counselors treat adult
clients as though they are children and don't seem to respect their
vocational decisions. I know it could be tough because of state money, but
really! Many years ago, while I was looking for a newspaper journalism job,
my (now retired) counselor suggested I work as a typist in a Detroit defense
plant. When I asked him about how I would be marketed as an employment
commodity, he told me MCB would let Defense know they had a "blind client"
and schedule a meeting. Well, I was nobody's "blindclient" -- as if it were
all one word -- and I did NOT want to be a typist! I was a very good one,
but I would have preferred being a poor writer (although self-supporting)
than a better-paid typist. I held out, working for myself with newspaper and
radio clients, and ended up with a decent job at a wonderful company that
was very accommodating.

I will graduate with a master's in rehabilitation counseling in 2012 and
would like to work for MCB, so I truly do not want to be over-critical,
especially because I do not understand some of the case load difficulties,
money problems, corporate culture, etc. I hope I can help my clients,
whoever they are, understand that I'm working for them, not the other way
around. Clients know best what they want and need, and frequently the things
they need are things that no one seems to think about. I remember back
before the Internet that the one thing I needed was to go to the library and
havce somebody read all the job postings that interested me. But how many
friends will give up half a day each week to do that? These are the kinds of
issues the MCB needs to address. Also, we as rehabilitation counselors must
make certain all materials about the agency, the stuff clients take home and
fill out or read over, is in an accessible format. Why should a client have
to have her mother read her information to her, especially if she's never
used a computer non-visually and now needs to do so?

Cheryl Wade
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 10:53 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] updating mcb information


Given Fred's great thread I'd think that one way MCB could improve its
services is to use its own web site  to inform the public about its affairs
and so on. But they haven't been very good in updating it for years. Acase
in point is their current directory online which I'll post in full after my
signature line. There are numerous individuals listed as current employees
who no longer work for MCB inclisted here including several that took early
retirement last year.

Joe
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MCB Office Locations & Staff Directory:

Michigan Commission for the Blind

(Updated 2-15-11)

The Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) Central Administrative Office
and the MCB Braille and Talking Book Library are both in Lansing. The
residential
MCB Training Center is in Kalamazoo. MCB Regional Offices are located in
Detroit, Escanaba, Flint, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and
Saginaw.
Office contact information and a complete staff directory (alphabetical by
name and then alphabetical by name at each location) are listed below:
Block quote start
Block quote start

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
201 N. Washington, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 30652
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone (voice): (517) 373-2062
Fax: (517) 335-5140
TTY (517) 373-4025
Toll-Free Numbers:
1-800-292-4200 (voice, answered in Lansing)
1-800-323-2535 (voice, answered in Escanaba)
TTY 888-864-1212

MCB BRAILLE AND TALKING BOOK LIBRARY
(Located two blocks west of the State Capitol, with parking entrance on
Kalamazoo between Pine and Butler)
Michigan Library & Historical Center Building
First Floor
702 West Kalamazoo St.
P.O. Box 30007
Lansing, MI 48909-7507
Phone: (517) 373-5614
Toll-free phone: 1-800-992-9012
In-state fax: 1-800-726-7323
Out-of-state fax: (517) 373-5865

MCB TRAINING CENTER
(During the 2010-2011 building renovations, all mail will be forwarded to
the center's temporary location. Current phone numbers are listed on this
page.)
Michigan Commission for the Blind
   Training Center
1541 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Phone: (269) 337-3848
Fax: (269) 337-3872

DETROIT REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
Cadillac Place
3038 W. Grand Blvd.
Suite 4-450
Detroit, MI 48202-6038
Phone: (313) 456-1646
Fax: (313) 456-1645

ESCANABA REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
State Office Building, 1st Floor
305 Ludington
Escanaba, MI 49829
Phone: (906) 786-8602
Fax: (906) 786-4638

FLINT REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
Flint State Office Building
125 E. Union, 7th Floor
Flint, MI 48502
Phone: (810) 760-2030
Fax: (810) 760-2032

GAYLORD REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
209 W. First Street, Suite 102
Gaylord, MI 49735
Phone: (989) 732-2448
Fax: (989) 731-3587

GRAND RAPIDS REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
State Office Building, 4th Floor
350 Ottawa Ave., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 356-0180
Fax: (616) 356-0199

KALAMAZOO REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
(temporary location during building renovations)
Goodwill Industries Southwest Michigan
420 Alcott
Kalamazoo, MI  49001
Phone: (269) 382-0490
Fax: (269) 382-6836

LANSING REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
201 N. Washington, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 30652
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-6425
Fax: (517) 335-0254

SAGINAW REGIONAL OFFICE
Michigan Commission for the Blind
Jerome T. Hart Building
411 E. Genesee
Saginaw, MI 48607
Phone: (989) 758-1765
Fax: (989) 758-1405

MCB STAFF
Alexander, Cherrelle (517) 373-6425
Andrews, Therese (269) 337-3851
Angerman, Patricia (269) 337-3276, ext. 257
Baird, James (269) 337-3848
Barber, Diana (269) 337-3768
Bernstein, Allen (269) 337-3757
Betz, Bonnie (269) 337-3858
Beville-Sprinkle, Rose (269) 337-3760
Blakes, Bob (517) 373-5602
Bowden, David (269) 337-3201
Brink-Chaney, Marcie (313) 456-1643
Brooks, Tiffany (MDHS Oakland County) (248) 975-5319
Brown, Jules (517) 335-2871
Burdgick, Julia (517) 373-9415
Burkert, Tom (517) 373-5614
Caldwell, Cynthia (517) 335-7124
Cannon, Patrick (517) 335-4265
Carson, Ashley (517) 373-5329
Carter, Mary Agnes (269) 337 3853
Castor, Cherice (313) 456-1651
Chinault, Sue (517) 373-5353
Clark, Julie (989) 732-5814
Cornell, Karen (269) 337-3757
Cove, Cathy (313) 456-1646
Crawley-Asibey, Taletha (313) 456-1642
Crooks, Pam (269) 337-3858
Curl, Michael (269) 337-3848
Curtis, Lori (313) 456-1656
Daniels, Meagan (517) 241-9671
DeVera, Karen (269) 337-3873
Durling, Kirsten (810) 760-2030
Duthie, Patrick (616) 356-0189
Dykstra, Randy (269) 337-3771
Edmonds, Lucy (517) 373-3459
Elliott, Christopher (810) 760-2860
Fluri, Sue (269) 337-3041
Ford, Leanne (989) 732-2449
Fortier, Sandra (269) 337-3853
Furton, Dan (517) 373-6034
Gaston, Diamalyn (517) 335-4956
Gobert, Trendell (517) 241-6290
Gonzales, Laura (517) 241-1467
Gooding, Sharon
Grassow, Herbert (269) 382-0490, ext. 258
Greenacre, Lee (269) 337-3759
Greenwald, David (269) 337-3863
Griggs, Wylea (616) 356-0644
Grover, Dan (269) 337-3770
Haines, Ed (906) 789-6895
Hall, Tamieka (989) 758-1765
Harrington, Karen (269) 337-3863
Haynes, Carla (517) 373-2063
Heibeck, Sherri (269) 337-3848
Henshaw, Connie (313) 456-1648
Hoskins, Josh (217) 335-4265
Hough, Tami, 313-456-1641
Hoy, Tina (989) 758-1493
Hull, James (517) 373-2064
Ippel, Mary (616) 356-0181
Jones, Leamon (517) 373-0579
Kisiel, Lisa (269) 337-3238, ext. 253
Klimp, Hertha (269) 337-3851
Knapp, Marie (269) 337-3851
Lapekas, Nancy (616) 356-0184
Laury-Johnson, Shawnese (313) 456-1957
Love, Pat (269) 337-3848
Lujan-Roberts, Betty (269) 337-3759
Lurry, Alicia (313) 456-1658
Luzenski, Sue (517) 335-4265
Mahony-Bierlein, Holly (989) 758-1469
Marshall, Phyllis (810) 760-2030
Martin, Carrie (517) 373-9424
Masion, Shelley (269) 337-3758
McCall, Roberta (517) 335-7231
McClure, Marla (269) 337-3768
McEntee, John, in Kalamazoo--No VM (269) 337-5137
McInnis, Janet (810) 760-2033
McNeal, Gwen (313) 456-1655
McVoy, Shannon (269) 337-3449, ext. 255
Meadows, Faith (269) 337-3855
Merwin, Gail (313) 456-1646
Moss, Corda (269) 337-3854
Movalson, Christine (517) 335-4954
Nelson, King (313) 456-1653
Neubaum, Marla (269) 337-3875, ext. 254
Nichols, Sharron, (517) 373-5329
Njoroge, Phyllis (313) 456-1724
Norris, Scott (517) 373-5516
O'Rourke, Megan (269) 337-3848
Ozanich, Laura (269) 337-3768
Pada, Christine (906) 789-6896
Pearson, JLynn ( 989)-732-2448
Pelle, Joe (313) 456-1661
Pollo, Shannon (at SILC) (800) 808-7452
Popis, Matthew (DOE) (517) 373-3373
Ragland, Yolanda (DHS Pontiac) (248) 975-4808
Rickert, Natally (269) 337-3848
Robertson, Bob (517) 373-8829
Rose, Terence (517) 373-0501
Rush, Betty (313) 456-1644
Sanders, John (517) 335-5301
Savage, Robert (269) 337-3863
Schmelzer, Laura (269) 337-3851
Schneider, Jenna (517) 373-5329
Schultz, Bruce (269) 337-3864
Shadrick, Ian (269) 337-3856
Shaffer, Julie (517) 373-4120
Shaw, James (517) 335-4264
Silky, Karyn (616) 356-0185
Silvey, Amber (517) 373-6425
Simmons, Karen (269) 337-3768
Singleton, Euan (313) 456-1652
Smith, Danielle (810) 760-2036
Smith, Joan (616) 356-0182
Spencer, Margaret (269) 337-5288
Szczepaniak, Kim (517) 373-7133
Timpson, Marilee (269) 337-3848
Toda, Gail (269) 337-3201
Toda, Shigeru (269) 337-3601, ext. 256
Travick, Michael (269) 337-3848
Tschirley, Michael (517) 373-5329
Turney, Susan (517) 241-8631
Unger, Jim (906) 789-6897
VanElk, Wendy (269) 337-3767
Verburg, Nancy (517) 373-7132
Visscher, Michelle (616) 356-0186
Wallace, Judy (517) 373-2706
Weaver, Jessica (269) 337-3848
West, Tina (313) 456-1645
White, Elizabeth (517) 335-5521
Wilborn, Leon (313) 456-1656
Wile, Barbara (269) 337-3862
Wilson, Andrew (517) 373-9467
Wilson, Debbie (810) 760-2035
Wine, Kathy (269) 337-3768
Woodward, Joann (313) 456-1654
Wright, Nichole (517) 335-4262
Yun, Hisun (269) 337-3848
Zanger, Constance (517) 335-3639
Zemlick, Mary (269) 337-3862

MCB STAFF BY LOCATION

DETROIT
Phone: (313) 456-1646
Fax: (313) 456-1645
McNeal, Gwen, Regional Manager
Shawnese Laury-Johnson, Assistant Regional Manager
Brink-Chaney, Marcie
Castor, Cherice
Cove, Cathy
Crawley, Taletha
Curtis, Lori
Henshaw, Connie
Hough, Tami
Laury-Johnson, Shawnese
Lurry, Alicia
Merwin, Gail
Nelson, King
Njoroge, Phyllis
Pelle, Joe, BEP
Rush, Betty
Singleton, Euan
West, Tina
Wilborn, Leon
Woodward, Joann

ESCANABA
Phone: (906) 786-8602
Fax: (906) 786-4638
Kisiel, Lisa, Assistant Regional Manager
Haines, Ed
Pada, Christine
Unger, Jim

FLINT
Phone: (810) 760-2030
Fax: (810) 760-2032
White, Elizabeth, Regional Manager
Wilson, Debbie, Assistant Regional Manager
Brown, Jules
Durling, Kirsten
Elliott, Christopher (BEP)
McInnis, Janet
Marshall, Phyllis, Secretary
Smith, Danielle
Wilson, Debbie

GAYLORD
Phone: (989) 732-2448
Fax: (989) 731-3587
White, Elizabeth, Regional Manager
Wilson, Debbie, Assistant Regional Manager
Clark, Julie
Ford, Leanne
Pearson, JLynn

GRAND RAPIDS
Phone: (616) 356-0180
Fax: (616) 356-0199
Kisiel, Lisa, Assistant Regional Manager
Griggs, Wylea
Duthie, Patrick, BEP
Ippel, Mary, Secretary
Lapekas, Nancy
Silky, Karyn
Smith, Joan, Secretary
Visscher, Michelle

KALAMAZOO, MCB TRAINING CENTER
Phone: (269) 337-3848
Fax: (269) 337-3872
Heibeck, Sherri, MCBTC Director
Schultz, Bruce, MCBTC Assistant Director
Andrews, Therese
Baird, James
Barber, Diana
Bernstein, Allen
Betz, Bonnie
Beville-Sprinkle, Rose
Bowden, David
Carter, Mary
Cornell, Karen
Crooks, Pam
Curl, Michael
DeVera, Karen
Dykstra, Randy
Fluri, Sue
Fortier, Sandra
Greenacre, Lee
Greenwald, David
Grover, Dan
Harrington, Karen
Klimp, Hertha
Love, Pat
Lujan-Roberts, Betty
Masion, Shelley
McClure, Marla
Meadows, Faith
Moss, Corda, Secretary
O'Rourke, Megan
Ozanich, Laura
Rickert, Natally
Savage, Robert
Schmelzer, Laura
Shadrick, Ian
Simmons, Karen
Spencer, Margaret
Timpson, Marilee
Toda, Gail
Travick, Michael
VanElk, Wendy
Weaver, Jessica
Wesley, Regina
Wile, Barbara
Wine, Kathy
Zemlick, Mary

KALAMAZOO, REGIONAL OFFICE
(temporary location during building renovations)
Phone: (269) 382-0490
Fax: (269) 382-6836
Kisiel, Lisa, Assistant Regional Manager
Angerman, Pat
Grassow, Herbert
McVoy, Shannon
Neubaum, Marla, Secretary
Toda, Shigeru

LANSING, CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
Phone, voice: (517) 373-2062
Toll-free voice (800) 292-4200
TTY (517) 373-4025; toll-free TTY (888) 864-1212
Fax: (517) 335-5140
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
Cannon, Patrick D., Director
Gonzales, Laura
Luzenski, Sue
Movalson, Christine
Robertson, Bob, Manager
Shaw, James
Turney, Susan, Communications & Outreach
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION
Zanger, Constance, Acting Administrative Services Manager
Burdgick, Julia
Haynes, Carla
Sanders, John
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM
Hull, James, Acting B E P Manager
Edmonds, Lucy, Secretary
Hoskins, Josh
Wallace, Judy
CONSUMER SERVICES DIVISION
Jones, Leamon, Director
Gaston, Diamalyn, Secretary

LANSING, MCB BRAILLE AND TALKING BOOK LIBRARY
Phone: (517) 373-5614
Toll-free phone: 1-800-992-9012
In-state fax: 1-800-726-7323
Out-of-state fax: (517) 373-5865
Chinault, Sue, Librarian Manager
Blakes, Bob, Library Assistant
Burkert, Tom, Volunteer
Carson, Ashley
Daniels, Meagan
Gobert, Trendell, Student Intern
Nichols, Sharron, Student Assistant
Schneider, Jenna, Student Assistant
Norris, Scott, Librarian
Rose, Terence, Librarian
Shaffer, Julie, Library Assistant
Szczepaniak, Kim, Library Technician
Tschirley, Michael, Student Assistant
Verburg, Nancy, Library Assistant
Wilson, Andrew, Librarian

LANSING, REGIONAL OFFICE
Phone: (517) 373-6425
Fax: (517) 335-5140
White, Elizabeth, Regional Manager
Wilson, Debbie, Assistant Regional Manager
Alexander, Cherrelle
Brown, Jules
Furton, Dan
Nichole Wright
Silvey, Amber, Secretary
DEAFBLIND/INDEPENDENT LIVING UNIT
Kramer, Bernie, Supervisor
Caldwell, Cynthia
Martin, Carrie, Secretary
McCall, Roberta

SAGINAW
Phone: (989) 758-1765
Fax: (989) 758-1405
White, Elizabeth, Regional Manager
Wilson, Debbie, Assistant Regional Manager
Brown, Jules
Hall, Tamieka, Secretary
Hoy, Tina
Mahony-Bierlein, Holly

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