[NFBofSC] NFBMA Convention, please join us, Agenda inserted and attached

Tue Jan 26 17:45:49 UTC 2021

National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts, Inc.

 <http://www.nfbma.org> http://www.nfbma.org

SIXTY-EIGHTH

ANNUAL

STATE CONVENTION

February 18-21, 2021

National Office

200 East Wells Street

Baltimore, MD 2123

http://nfb.org

Telephone: 410-659-9314

Twitter: @NFB_Voice        

NFB of Massachusetts Constitutional Officers

President: Amy Ruell, Cambridge, MA

First Vice President: Shara Winton, Swampscott, MA

Second Vice President: Mika Pyyhkala, Boston, MA

Secretary: Georgie Sydnor, Ruston, Louisiana

Treasurer: Steve Booth, Salem, MA

At Large Board Members

Karen Dupuis, Springfield MA 

Cullen Gallagher, Quincy MA

Barbara Lomax, Boston, MA

Mark Paquette, Springfield, MA        

Precious Perez, Chelsea, MA

David Ticchi, Cambridge, MA

Important Notes

Convention Registration:

Registration Deadline: January 31, 2021

Registration is free for our virtual convention this year. All registrations
need to be completed by January 31 by going to 

 <https://www.nfbma.org/state-convention/registration>
https://www.nfbma.org/state-convention/registration

Voting:

We are holding elections for all constitutional offices as well as three
board positions this year. Only paid members are eligible to vote. We will
be using the same voting platform and strategy as was used at the 2020 NFB
convention. The link to register to vote will be provided as soon as it
becomes available.

Door Prizes: 

Margaret O'Donnell is our door prize chair for 2021. Please send her
information about door prizes you plan to donate by February 14 by email at
<mailto:kaitlynsgramma at yahoo.com> kaitlynsgramma at yahoo.com

or call her at 413-330-3271. You must be in the room when your name is
called to claim your door prize.

Convention Updates:

We will update Twitter  <http://twitter.com/nfbma> http://twitter.com/nfbma

and Facebook,
<https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-of-the-Blind-of-Massachusetts-
1593379944322253/>
https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-of-the-Blind-of-Massachusetts-1
593379944322253/ 

throughout the weekend with announcements and logistical details.  Please
follow social media to receive the most current information before, during,
and after convention!  

Interested in serving on the board or as an officer: 

If interested, contact Amy Ruell at  <mailto:aruell at comcast.net>
aruell at comcast.net or call 781-267-4432.

Zoom links for all sessions will be emailed to all registrants and added to
this agenda as soon as they are confirmed.

Auction Items Needed:

Please send information about all auction items to Amy Ruell by February 12.
Donors will be expected to send items to successful bidders. This is our
only fund-raiser for our convention this year, please be as generous as you
can. Come and win valuable items and help our affiliate!

Open Mic Night: 

Share your talents with your fellow Federationists: Sign up with Precious
Perez by emailing  <mailto:pulyperez1 at gmail.com> pulyperez1 at gmail.com or
call 781-521-2134, especially if you need accompaniment.

Questions for Massachusetts Agency Leaders?

Please send all questions to Amy Ruell at aruell at comcast.net
<mailto:aruell at comcast.net>  or call 781-267-4432

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

THURSDAY, February 18, 2021

7:00 P.M. -  9:00 P.M.:   NFBMA Social 

Musical chairs via Zoom

FRIDAY: February 19, 2021

3:00 P.M.:  Get that Job!! 

Dressing for success and interview tips

Chris Danielson, NFB Director of Communications, Baltimore, Maryland; 

Mary Fernandez, I&C Global Strategy Research Lead, Cisco Systems Inc.   

3:00 P.M.: Resolutions Workshop: 

Sharon Maneki, NFB Resolutions Committee Chair, Baltimore Maryland

3:00 P.M.: Micro-Aggression, Privilege, Police and More:

Shawn Callaway, NFB National Board Member, NFB State President, Washington,
D.C., Co-chair Diversity and Inclusion Committee

4:00 P.M.: Coping and Mental Health During Covid-19 and Beyond: 

Barbara Lomax, LICSW, NFBMA Board Member, 

Leena Bandy, Vice-President, NFBMA At Large Chapter, Secretary, NFBMA
Cambridge Chapter

4:00 P.M.: New and Improved: Challenges and Opportunities for Blind Seniors:

Ruth Sager, NFBMA At Large Chapter, NFB Senior Division President, 

Margaret O'Donnell NFBMA Springfield Chapter 

4:00 P.M.:  Make-up, Hair, and Nails Oh My!: 

Amy Wilson, NFB of Missouri Board Member, Old Drum chapter president, and
Mary Kay consultant., LaKisha Holmes, NFB of Texas San Antonio chapter, NFB
Performing Arts Division Treasurer, and Color Street independent nail
stylist.

5:00 P.M.: Student Meetup:  Precious Perez, NFBMA Student President and
two-time National Scholarship winner, 

Keri Svendsen, NFBMA At Large Chapter President 

5:00 P.M.:  Making Real and Lasting Wellness Changes:

Maureen Nietfeld, NFBCO Secretary and president of the Sports and Recreation
Division, Health and Lifestyle Coach, 

Erin Daily, Successful wellness client.

5:00 P.M.:  Fun and Convenience in the Kitchen: Gadgets that Make Cooking
Enjoyable: 

Ricky Enger, Assistive Technology Specialist, Hadley School for the Blind.

6:00 P.M.: Meet with NFB Training Representatives! Pam Allen, Director,
Louisiana Center for the Blind, Julie Deden, Director, Colorado Center for
the Blind, Rachel Kuntz, Resource Development Coordinator, BLIND Inc.

6:00 P.M.: Parents Meeting:  

Penny Duffy, NFB NOPBC Board Member 

Fernanda Sylva, NFBMA Cambridge Chapter

Hai Nguyen Ly, NFBMA At Large Chapter 

8:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.:  Open Mic Night: 

Precious Perez and Shane Lowe:   

SATURDAY, February 20, 2021

MORNING GENERAL SESSION:

9:00 A.M.: Musical Selection:  

Masha Sten-Clanton, Cambridge Chapter

9:05 A.M.: NFB Pledge:

Joanne Jordan, NFBMA Cambridge Chapter, and attendees

9:10 A.M.: Announcements: 

Amy Ruell, NFBMA President

9:15 A.M.: National Report: 

Shawn Callaway, National Representative

10:00 A.M.: Nominating Committee Report: 

Robert Baran, NFBMA Vice-president, Greater Springfield Chapter, 

Barbara Lomax, NFBMA Board Member, 

John Oliveira, NFBMA Cambridge Chapter

10:05 A.M.: Proposed Resolution on MCB Office Closures:

Amy Ruell

10:10 A.M.: Living Here and Abroad as a Blind Person:

Precious Perez, 

Kobena Bonasking Bonney Mosenney, NFBMA Cambridge Chapter, 

Bonnie Mosen, Rehabilitation Counselor, New Zealand

10:30 A.M.: Perkins Library Update: 

Kim Charlson, Director, Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library

11:00 A.M.: Leadership Roundtable: Serving the Blind in the 21st Century: 

Amy Ruell, Moderator: 

Representatives from Ma. Commission for The Blind, Mass. Association for The
Blind and Visually Impaired, Carroll Center, National Braille Press, and
Perkins School for The Blind

12:00 P.M.: Lunch and Break

12:00 P.M.: Student Meeting:

AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION

1:00 P.M.: Musical Selection

Leena Bandy, Vice-President, NFBMA At Large Chapter, Secretary, NFBMA
Cambridge Chapter

1:05 P.M.: Ayanna Pressley, United States House of Representatives,
Massachusetts Seventh District

1:30 P.M.: Sexuality, Consent, and Managing Uncomfortable Situations: 

Marcy Carpenter, NFB Survivor Task Force, President, NFB of Washington.

2:00 P.M.: Legislative Report:

Mika Pyyhkala, NFBMA Second Vice-president, 

Earl Williams, NFBMA Cambridge Chapter

2:20 P.M.: Presidential Report:

Amy Ruell

2:45 P.M.: Panel on Diversity and Discrimination: Leena Bandy 

Barbara Lomax

Syed Rizvi

Earl Williams

3:30 P.M.: Legal Report:

TRE Legal Services

SATURDAY EVENING BANQUET

7:00 P.M.: NFBMA Banquet

Keynote: Shawn Callaway: 

Scholarship Awards, NFBMA Scholarship Committee

Federationist of the Year

2021 NFBMA Auction

SUNDAY, February 21, 2021

9:30 A.M.:  Accessible Voting: 

Charlie Kinnune, Director of Outreach, Democracy Live

10:00 A.M.:  SuperSense, New Scanning App: Super Lidar: New Navigation App: 

Shane Lowe, Community Operations Manager, Mediate

10:30 A.M.: NFB Business and Board Meeting: Treasurer Report

Chapter Reports

Elections

12:00 P.M.: Adjourn

OUR THANKS

Thanks to our board, chapters and members for generously donating door
prizes and auction items.

Thanks to all who appeared on the agenda or served on committees. 

Thanks to Margaret O'Donnell and Lorna DeRoses for their great job with the
door prizes. 

We wish to thank Shawn Callaway for his contributions as National
Representative. The national perspective you brought to us and your
leadership are so important to our achievement of equality, security, and
opportunity. 

NFB PLEDGE: 

I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind, to achieve Equality, Opportunity, and Security for the blind,
to support the policies and programs of the Federation and to abide by its
constitution.

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