<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div class="WordSection1"><br><p class="MsoNormal">From Tracy Soforenko, President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I am pleased to announce the formation of a Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. This committee is charged with the following:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Developing programming to ensure diversity and inclusion within the Virginia affiliate<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Growing our membership to meet underserved communities<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Fostering leadership that is inclusive and reflects the full range of residents of the Commonwealth<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">addressing issues that arise<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Providing advice and counsel to me on issues of diversity and inclusion.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Following advice from the leadership of the NFB Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we have selected 7 participants for the committee. This manageable size will help the committee to direct activities across the affiliate. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Earl Everett<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Deepa Goraya<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Uricka Harrison, Co-Chair<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Patrick Johnson<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Amir Rahimi<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Evelyn Valdez<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">Chris Walker, Co-chair<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This committee will be formulating plans and will run a Saturday lunchtime program at our 2020 State Convention on October 31, 2020.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We anticipate various sub-committees will be established to develop programming for the affiliate and we look forward to the results of the committee and its various sub-committees.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tracy Soforenko<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">202 285-4595<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Tracy.soforenko@gmail.com">Tracy.soforenko@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nfb.org">www.nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nfbv.org">www.nfbv.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">National Federation of the Blind. Live the Life You Want<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><style><!--
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