<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Passing along this information.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Thank you. Chris Walker</span></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">President, Winchester Chapter</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">National Federation of the Blind of Virginia</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">540.303.0080</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">chrisvinson1@gmail.com</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">www.nfb.org</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">www.nFBV.org</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Find and like us on Facebook National Federation of the blind Virginia Winchester Chapter<br>Find us on Twitter at </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;">Winchester Chapter nfb of Virginia</span></div><div>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.</div><div><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"></span></div><div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> jackibruce6--- via NFBV-Announce <nfbv-announce@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> July 25, 2022 at 12:07:35 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> NFBV Announce <nfbv-announce@nfbnet.org><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NFBV-Announce] Virginia Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired Updates</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> jackibruce6@gmail.com<br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From Tracy Soforenko, President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Hi NFB of Virginia Members and friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">I wanted to provide some important updates about the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) from the past few months.<o:p></o:p></span></p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="A"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Increased Vocational Rehabilitation Funding from the General Assembly<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Governor Youngkin appoints Dr. Rick Mitchell as DBVI Commissioner<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">DBVI Selects Pam Cato as Deputy Commissioner for Services<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="A"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Vocational Rehabilitation Funding<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Thanks to our advocacy, the General Assembly approved over $800,000 in funding for vocational rehabilitation services. This dedicated funding for vocational rehabilitation will better enable DBVI to meet Federal match expectations, increase staffing, and continue to serve blind, low vision and deafblind Virginians.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="A"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> Dr. Rick Mitchell appointed DBVI Commissioner<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Many of our members have worked with Dr. Rick Mitchell in his role as Deputy Commissioner for Services at DBVI. In May, he was appointed by Governor Youngkin as the new DBVI Commissioner. The below text was included in the DBVI June newsletter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;background:white">Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed Dr. Rick Mitchell as the new Commissioner at the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. Commissioner Mitchell is no stranger to DBVI as he has worked with the Agency for 36 years. As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the Roanoke Regional Office, Commissioner Mitchell began his career with DBVI. During his tenure he has also served as the Regional Manager for the Bristol Regional Office and most recently the Deputy Commissioner for Services. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><br><br><span style="background:white">From the first day of his appointment, Commissioner Mitchell stressed his desire for DBVI to remain focused on its mission, vision and values. His desire is to continue providing the best services and resources to empower Virginians who are blind, vision impaired or deafblind to achieve their desired levels of employment, education and personal independence. DBVI will continue to look for opportunities on how to expand and enhance all that the agency does within the Commonwealth of Virginia.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="3" type="A"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:black;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Pam Cato Selected as DBVI Deputy Commissioner for Services<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Commissioner Mitchell made the below announcement to DBVI staff on July 14.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Pam Cato will be the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) next Deputy Commissioner for Services. For the last six years, she has done an excellent job in being DBVI’s Director of Vocational Rehabilitation and Workforce Services. Prior to joining DBVI in June of 2016, she was a faculty member with Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for six years. She has extensive experience in policy development, program evaluation and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Ms. Cato previously worked at the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a Program Administrator. She established policies, business procedures and provided program oversight for supported employment services, transition services, mental health and self-employment services and business engagement. She served on the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, APSE Board, and The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for Disabilities. Ms. Cato has also worked for several community rehabilitation organizations providing business and employment services. I am looking forward to where she leads the Services Division to in the years ahead. Please join me in congratulating Pam as she steps into this leadership role at DBVI. <o:p></o:p></span></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><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NFBV-Announce mailing list</span><br><span>NFBV-Announce@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-announce_nfbnet.org</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>