<html aria-label="message body"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Richard,<div>Greetings here from Jim Weiss, (formally of Cuyahoga County). I just was wondering if I am still welcome in the NFB?</div><div>Thank you in advance,</div><div>Peace,</div><div>Jim<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Feb 15, 2026, at 2:32\u202fPM, rchpay7--- via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk@nfbnet.org> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta charset="UTF-8"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-thickness: auto; text-decoration-style: solid;"><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Suzanne just sent it out again.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="border-width: 1pt medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(225, 225, 225) currentcolor currentcolor; border-image: none; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;"><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Ohio-Talk <<a href="mailto:ohio-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">ohio-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>On Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Joe Ansman via Ohio-Talk<br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Sunday, February 15, 2026 11:45 AM<br><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>NFB of Ohio Announcement List <<a href="mailto:ohio-talk@nfbnet.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">ohio-talk@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Joe Ansman <<a href="mailto:josephpansman@gmail.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">josephpansman@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [Ohio-Talk] Federation Announcements and Updates<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">President Payne,<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">I messed up the last email to you regarding the state convention. For some reason I appear to not be getting all of the email sent through Ohio-talk. I did not receive the email you were talking about regarding the 2026 convention. Is there any way you could forward it too me so I can make reservations for the hotel and transportation.<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Joe Ansman<o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Email may be composed by dictation. Please, excuse grammar errors.<o:p></o:p></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div><div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">On Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 8:20<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">\u202f</span>AM rchpay7--- via Ohio-Talk <<a href="mailto:ohio-talk@nfbnet.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">ohio-talk@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></div></div><blockquote style="border-width: medium medium medium 1pt; border-style: none none none solid; border-color: currentcolor currentcolor currentcolor rgb(204, 204, 204); border-image: none; padding: 0in 0in 0in 6pt; margin-left: 4.8pt; margin-right: 0in;" type="cite"><div><div>Valentine's Day Greetings<o:p></o:p></div><div>Happy Valentine's Day to all members of the Federation. I always appreciate the special atmosphere that comes with these occasions, as it tends to foster a sense of peace among people, even if only temporarily.<o:p></o:p></div><div>Membership Portal Updates<o:p></o:p></div><div>For chapters and divisions that have not yet updated the membership portal, please make sure to complete this required task. By now, this update should already have been done.<o:p></o:p></div><div>State Board of Directors Meeting<o:p></o:p></div><div>The state board of directors meeting will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Ohio Zoom room. All are invited to attend. Please be punctual so your joining does not interrupt the meeting. When you enter, you will be unmuted, but a few minutes before the meeting starts, everyone except the board of directors will be placed on mute. If you have any business that you believe the board should consider, please send it to me privately.<o:p></o:p></div><div>State Convention Information<o:p></o:p></div><div>Suzanne has sent out information regarding the state convention, which will be held in Dayton this year from November 5<sup>th</sup><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to November 8<sup>th</sup>. Please begin reserving your rooms now, as early reservations can help us secure additional perks for our convention. Make sure to book your room within the block reserved for our group, which allows the hotel to count it toward our group total.<o:p></o:p></div><div>National Convention Participation<o:p></o:p></div><div>The national convention will be held in July, and it would be wonderful to see Ohio fill the rows of seats this year. I understand that many members are able to pay their own way, but some cannot. At a presidents' retreat, it was discussed that investing in getting members to the national convention is not a waste of money; instead, it creates opportunities for members to engage in settings that strengthen the Federation, transform them into leaders, and connect them with other members from around the world.<o:p></o:p></div><div>Final Thoughts<o:p></o:p></div><div>Until next time, take care of yourselves and let\u2019s continue to build the Federation together.<o:p></o:p></div><div>Richard Payne, President<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Federation of the Blind of Ohio</span><o:p></o:p></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">937/829/3368</span><o:p></o:p></div><div><a href="mailto:Rchpay7@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">Rchpay7@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div><div><a href="http://www.nfbohio.org/" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);">www.nfbohio.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div><div><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">_______________________________________________<br>Ohio-Talk mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Ohio-Talk@nfbnet.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">Ohio-Talk@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ohio-Talk:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/josephpansman%40gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/josephpansman%40gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></div></blockquote></div></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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