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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>For more than the last forty years Joe has been an important leader,worker, and friend for all of the National Federation Of The Blind. Hes, Joe has worked tirelessly to promote the NFB, the Business Enterprise Program, and programs for the blind of Iowa. When Legislators needed to be educated, he was there. When the BEP program needed to be upgraded in the eighties to expand to roadside vending, he was there. When we lost the Iowa Commission For The Blind and it was swept into a larger department making it more difficult to maintain good programs for the blind in iowa, he quietly went about showing members of the legislature that this was not a workable solution for State Government.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I could go on about the accomplishments that Joe had over his lifetime but no list would be complete without including that he has been a friend to all of us. Whenter I was needing his input on how to approach a certain member of the legislature, how to convince a member of the Board of the Commission to consider how his decisions were impacting the blind of Iowa, educating the public about blindness, he was there . Did we always agree on politics, ways to accomplish a specific task or a number of small things no, but the goals were all the same. I am a much better person because of the number years that I have been able to call Joe a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Bob<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We will all miss him a great deal and we also know that no one will be able to fill his shoes. Let people try. The important thing is that we must pause to think about what he stood for and keep on redoubling our efforts to move forward with the principles he endorsed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b> Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Emily Wharton via Tall-Corn<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, January 27, 2023 9:06 AM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List <tall-corn@nfbnet.org><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> Emily Wharton <Emily.Wharton@blind.state.ia.us><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Joe’s commitment to, and hard work on behalf of, the Iowa Department for the Blind and Business Enterprise Programs are too large to capture properly in words. Not only did he dedicate his time and talents to serving many years on the Iowa Commission for the Blind and Elected Committee of Blind Vendors, but I saw his advocacy at the Capitol save our appropriation more than once. He never forgot what Kenneth Jernigan taught him and he gave back what he had been given one hundred fold to improve the lives of blind Iowans who would come after him. He was a farm boy who was not afraid of hard work . He worked hard at his business and he worked hard by going to the capitol and talk to everyone and make sure that they knew how important IDB services were. He was an inspiration to me and so many other blind Iowans and he will deeply missed. I hope that all of us who knew him and those who have benefited from his work will continue that work with the same passion and sense of urgency that he demonstrated for so many years. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><font size=3 color=black face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;font-weight:bold'>From: </span></font></b><font size=3 color=black><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Tall-Corn <<a href="mailto:tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org">tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> on behalf of Dr. Bitrus Gwamna via Tall-Corn <<a href="mailto:tall-corn@nfbnet.org">tall-corn@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Date: </span></b>Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 8:27 PM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To: </span></b>'NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List' <<a href="mailto:tall-corn@nfbnet.org">tall-corn@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc: </span></b>Dr. Bitrus Gwamna <<a href="mailto:bgwamna@gmail.com">bgwamna@gmail.com</a>><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject: </span></b>Re: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I am so sorry to read this. Joe was a truly amiable person, always willing to lend his knowledge of blindness issues, the federation and the IDB to those of us less informed than he. May the memories<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>He has left behind comfort them, and may his soul rest in peace.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Bitrus<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b> Tall-Corn <<a href="mailto:tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org">tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Scott Van Gorp via Tall-Corn<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, January 26, 2023 7:53 PM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> NFBI Listserv <<a href="mailto:tall-corn@nfbnet.org">tall-corn@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> Scott Van Gorp <<a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org">svangorp@nfbi.org</a>><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Good Evening Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It is with great sorrow that I write to you this evening to announce that Joe Van Lent, a long-time Federationist, BEP/Randolph Shepherd vendor, and former Iowa Commission for the Blind board member, passed away on Wednesday evening, January 25th. Services will be held in Des Moines on April 15, 2023, and we will share full details for those later. For now, let’s keep his wife Laura, and the rest of his family in our thoughts and prayers. Blind people are undoubtedly in a much better place in Iowa because of Joe’s work and we are forever grateful. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Scott Van Gorp, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>Phone: 515-720-5282<br></span></font><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org">Email</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'>Website</span></font></i></a><i><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'> <br></span></font></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'>Facebook</span></font></i></a><i><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'> <br></span></font></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'>Twitter</span></font></i></a><i><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:italic'> <br>Live the life you want.<br></span></font></i><br>The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 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><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>