[nfbmi-talk] Governor Snyder Fills Commission for the Blind Vacancies

[Fred Wurtzel]

Hello,

 

Larry Posont has asked me to send this to you.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

DATE:    March 1, 2011

 

CONTACT:           Mike Powell - 586-754-1325 or Larry Posont - 517-482-1800

 

Governor Snyder Fills 2 Vacancies on Michigan Commission for the Blind board

 

Lansing, Michigan - The national Federation of the Blind of Michigan (NFBM)
is proud to announce that Governor Rick Snyder has appointed Larry Posont,
president of the national Federation of the Blind of Michigan as Chairperson
of the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB).  Governor Snyder has also
appointed Parents Of Blind Children member  Lydia Schuck to a 3-year term on
the MCB Board. President Posont was notified by telephone on Friday February
25 of the 2 appointments.

 

"I am honored that the Governor has placed his trust in me to lead this very
important Commission.  The Commission is important to the thousands of blind
people in Michigan who, without rehabilitation services, face a 70%
unemployment rate.  Michigan can do better than this." Posont commented by
phone from his Dearborn heights home.  "The commission has a quality staff
and adequate funds to provide the highest quality services available in
America.  Michigan has a strong law which provides that the 5 person
policy-making board has at least 3 blind members.  We expect to act
aggressively to focus on jobs, jobs, jobs.  Every employee of the agency
needs to have quality, well-paying jobs for all blind MCB customers as their
first priority.   Through the years, various studies of rehabilitation
programs show that $5-6 are returned for every dollar spent on quality
rehabilitation, when blind people are moved from public benefit rolls to
taxpayer rolls.  It is a privilege to have a job and pay taxes, said Posont,
a retired 30-year veteran of the business Enterprise program and
entrepreneurial program sponsored by the Commission.

 

"The Michigan commission for the Blind will be an active participant in
Governor Snyder's program to help Michigan regain its strong role in our
nations' economy and provide high quality jobs for our state's citizens.  We
are committed to quality effective data-driven government services that put
the customer first," Posont said.

 

Lydia Schuck from Mason, near Lansing, a parent of a blind child, a
Transition Specialist and a doctoral candidate in Interdisciplinary health
Science at Western Michigan University commented, "I hope to work to
increase the capacity of the Michigan Commission for the Blind to work
collaboratively with the Department of Education to increase results and
opportunities for blind students in Michigan schools.  I have the
experience, background and passion to help improve services to create an
environment where blind people can compete on terms of equality and achieve
first-class citizenship."

 

Posont and Schuck join Jo Ann pilarski, a school teacher from Alpena, Geri
Taeckens, a retired School Social worker from Sault Ste Marie and john
Scott, an attorney from Detroit on the MCB board which sets policy for the
34 year old  Commission.  

 

******

 

The national Federation of the Blind is the oldest and largest consumer
organization of blind people in America.  Founded in 1940, the Federation
advocates for quality services and programs, sponsors Newsline for the
blind, a free Newspaper and periodical service, scholarships and is a leader
in technology to assist blind people, including the Blind Driver Challenge,
where for the first time, a blind person navigated a car on a road course at
the Daytona Race track in a Demonstration of how blind people can accomplish
things never before thought possible.

 

Visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org/>  and www.nfbmi.org
<http://www.nfbmi.org/>  to learn more about the national Federation of the
Blind of Michigan.