Expecting the Impossible
NFBIState Convention 2012
AGENDA
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
OF ILLINOIS
Annual Convention
October 5 –7, 2012
Holiday Inn O’Hare
5615 N. Cumberland
Chicago, IL60631
(773) 693-5800
Members of NFBI wish to thank the following donors for their generous gifts:
Mr. Harold W. Knapheide III, in honor of his mother, the late Mary McDill Knapheide
The National Federation of the Blind Imagination Fund
Richard Lansden, trustee, The Leona Stanford Vollintine Charitable Trust
J. Milton Harris/Alice Chenault Foundation
The Aileen S. Andrew Foundation
Walter M. Florie Jr., Board Member, Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation
Elick and Charlotte Lindon Foundation
Announcements that you wish to be made from the convention floor during sessions MUST be submitted to the information desk in the convention hall. Roberta Reif is coordinating our information desk this year. Patricia Olsen is handling registration table at convention. Denise Avant is running our door prize table.
If you wish to reach President Patti Gregory-Chang during sessions, please convey your requests to the information desk.
Braille, print, and recorded literature is available at tables in the convention hall. Please take all you can carry and distribute our positive message of blindness far and wide!
Smoking is not permitted in convention sessions.
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
Patti S. Gregory-Chang, President
6919 W. Berwyn Ave.
Chicago, IL60656(773) 307-6440
NFB of Illinois web site:
Have a great convention, everyone!
INFORMATION AND SALES TABLES
The information desk will be in the hotel Main Lobby on Friday Oct. 5 from 12:00 to 4:30, and in the Superior Ballroom during general sessions. Registration will be in the hallway outside of the Superior Ballroom on Friday from 2:00 through 7:30 as well as on Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Sales tables for NFBI and IABS will be in the back of Superior during general sessions.
Welcome to our 2012 State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois!!!
Friday, October 5th, Afternoon
2:00 – 4:30Information Table
Roberta Reif, coordinator
Hotel Lobby
2:00 –7:30 Registration
Pat Olsen, Registration Coordinator
Hallway outside of Superior Ballroom
2:00 - 5:00Exhibits
Superior Ballroom
- T. Guys
EnVision America
HadleySchool
Horizons
LS&S
NFB-Newsline
2:00 - 4:00Judo
Come to watch a demonstration and participate to learn
Superior Ballroom
Howard Wilson
Marco Giannotti
Nathaya (Nicki)Nishijima
4:00 – 5:00Resolutions
George Villa, Chair NFBI Resolutions Committee
Superior Ballroom
Friday, October 5th, Evening
2:00 –7:30 Registration
Pat Olsen, Registration Coordinator
Hallway outside of Superior Ballroom
5:00 – 6:00Join Our At-Large Chapter for A Get-To-Know You Dinner
Room TBA
5:00 –7:00Scholarship Dinner (Winners and Committee)
Michigan Room
6:00 – 7:15Vendor Presentations
Superior Ballroom
En-VisionAmerica, Anna McClur
- T. Guys, Jason Meddaugh, President
E. M. Vitu, Inc., Ed Vitu
HadleySchool, Tom Debinsky
Horizons, Byron Lee
Newsline, Dave Meyer
7:30 –11:00IABS IDOL
Rose Sloan, IABS Vice President
M.C. Ronza Othman Esq., IABS Treasurer
Superior Ballroom
Saturday, October 6th, Breakouts
9:00-10:00Significant Others Breakout
All who have a significant other: spouse, sibling, child, parent, etc. are encouraged to attend
Francisco Chang and Bob Gardner
Michigan Room
3:30-5:00Teen Scene
Dale Sczweck, Membership Committee Chair
Michigan Room
Saturday, October 6th, All Day Kids Camp
8:45 - 5:15NFBI Kid Kamp “Have a Ball”
Francisco Chang, Director
Huron Room
8:45 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 – 10:00Baseball Pennant Craft
10:00 –10:30Free Play
10:30 – 11:45Play Ball
String-ball for the Older Kids
Catch for the Youngsters
12:00 – 12:30Lunch
12:30 – 2:30 Movies: “Arthur Makes the Team”
2:30 – 3:00Reading with Bill Reif “Babe Ruth Saves Baseball”
3:00 – 4:00Baseball Music with Dave Meyer and Cathy Randall
4:00 – 4:30 Face Painting, Bryan Moles, NFB Teacher of Tomorrow
4:30 – 5:00Saying Good Bye and Clean Up
Saturday, October 6th, Morning
7:00 - 8:30 Parents of Blind Children Breakfast
Nelly Gamino, Parent
Debbie Stein, NFBI 1st Vice President
Masters of Ceremony
Superior Ballroom
Opening Remarks: Patti Gregory-Chang, Esq., President, NFBI
Reflections on Growing Up, Mindy Jacobsen
2011-2012 Braille Readers Are Leaders: Matthew Leinart and Shelley McGrath-Myers
2012 Project Innovation: Michael Pickerill
2012 NFB National Writing Contest Winner: Zach Carr
8:00 - 9:00 Registration
Pat Olsen, Registration Coordinator
Foyer Outside of Superior Ballroom
Later registration–see Glenn Moore in General Sessions
9:00 - 11:00General Session
Patti Chang, Esq., NFBI President
Superior Ballroom
9:00 - 9:15Call to Order & Welcome
Moment of Silence - We wish to remember those who have passed in the previous year.
Kankakee Chapter –
Carol Gocken, Frank Einfeldt and David Carson
9:15 –10:00National Report
Carl Jacobsen, President NFB of New York
10:00 – 10:30Teachers of Tomorrow
Bryan Moles, NIU Student
Stacy Jena, NIU Student
10:30 – 10:45Welcome to the District
Hon. Senator Dan Kotowski Illinois, 33rd Dist.
10:45 – 11:00Your Path to a National Scholarship
Rose Sloan, 2012 national Scholarship Winner
11:00Announcements and adjournment for lunch
Saturday, October 6th, Luncheons
11:30-1:30 Illinois Association of Blind Students (IABS) Luncheon
Anyone interested in students issues is welcome
Superior Ballroom
Master of Ceremonies
Ronza Othman Esq., IABS Treasurer
Welcome and NFBI Internship Program Overview
Patti Gregory-Chang, Esq., President NFBI
Expecting the Impossible Through Business and Partnerships
John Gordon, Chairman Illinois Committee on Blind Vendors
Ed Birmingham, President
Illinois Association of Blind Merchants
Expecting the Impossible through Scholarship: 2012 NFBI Scholarship Program
Debbie Stein - Chairperson, NFBI Scholarship Committee
NFBI Scholarship Class of 2012
Meg Dowell, Junior, OlivetNazareneUniversity
Katie Leinum, Freshman, Southern IllinoisUniversity
Brianna Lilliman, Freshman, LoyolaUniversity Chicago
Anthony Overhiser, Freshman, LoyolaUniversity Chicago
Adrian Rodriguez, Freshman, StanfordUniversity
Ryan Perry, Graduate Student, University of Illinois at Chicago
Expecting the Impossible, High Expectations Yield Results
Karen Anderson, First Vice President
National Association of Blind Students
Expecting the Impossible; Achieving Your Goals
Muhammad Saif Ullah, IABS Member
Closing Remarks
Rose Sloan, IABS Second Vice President
12:30-3:00Parents Luncheon and Seminar
Anyone interested in parent issues is welcome.
Michigan Room
Introductions: Who's Here and Why
Encouraging Literacy in and out of the Classroom, Stephanie Provence, IllinoisSchool for the Visually Impaired,
Getting the Most from Your IEP: Myths and Realities, Sariah Mattinson, parent, Brookfield, IL and Debbie Kent Stein, First Vice President, NFBI
Saturday October 6th, Afternoon
2:00 - 5:00 General Session
Superior Ballroom
2:00Call to order and announcements
2:00 –3:30Illinois Business Enterprise Program Panel
Edward Birmingham
President, Ake Inc.
President, Illinois Assn of Blind Merchants
Nicholas Gacos
Owner, ColoradoCafé Associates, LLC.
President, National Assn of Blind Merchants
John Gordon
Chairman, Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors
Raven Pulliam
Business Enterprise Program for the Blind, Program Administrator
Jess Rogers
Member, Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors
3:30 – 3:45Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
United States House of Representatives, 9th Dist.
3:45 – 4:00Project Innovation
Katie Leinum, Mentor
4:00 – 4:15 Employment
Dr. Cary Supalo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
IllinoisStateUniversity
4:15 – 4:45NFB Training Centers
Shawn Mayo, Director, BLIND Inc.
Andrew Webb, Graduate, BLIND Inc.
4:45 – 5:00Announcements and Adjournment
Saturday, October 6th, Evening
5:00 –6:30Scholarship Committee Meeting
Room TBA
6:00 - 7:00 Hospitality
Michigan Room
7:00 - 10:00Annual Banquet
M.C. Denise Avant Esq., NFBI Board Member
Superior Ballroom
Welcome to Chicago and Invocation
Dave Meyer Chicago Chapter President
Performance
Leslie Hamric, NFBI At-Large Chapter President
15 for Funds
Cathy Randall, NFBI Development Committee Chair
Banquet Keynote Address
Carl Jacobsen, President, NFB of New York
IABS Awards to Outstanding Educators
Scholarship Awards
Debbie Stein, Scholarship Committee Chair
10:00 –12:00Hospitality
Michigan Room
Sunday, October 7th, Morning
7:00 - 8:30 Student Breakfast and IABS Business Meeting
Rose Sloan, IABS Vice President
Superior Ballroom
Call to Order and Welcome, Rose Sloan, IABS Vice President
Treasurer's Report, Ronza Othman, Esq., IABS Treasurer
NABS Report, Karen Anderson, First Vice President
National Association of Blind Students
President's Report, Liz Botner, IABS President
Old Business
New Business
Elections
Adjournment
9:00 - 12:15 General Session
Superior Ballroom
9:00 –9:05Call to Order
9:05 - 9:45Braille is Beautiful, a dramatic presentation by talented Braille readers
9:45 – 10:00 Treasurer’s Report, Glenn Moore NFBI Treasurer
10:00 – 10:15 President’s Report, Patti Gregory-Chang, NFBI President
10:15 –11:00 Coping with Cancer and Blindness
Gina Falvo, NFBI Chicago Chapter Board Member
Connie Davis, NFBI Newsletter Committee Chair
11:00 – 11:30Resolutions
George Villa, Chair NFBI Resolutions Committee
11:30 –12:00 Elections
Election of Five Executive Board Positions
Election of two members of the Board of
directors to fill seats currently held by Annette Grove and Mary Lou Grunwald
Election of Delegate and Alternates to 2013
National Convention
12:00 – 12:15Closing Remarks and Announcements
12:15Adjournment
Thanks to the Special Events Committee and all others who have served on committees, worked registration and information tables, secured door prizes, and appeared on the agenda. You have helped make this convention a tremendous success.
NFB of Illinois
President: Patti S. Gregory-Chang, Esq.
NFB PLEDGE
I pledge to participate actively in the effort of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.