Feel free to read some of the profiles listed below and e-mail one of us or all of us at anytime. Community Association of the Blind's Board of Directors, Board Members, and Volunteer Core Staff have an open door policy because we strongly believe in hearing our members comments, concerns, opinions.
Mark has been visually impaired since birth and is a son of two visually impaired parents and currently has a guide dog named Livingston from Guide Dogs of America.
As a small child Mark was exposed to the blind community through his parents and their friends who were visually impaired. One event that significantly impacted Mark's life was his experience as a counselor at Camp Bloomfield, which the most widely recognized camp for the visually impaired in Southern California.
In 1997 Quantas Airways and the United Way came together to honor fifteen disabled volunteers whose commitment to their community was outstanding. Mark was one of these honorees, making him Volunteer of the Year and awarding him a week long trip to Australia. Inspired to do more than just a summer program, Mark got that chance in 1998 when he was invited to serve on the board of Community Alliance for the Blind. The same year Jr. Blind of
America awarded Mark the Sol Coleman Award for his work and leadership in the community. In 1999 he was asked to serve as the Programs Director with the Intercommunity Blind Center.
Later Mark served as Activities Director for the Community Alliance for the Blind from 2000 until mid 2003. Mark takes great pleasure from working with others who are visually impaired, sharing life experience and caring those whom with he works. Mark is a co-founder of the Community Association of the Blind and intends to spend his time in Southern California helping others through this organization.
Since she was a child Christine has been volunteering in her community, with groups such as her local Lions Club
and Lutheran Braille workers. After the birth of her son and his diagnoses of blindness she learned Braille and worked as a Braille transcriber, and an assistive technology specialist at a community college.
Christine also volunteered as a parent advisor to the Joint Action Committee (JAC), and a board member of Computer to Help People Inc. and was a member of several other parent organizations, including NAPVI. Christine
and her husband Louis were both active volunteers for the previous CAB, and enjoyed their involvement immensely, she looks forward to volunteering as a board member.
Frank Hanohano is a Southern California native. He attend California's public schools and experienced what it was like to grow up in Southern California with a visual impairment. Frank is legally blind, and his wife of 26 years, Bertha, is totally blind. As a parent of both a visually impaired and sighted child, he knows the areas or need for individuals with vision impairments in Southern California from many different angles.
While involved with many of the areas organizations fo the blind, Frank saw how they operated and what did and did not work both for the organization and for those it served. The Braille Institute is one of these examples; Frank was both a student and a volunteer with them. He has also been a student and advisor to the Jr. Blind of America (formerly Foundation for the Junior Blind). But his expierence is not limited to vision related groups; Frank is a Charter Member of Toastmasters International and is a member of REACT (Radio Emergency Association Communications Team) in South Gate.
Frank is dedicated to seeing CAB excel in the areas he has personally found to be underserved by other organizations of and for the blind in Southern California. His extensive experience of being involved with a multitude of groups is a tremendous asset.
The Board of Directors is the policy governance body of the Community Association of the Blind (CAB). Each member must be committed to the Community Association of the Blind's mission, its ethical and legal integrity. In accepting a nomination, an individual agrees to fullfill the requirements and meet the responsibilities of the board membership. These include but are not limited to:
1. Develop a current understanding how CAB carries out its mission and purpose.
2. Be an informed spokesperson for CAB so as to increase awareness about CAB in their respective communities and its needs, and opportunities for community involvement and support.
3. Participate in CAB's resource development efforts, providing a level of suppor that is consistent with each member's respective means. Members are expected to make a personal gift to the Annual Fund, attend and help to promote, and support fundraising activities.
4. Regularly attend the CAB Board meetings and review the materials provided by the Executive Director and Board committees, to be well informed about the issues affecting the organization, so they can give appropiate guidance, direction and advice.
5. Participate in at least one committee annually.
The Community Association of the Blind (CAB) is a non-profit organization and is organized exclusively under the Calfifornia Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)3. The porpose of this organization is to integrate individuals who are blind and visually impaired into all aspects of the community through educational opportunities, recreational alternatives, communication and social skill building, and collaborations with other community based organizations.
The Board of Directors has the authority to govern, manage, and set the policies of this organization. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at least once every other month. Each Director will hold office for two years with the option of seeking up to two additional two year terms of service. Individuals interested in serving on the Board of Directors must be eighteen years of age, residents of the State of California, and committed to the organization's mission. CAB expects the members of the Board will learn about the programs and services that it provides and be committed to CAB's ethical and legal intergrity. As a working Board, members are encouraged to serve on committees, volunteer for CAB activities and events, and be actively involved with CAB's programs.
Board members also have two important duties, the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. In order to comply with the duty of care, the Community Association of the Blind (CAB) expects Board members to regularly attend board meetings and make informed decisions after conducting a thorough discussion of all issues. The Community Association of the Blind (CAB) expects that Board members will comply with the duty of loyalty by always acting in good faith and in the best interest of the corporation.
Serving as a member of the Board of Directors the Community Association of the Blind (CAB) is both an honor and responsibility. The Community Association of the Blind (CAB) greatly appreciates your interest in participating in this vital and vibrant community organization.
