Anthony Corona
6371 Pent Pl.
Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2305
(757) 920-0455
[email protected]
1. My name is Anthony Corona from Staten Island, NY; now a resident of Florida, I live with my partner and our 3 dogs in Miami Lakes.
In my multi-faceted career, I have held managerial positions in the retail and food/beverage industries. For over 10 years, I was the East Coast Entertainment Managing Editor for the Associated Press which gave me vast experience in the media and editorial field. My non-profit involvement includes organizations serving the LGBTQ+ and the Autism Spectrum communities.
After losing my sight mid-life, I was haunted by many questions: “What to do? Where to start?” Were just a few. After seeking the necessary services and training, I decided I needed a guide dog; in 2017, I was matched with my current guide dog, Boaty, a handsome and smart black male Labrador.
I felt I still needed a sense of connection, a source to learn how to advocate as a blind gay man. It was at ACB’s National Conference and Convention in Rochester where I found the beginning of that path. ACB and Blind LGBT Pride International (BPI) gave me community, friendship, mentorship, and my family.
Today, I am running to become a Member of the Board of Publications as I want to serve ACB with my talent and experience. I believe that communication is the first tool towards impacting lives and growing as a community. I am passionate about ACB’s mission and I want to make sure that we show the World what we do and what is the value of joining our efforts. I want to bring my experience in mass communication and my expertise in targeted messaging to attract and retain Members. I believe that the BOP is the voice of ACB and I am eager to officially join my sound to that voice.
2. As ACB’s Communications Intern, I collaborated in projects like the ACB Blog and Social-Media presence for Community.
During the past 4 years, I have been offering Sunday Edition, an ACB Radio/Media show/podcast, where I bring innovative topics of relevance to the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community, voice concerns, celebrate achievements and recognize our vibrant community. I collaborate with other Members in diverse musical offerings through Community.
I led the creation of “Member On The Mic,” a monthly blog offering through which the BOP highlights an ACB Member under the self-bio style of interviewing. I collaborated in creating the processes and mentoring new members of the team.
As BPI’s Vice-President, I work in Convention-planning, Fundraising, Membership and Public Relations. I coordinate partnerships with other affiliates and committees and I have been instrumental in launching and growing BPI’s ACB Radio/Media show/podcast: Pride Connection.
I have served in FCB’s Publicity and Publications Committee; I have chaired the Legislative Committee, and was awarded for putting together our virtual Hill visits during challenging times. I chaired the Access Committee and focused on voting and transportation.
I serve as President of the Miami Beach Chapter; I have led advocacy efforts to improve the delivery of services for BVI persons in South Florida. I also established partnerships to advocate for the improvement of Miami’s para transit services to the level of attracting media coverage. I am working with our local theater and museums to increase live audio-description offerings and make the arts accessible to everyone.
I find significance in my ACB involvement because I feel that each one of my efforts impacts others; I love bringing new information that can mark the difference in someone’s life; and I am passionate about highlighting how we can make a difference one Member at a time.
3. BVI persons living in this country come from diverse nationalities, ethnicities and races; the makeup of our organization is also diverse in gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other walks of life that become an integral part of each Member’s human experience. It is my belief that, through our stories, we have many opportunities to reach out to and enfold so many more persons in the BVI community at large; who are underrepresented and underserved.
If elected, I plan to support DEIA within ACB by proposing a 3-prong communication plan to be implemented by the BOP: internal communications, external communications and a streamlining of information sources.
By highlighting the beautiful tapestry that is ACB, through targeted outreach and demonstration of the opportunities afforded through ACB’s Membership, we can shine the porch light on our open door while showcasing the good work our committees, affiliates and Members do on a daily basis.
I also believe that supporting the communication of the above entities will serve to enfold both external potential members and serve to strengthen ACB’s commitment to DEIA.
It is a human trait to want to commune with others who experience the same challenges and triumphs; to welcome others who are underrepresented in ACB, we must show more of our individual stories, accomplishments and challenges. It will be my mission to nurture voices from our community while streamlining our communications to show the best of ACB.
4. I believe that the rapidly changing socio-political landscape of our country and the world is the most important challenge facing ACB today. The world at large is racing towards divide and we feel it within our beloved organization.
Finding the common ground among our members first, and helping grow the internal voices while reaching out to the many who do not benefit from being a member of our family, is step one to address this challenge. Targeting communications for members of the BVI community, while enfolding the perspective of what their communities can teach us and standing together in Advocacy and understanding of each other, will serve to grow our member base.
The generations following us are our future leaders, and the foundation to ensure ACB will be here for the BVI community in perpetuity. We need to harness the energy of those up-coming generations to both, nourish ACB’s future and to create the united tapestry that the ACB Founders envisioned all those years ago. While no person is an island; no organization can flourish without the engagement and passion of its members. Retaining the core values and traditions of ACB while enfolding new energy and ideas, can and will only serve to strengthen our position as the leading influencer of the BVI community.
I respectfully ask for your vote to help lead the Board of Publications through these ever-evolving times.