Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) continues to confirm our commitment to good governance and to work hard to meet the expectations of members and friends of guide dog teams. Our board and committees are fully staffed. Communication between and among our state and regional affiliates is thriving under the direction of our affiliate liaison, Dana Gantt. Our e-mail discussion lists are up and running. Our advocacy committee, which is chaired by our second vice president, Charlie Crawford, is striving to improve housing opportunities, pedestrian safety, and airport security experiences for guide dog users across the country. Don Brown's legislative committee is following guide-dog-related legislative efforts on many fronts. GDUI's finances are benefiting from the informed and conscientious oversight of committee chair, Maria Hansen. Our nominating committee, under the able leadership of Dianne Phelps, is finalizing plans for the universally accessible May election, which will fill two vacant board seats. Plans are under way for the convention in Columbus, Ohio. Empathizers are available to help guide dog users from every region of the country solve problems and cope with challenging situations; and we expect a more efficient and expanded product sales and delivery system to be up and running soon.
Many members and friends have stepped forward to assist us during a difficult transition period, and we wish to sincerely thank ACB's president and board for their support of and confidence in our affiliate, the office of the District of Columbia Attorney General and our own attorneys for their continued counsel and work on our behalf, and the many volunteers who have stepped forward to fill board seats, chair and serve on committees, offer suggestions, and assist us in so many ways. Our annual membership renewal and recruitment effort is under way, and you can still renew your membership or become a new GDUI member. Please visit our web site, www.gdui.org/, or call our office manager, Paula Barton, or our treasurer, Lynn Merrill, who can be reached at 1-866-799-8436, to complete the membership form and pay your annual dues. GDUI has been proudly serving guide dog teams for more than 40 years. We want to assure our many members and friends that you can count on Guide Dog Users, Inc. for effective advocacy, empathetic support, compelling discussions, informative and entertaining convention programming, and universally accessible and up-to-date media that meet the needs of all who rely on well trained and well behaved dog guides for safety and independence.
If you have questions or concerns, you can reach any GDUI officer, board or staff member via the toll-free number listed above, or via e-mail through our web site, www.gdui.org/. Between board meetings and quarterly issues of "PawTracks," visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/guidedogusersinc.
Sincerely,
Laurie Mehta, President
Guide Dog Users, Inc.
[email protected]