David Trott
1018 East St. S.
Talladega, AL 35160
(256) 375-4205
[email protected]
1. I am David Trott from Talladega, Alabama, and I am seeking election to the office of First Vice President of The American Council of the Blind. My career background has been in business and services for the blind. Over the past 40+ years I have devoted my life to community service. I began my affiliation with ACB in a local chapter, in 1978, and since that time I have worked tirelessly toward the betterment of the lives of the blind. I have served in every office on the local and state level as well as on the ACB Board, as a board member and treasurer. I have worked in and held offices in other organizations, among them, The Lions Club, and the Alabama School for the Blind Alumni. I have chaired or served on many committees and task forces in ACB, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, and many others. I will be glad to discuss them with you.
In my time as Services Development Coordinator at Alabama Industries for the Blind I worked with contracts, budgets, employees, and supervising day to day operations of the various programs that were my responsibility. I collaborated with legislators and private sector businesses to acquire funding and educate these entities that blind, deaf, and deaf/blind employees could perform the duties of their jobs. My time on the ACB Board and as Treasurer, has given me a good background in the ongoing operations and projects of ACB. My years of service to the blind of Alabama has given me the experience to advocate successfully. Mostly my combined knowledge and experience along with my love for ACB will aid me in being a good and effective officer for you.
2. One of my strongest contributions to any office or board where I have served is my ability to listen to the membership. I not only listen but I carry the information back to the board even if I disagree with the issue the member has. I believe that all members should have their voices heard and that is my place as an elected officer to make that happen. I have worked to assist with issues that involve low vision, braille, policies of the organization. And many others. In any organization the members are the greatest asset, and they should have a path to leadership to have their voices heard. I hope that you will allow me to continue being a voice for you.
3. Coming out of the pandemic we have many challenges. I consider several to be of great importance. Membership, finances, and advocacy are just a few. With my experience in business and advocacy, and my good working relationship with the membership, staff, and board, I feel I could work effectively in moving ACB forward. As first vice president I will be ready to assume the duties of the president, should it become necessary. Future funding is always a critical issue for any organization. Even when times are good you must look forward to where you will be in 1, 3, 5, or even 10 years to maintain and grow the organization. We have many projects, services, and staff that require ongoing funding. It is imperative that we have a strong financial plan to continue the work of ACB. We began this work with the establishment of the Legacy Endowment. As we move forward, we need to continue to diversify our funding streams to maintain and grow the many programs of ACB. As you have heard from the financial reports of the last few years, ACB is strong financially so you might ask, why are finances so critical now? The answer is, with the way ACB has managed its assets it makes us more attractive to doners at all levels. We only need to think back around 10 years when ACB was facing critical financial shortfalls to realize that our financial wellbeing needs to be protected and grown. I ask for your support to aid me in continuing my work on the ACB Team that has brought us to this point. By growing the Legacy Endowment and The Board Reserve we can keep ACB’s finances healthy and growing.