1. My name is Denise Colley and I am seeking my second term for the office of ACB secretary. I was elected to the ACB Board of Directors in 2016, and served in that capacity until being elected to the office of ACB Secretary in 2019.
I have also served as chair of the ACB Scholarship Committee since 2017 and as chair of the ACB Board of Publications. In this capacity I had the opportunity to oversee all the ways in which ACB communicates, both internally and externally. I believe that the ways in which ACB communicates with our members plays a crucial part in what keeps us a vital, healthy organization, and I want to work to ensure those lines of communication are stronger and more transparent.
I wish to serve another term as secretary because doing so has given me the privilege of being able to communicate and document the actions and work of the ACB Board of Directors through the preparation of minutes. I also feel that I am in a good position, with my years of experience to keep ACB moving forward.
As an ACB Board member, I was actively involved in the implementation of ACB’s Strategic Plan. As ACB Secretary I have been able to see the movement and strengthening of our website and ACB Lists, the creation and development of a communication plan, our financial growth, and the ability to bring on additional staff to serve in strategic roles, allowing ACB to accomplish bigger and better things. If I am elected as ACB Secretary I will do all I can to ensure successful results.
2. I think my greatest contribution on the national level has been the work I did with the Board of Publications. I was in the forefront of moving ACB to increasing the number of issues of the ACB Braille Forum that could be sent out each year with the implementation of the ACB E-Forum. While this initially started out as a budgetary solution, it has grown into something much greater. Instead of 4 to six issues, members now receive 12, along with a greater amount and quality of content.
On the state level I was instrumental in working on legislation that resulted in the passage of Washington State’s Braille Bill, as well as ensuring that our three state agencies serving the blind remained separate agencies and not swallowed up by larger programs. I was also active in Washington State voter access and ensuring private and independent voting in this state.
3. I believe that one of the greatest challenges ACB is currently facing is membership growth and retention. Every year during the roll call at the opening session of convention we hear that state and special-interest affiliates are losing votes. We live in a society where people in general are not joiners. With the advent of texting and social media we have become isolated and don’t see the need to reach out and become a part of something. The new generation of blind people doesn’t understand the importance of advocacy and improving our civil rights.
Potential members need to be given reasons for joining and wanting to remain active. We need to find ways of helping our state, local and special-interest affiliate leaders to generate the kinds of programs and activities that will result in enthusiasm and a reason to want to join or remain a member. We need to increase our marketing efforts and reach out to the growing population of younger blind adults and seniors.
We have taken huge strides in the area of membership growth and development with the addition to the ACB staff of a Membership Services Coordinator and the work being done by the Membership and Organization Services Steering Committee. With the establishment of our Community Events we have been able to reach out to and bring in new members that we never would have made contact with in any other way. I am encouraged by the momentum we are seeing daily, and I want to do anything I can to help it move forward.
I believe that it is also important that staff and the Board of Directors don’t fall into the pattern of working in a vacuum, and that transparency is in everything we do. Members need to feel that they have a say.