54th Annual Conference and Convention
Theme: ACB: Where the Stars Shine Bright
Sunday, July 5: Lone Star Ballroom A
6:30 PM: Entertainment: Jan Gray, Saginaw, TX
7:00 PM: Call to Order: Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind, Watertown, MA
Invocation: Rev. Michael Garrett, New Faith Baptist Church, Houston, TX
Presentation of Colors: Buffalo Soldiers, Dallas, TX
"The Star-Spangled Banner": Kenneth Semien Sr., Beaumont, TX
“Texas, Our Texas”: Jan Gray, Saginaw, TX
Welcome to Texas, Kenneth Semien Sr., President, ACB of Texas, Beaumont, TX
7:25 PM: President's Report: Kim Charlson, Watertown, MA
7:55 PM: Welcome to Dallas: Stuart Swartz, Chair, Local Host Committee, Plano, TX
8:00 PM: Double Diamond Sponsor Presentation: Tom Gibbs, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Washington, D.C.
8:15 PM: ACB Life Membership Presentations: Kim Charlson, ACB President, Watertown, MA; and Lane Waters, ACB Controller, Brooklyn Center, MN
8:30 PM: Film Premiere: ACB Employment Possibilities Video, Eric Bridges, Director of External Relations and Policy, Arlington, VA
8:45 PM: ACB First-Timers: Allen Casey, Chair, Durward K. McDaniel First-timers' Committee, Graham, NC
8:55 PM: First Credentials Committee Report: Jean Mann, Chair, Albany, NY
9:00 PM: Tribute and Appreciation for ACB Angels: Dan Spoone, ACB Board of Directors, Orlando, FL
“Remembering our ACB Angels”: Original Song Written by Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN and Recorded by "Some Assembly Required," a quartet from the Metro Nashville Chorus, Sweet Adelines International, Nashville, TN
9:15 PM: Roll Call of Affiliates: Ray Campbell, ACB Secretary, Glen Ellyn, IL
Monday, July 6, Lone Star Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Patrick Higgins, guitar and vocal, Dallas, TX
8:30 AM: Invocation: Pastor Larry Thacker, Bartimaeus Baptist Temple, Dallas, TX
Pledge of Allegiance: Becky Collier, 2015 Host Committee, Garland, TX
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
Adoption of Standing Rules and Program: Kim Charlson, ACB President, Watertown, MA
Final Credentials Committee Report: Jean Mann, Chair, Albany, NY
Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Indianapolis, IN
Presiding Officer, Jeff Thom, ACB First Vice President, Sacramento, CA
9:15 AM: Presentation of Affiliate Membership Growth, Affiliate Outreach, and George Card Awards: Rochelle Hart, Sioux Falls, SD, and Chip Hailey, Joplin, MO, Co-Chairs, ACB Awards Committee;
Presentation of Ned E. Freeman, Vernon Henley and Hollis Liggett Awards: Denise Colley, Chair, ACB Board of Publications, Lacey, WA
9:40 AM: Big Thoughts About the “Big D” Dallas!, Dr. Rose-Mary Rumbley, Historian, Dallas, TX
10:00 AM: Break
10:15 AM: Audio Guide: Indoor Navigation For The Visually Impaired: A Public Service of Macular Degeneration Support, Dan Roberts, Director, Grandview, MO
10:30 AM: Access Comes to Netflix: Tracy Wright, Director, Content Operations, Los Angeles, CA
11:00 AM: Developments and Progress at NLS: Karen Keninger, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Washington, DC
11:35 AM: Innovation and Inspiration: Shubham Banerjee, Braigo Labs Inc., Palo Alto, CA
11:50 AM: ACB Recreation Zone: Oral Miller, ACB Past President, Washington, DC
11:55 AM: Announcements
Tuesday, July 7, Lone Star Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Kimberly Engle, Flutist, Dallas, TX
8:30 AM: Invocation: Pastor Chuck Hubbard, Gloria Day Lutheran Church, Garland, TX
Pledge of Allegiance: 2015 Scholarship Winners
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
Ruby Sponsor Presentation: HumanWare: Patrick Wallace, Vice President, Global Sales, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Indianapolis, IN
Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
Presiding Officer: Marlaina Lieberg, ACB Second Vice President, Burien, WA
9:15 AM: 2015 ACB Scholarship Presentations: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, Scholarship Committee, Missouri City, TX
10:25 AM: Break
10:40 AM: The Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary: Thoughts Along the Journey: Stuart Ishimaru, Director, Equal Opportunity and Fairness Division, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Washington, DC
11:15 AM: Braille Authority of North America Update: Sandra Ruconich, ACB BANA Representative, Salt Lake City, UT
11:35 AM: Award Presentation and Update from the ACB Audio Description Project: Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project, Takoma Park, MD; Chris Gray, ADP Awards Chair, St. Louis, MO; and Dan Spoone, Chair, Audio Description Project Steering Committee, Orlando, FL
11:55 AM: Announcements
Wednesday, July 8, Lone Star Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Chris Prentice, Guitar and Vocal, Del Valle, TX
8:30 AM: Invocation: Rev. Jan Davis, First Rowlett United Methodist Church, Rowlett, TX
Pledge of Allegiance: Visually Impaired Veterans of America
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
Emerald Sponsor Presentation: Amy R. Furash, JPMorgan Chase, National ADA Coordinator, Columbus, OH
Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President, Comcast Accessibility, Philadelphia, PA
Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Indianapolis, IN
Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
Presiding Officer: Ray Campbell, ACB Secretary, Glen Ellyn, IL
9:15 AM: “From Stage to Page; the Making of a Gun-Slinging Narrator”: Joe Wilson, Talking Book Publishers, Inc., Denver, CO
9:45 AM: Executive Director's Report: Melanie Brunson, Arlington, VA
Special Tribute Ceremony to Recognize the Retirement of Melanie Brunson as Executive Director
10:15 AM: Break
10:30 AM: National Conference and Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, Chair, Convention Committee, Saint Paul, MN
10:45 AM: Radio Reading Services and Their Role in the 21st Century: Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, Arlington, VA; Mike Duke, Director, Mississippi Radio Reading Service, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Jackson, MS; and Steve Cumming, Former Station Manager, North Texas Radio for the Blind and Austin Information Radio, Dallas, TX
11:15 AM: Twenty-First Century Jobs for People who are Blind: Kevin Lynch, President and CEO, National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, VA
11:35 AM: Update on Governmental Affairs and Policy Issues: Eric Bridges, Director of External Relations and Policy, Arlington, VA
11:55 AM: Announcements
Thursday, July 9, Lone Star Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Annie Wallace, Piano and Vocal, Plano, TX
8:30 AM: Invocation: Bishop Alan Aanerud, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Dallas, TX
Pledge of Allegiance: Shirley Stivers, Bellevue, KY, and Todd Fahlstrom, Moorhead, ND
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
Diamond Sponsor Presentation: Google: Eve Andersson, Engineering and Product Manager, Core Team, Google Accessibility
Emerald Sponsor Presentation: Verizon, Jeffrey A. Kramer, Executive Director, Public Policy, Strategic Alliance, Washington, DC
Ruby Sponsor Presentation: Sprint, Kelly Egan, Blindness and Low Vision Outreach Specialist, Denver, CO
Constitution and Bylaws: John Huffman, Chair, Indianapolis, IN
Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
Presiding Officer: Carla Ruschival, ACB Treasurer, Louisville, KY
9:15 AM: “The Barefoot Lawyer: Chen Guangcheng”: His imprisonment, escape from China, journey to the U.S., and where he is now! Washington, DC, and Danica Mills, Interpreter, New York, NY
10:00 AM: Break
10:15 AM: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Update: Currency Readers, Tactile Markings and More: Sidney Rocke, Chief Counsel, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington, DC
10:40 AM: Report on the ACB Walk and Auction: Dan Spoone, ACB Board of Directors, Orlando, FL; Dan Dillon, Hermitage, TN, Co-chairs, ACB Resource Development Committee; Donna Brown, Walk Chair, Romney, WV; and Leslie Spoone, Chair, ACB Auction Subcommittee, Orlando, FL
11:15 AM: Treasurer's Report: Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY
11:30 AM: ACBES Report: Rev. Michael Garrett, Chair, ACB Enterprises and Services, Missouri City, TX
11:40 AM: ACB Business
11:55 AM: Announcements
Friday, July 10, Lone Star Ballroom A
8:00 AM: Entertainment: Piano, Karen Eitel, Kingwood, TX
8:30 AM: Invocation: Prophetess Charleszetta Franklin, Shabach Sanctuary, Dallas, TX
Pledge of Allegiance: George Holliday, ACB Board of Directors, Philadelphia, PA
8:35 AM: ACB Business:
ACB Sponsor Recognitions: Margarine Beaman, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator, Austin, TX
9:00 AM: Resolutions: Mark Richert, Chair, Arlington, VA
10:00 AM: Elections
10:30 AM: Break
10:45 AM: Elections (continued)
12:00 Noon: Lunch Break
1:15 PM: ACB Business
2:45 PM: Break
3:00 PM: Old/New Business
5:00 PM: Adjourn
5:30 PM: ACB Life Member Reception, Houston Ballroom A
6:30 PM: Pre-banquet entertainment: Karen Eitel, piano, Kingwood, TX
7:00 PM: ACB Banquet: Austin Ballroom 1
Master of Ceremonies: Jeff Thom, ACB First Vice President, Sacramento, CA
Invocation: Stuart Schwartz, Ordained Baptist Minister, Plano, TX
Banquet Speaker: Christine Ha, Master Chef U.S. season 3 winner on FOX, New York Times best-selling author of “Recipes from My Home Kitchen” (2013)
Presentation of Awards: Rochelle Hart, Sioux Falls, SD, and Chip Hailey, Joplin, MO, Co-Chairs, ACB Awards Committee