1. I am David Trott from Talladega, Alabama and I am seeking re-election to the office of treasurer 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. I have worked in and held offices in many other organizations, among them, the Lions Club, and the Alabama School for the Blind Alumni. Our Alumni is still one of the strongest in the country and we plan to hold our in-person convention later this year. I have served on the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Blind Services Advisory Committee and the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Regional Center Advisory Committee I serve on the Resource Development Committee for ACB and I have chaired this committee in the past. There are many other committees and task forces where I either chair or serve.
In my time as Services Development Coordinator at Alabama Industries for the Blind I worked with contracts, budgets, employees, and supervising daily operations of various programs. I worked with legislators and private sector businesses to acquire funding and educating 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 many years of service to the blind of Alabama has given me the experience to advocate successfully.
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 be 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 too numerous to mention. In any organization the members are the greatest asset, and they should have a path to the leadership to have their voices heard. I hope that you will allow me to continue being a voice for you.
3. 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 have begun 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 through the financial reports of the last few years ACB is strong financially so you might ask, why is 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 about 10 years when ACB was facing critical financial short falls to realize that our financial well being needs to be protected and grown. I ask for your support to aide 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.