NIB Leaders

Bill Johnson is a Certified Public Accountant in the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Ohio, and a licensed real estate agent. He was co-owner and Chief Financial Officer of Eyeworld Optical Company, responsible for all finance and treasury functions. Prior to that, he was a partner with Arthur Andersen & Co. and consulted with a broad range of corporate and individual clients on tax and accounting issues. Johnson holds B.S. and M.A.S. degrees in Accounting from the University of Illinois. Active in community activities, Johnson was President of the Cincinnati Association for the Blind, a member of the Board of the Cincinnati Community Chest, and a member of the President’s Council at the University of Illinois. He is a past member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s, and Past President of the Cincinnati Estate Planning Council.

Brenda Gumbs is Vice President-Human Resources at Perfetti Van Melle, a manufacturer and distributor of sugar confectionery and chewing gum products. Employing over 10,000 people and operating 30 companies, Perfetti Van Melle operates in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. Prior to her current position, Gumbs was President of Human Capital Associates, Chief Operating Officer at Pope & Associates, Corporate Vice President of Human Resources for the Midland Company, Senior Vice President-Human Resources of Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, and Human Resource Director for the Kodak Equipment Manufacturing Division. She holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego and a M.S. degree from the State University of New York at Albany. Gumbs has also served as a Board member of the Chamber of Commerce in Monroe County, New York; ABVI-Goodwill Industries in Rochester; and the Greater Cincinnati Human Resource Association. She is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cincinnati Works, Inc.

Richard (Rick) C. Bland is the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of New York City Industries for the Blind (NYCIB), located in Brooklyn, New York. Under his leadership, NYCIB has grown tremendously over the last decade with annual sales of $13.7 million and almost 200 people at the end of June 2005. Prior to this position, Bland was Vice President-General Manager of The New York Lighthouse's industries operation in Long Island City, where he was also in charge of the Lighthouse's International Professional and Consumer Low Vision Products Catalog Division.

From 1979-1988, Bland spent ten years in senior executive positions in the imported wines and spirits industry, working for American, Japanese, and French companies, where he was responsible for the importation and national marketing and sales plans for such well known products as Remy Martin cognac, Amaretto di Saronno liqueur, Midori melon liqueur, and B&B liqueur, as well as several niche brands of champagne, vodka, single malt scotch, Spanish brandy and armangnac. In 1985, he founded Regal Brands, Inc., a new import company for the Benedictine SA group of France, built it up to $10 million in sales, until the parent company was bought by the Martini and Rossi group of Italy, who had their own import company.

Previously, he worked in the Brand Management Group at The Procter & Gamble Company, and in various marketing positions at two other consumer product companies.

Bland has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Statistics and a Masters in Business Administration from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He is a member of the NAEPB Board of Directors and a member of the Board of Directors of Industries for the Blind of New York State.

Bob Garrett is President and Chief Executive Officer of North Central Sight Services in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During his tenure, Garrett has expanded services to eight counties, developed a vision clinic, and created more diverse employment opportunities for people who are blind in two facilities. He spearheaded a capital campaign to renovate and expand facilities. In 2003, North Central Sight Services received the Defense Logistics Agency Outstanding JWOD program Supplier Award due to excellence in contract performance. Garrett is former chairperson of the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania Industries for the Blind and Handicapped and the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. He is a graduate of Thiel College with a B.S. degree in Sociology.

Paul M. Healy has been teaching at the Graduate School of Business, Harvard University, since 1995. Prior to this position, Professor Healy taught accounting and management courses and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management for more than a decade. He was a visiting professor at London Business School and has done consulting work for KPMG, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brierley Investments, and the World Health Organization. His book, “Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements,” earned him the American Accounting Association’s Notable Contribution Award and their Wildman Medal. Professor Healy has published articles in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Financial Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Economic Perspectives, and the Harvard Business Review.

Gidget Hopf is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill Industries of Greater Rochester in New York. This comprehensive not-for-profit agency provides employment to people who are blind in manufacturing, food services, retail, and call center occupations. Previously, she was Associate Executive Director of ARC of Monroe County and was responsible for rehabilitation and residential programs for a large multi-funded urban agency serving adults with developmental disabilities. Hopf is Vice President-Public Policy of the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind. She is a Trustee of the American Foundation for the Blind, a Board member of the New York State Industries for the Disabled; and serves as President of the Board of Chances and Changes, a rural domestic violence program and shelter in western New York. She has served on the New York State Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, as well as the boards of the New York State Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, and the Rochester Women’s Network. She earned her B.S. degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the State University of New York, and her M.A. degree in Audiology and Communication Science from Kean College. Hopf is a Doctoral Candidate (ABD) at George Washington University.

Bill Hudson is President of LC Industries, the largest agency associated with NIB. With seven manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers, and 26 base supply centers in located nine states, LC Industries provides diverse employment to approximately 400 people who are blind who generate sales in excess of $150 million annually. Career opportunities for people with vision loss exist in manufacturing, service and retail occupations. Employees assemble office products, manufacture bedding, sew military products, and mold flatware for the General Services Administration and the Department of Defense. LC Industries operates 26 supply centers on Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine bases. Hudson has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Chowan College in North Carolina. He is a Board member of the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind.

Jim Hughes is Executive Director of Georgia Industries for the Blind, a part of the Georgia Department of Labor’s Division of Rehabilitation Services. With locations in Bainbridge and Griffin, Georgia Industries provides employment to 100 people who are blind who generate sales revenue in excess of $10 million annually. Employees assemble office products, manufacture bedding, and sew a variety of textile items for the General Services Administration, military base supply centers, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Hughes holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and English from Vanderbilt University and a doctorate in Education Administration from Auburn University. Prior to entering the blindness field, Hughes worked many years as a high school teacher, coach, athletic director, and school administrator. He is a Board member of the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind.

The Honorable William A. Johnson, Jr. was elected the 64th Mayor of Rochester, New York in 1993, and re-elected in 1997 and again in 2001 with over 78 percent of the vote. In 2003, he was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Monroe County Executive. Mayor Johnson retired from public service at the end of 2005. Since January 1, 2006, he has been Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Prior to his election, Johnson served 21 years as President and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester. He developed and oversaw numerous innovative programs in education, youth development, family services, employment training, and housing development, including: Salute to Black Scholars, Black Scholars' Endowment Fund, and the Urban League Economic Development Corporation. Under his leadership, the number of Urban League programs increased from five to 29, and the annual budget rose from $.5 million to $4.5 million.

Prior to moving to Rochester in 1972, Johnson was Deputy Executive Director of the Flint, Michigan Urban League, Director of the National Urban League Voter Registration Project in Flint, tenured instructor of political science at Mott Community College in Flint, and legislative analyst at the National Highway Users Conference in Washington, DC.

Johnson was a Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he served as Chair of the Smart Growth and Regionalism Task Force. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the New York Conference of Mayors, Chair of the Resolutions Committee of the National Conference of Black Mayors, and Board Chair of the Partners for Livable Communities. Johnson is former Chair of the National League of Cities' Task Force on Community and Regional Development, and former trustee of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Monroe Community College.

A political science major, Johnson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and Masters of Arts degrees from Howard University. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Keuka College, St. John Fisher College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and in 1999, Governing magazine named Mayor Johnson Public Official of the Year. The Rochester Rotary Club made him a Paul Harris Fellow in 1996.

A trained pianist and organist, Johnson has been a church musician for more than 50 years.

James M. Kesteloot is President and Executive Director of The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. Since 1966, Kesteloot has been a pioneer in providing opportunities in career counseling and job placement services for citizens of Illinois who are blind, visually impaired and multi-disabled. As a Vocational Counselor for the bureau now known as the Illinois State Department of Employment Security, Kesteloot formed the cornerstone of his career providing job referral services and career counseling for people with disabilities.

Throughout his more than 30-year career at The Chicago Lighthouse, Kesteloot has served in many capacities such as director of the manufacturing program, Chicago Lighthouse Industries; and Director of Professional Services, where he guided the Job Readiness and Placement program, before being named Executive Director in 1996. In 2002, Kesteloot was elected President and Executive Director by the Board of Directors.

Kesteloot has consulted for many organizations and has served on numerous councils, including being appointed by then-Governor’s Thompson and Edgar to the state Blind Services Planning Council. Among his many current professional commitments, Kesteloot served on the Executive Committee of National Industries for the Blind, as past President of the Central Lions Club, and as a member of the United Way of Chicago Council. He currently serves on the Base Store Committee for the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind.

Jim Kesteloot earned his Bachelors of Science from Loyola University and his Masters of Science in Management of Rehabilitation Services from DePaul University, in addition to being a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

Linda Merrill is President and Chief Executive Officer of Envision in Wichita, Kansas. Envision serves 1,500 people who are blind throughout the State of Kansas. Manufacturing facilities, case management services, and retail stores are located in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, and Pittsburg, Kansas, which provide employment, job training, and vision rehabilitation services. Envision operates base service centers on several military installations in the western and mid-western United States and has a commercial printing division in Wichita. Career opportunities are available in manufacturing, service and retail environments. Prior to joining Envision, Merrill was Vice President of the Beacon Lighthouse for the Blind. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Friends University and is a Board member of the National Association for the Employment of People who are Blind. Merrill is Past President of The General Council of Industries for the Blind and was a Commissioner of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving People Who are Blind and a former Board Member of the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Robert W. Mosteller is President the Tarrant County Association for the Blind, a multi-service agency located in Fort Worth, Texas. With 33 years of successful experience in operating an organization providing employment and services to people who are blind, the Tarrant County Association has grown to a financially sound organization that today serves over 1,200 people for are blind annually through its five programs.

Transitioning from the production of brooms and mops, the Tarrant County Association now manufactures paper products, shipping containers, and specialty military use products, provides services to federal contractors, and operates a retail store to offer diverse employment opportunities to 70 blind employees. In the past decade, the blind direct labor ratio has exceeded 90 percent annually, with the last report at 98 percent blind direct labor. On two occasions the agency has received the NIB Employment Achievement Award for its increase in blind direct labor employment hours and excellence in contract performance. Plans are in place to expand employment to provide 30 additional jobs for blind persons, expand services to serve 1,500 people annually, and to build the agency's endowment.

Mosteller has served on the NAEPB Services Committee as was active in various GCIB committees.

He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas State University.

Steve Patterson is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision Impaired in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This agency serves 1,200 clients annual with employment, rehabilitation and related services. The Industrial Division provides employment and training to 50 people who are blind who produce headbands for the Army’s Kevlar helmet, highway delineators for the Department of Transportation, and chemical cleaners for Federal and State customers. Earlier in his career, Patterson held various leadership positions with agencies that serve persons with substance abuse problems. Patterson has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in English Literature and Writing from the University of Washington and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Millersville University. He is a Distinguished Naval Graduate of the Naval Air Training Command and served two combat tours in Vietnam. Involved in many community activities, Patterson is also President of the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, CPA

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick has been the Executive Director of the John Quincy Adams Society since October 1996. She was the certified public accountant and fundraiser for the Republican Main Street Partnership and in October of 2000 was named Executive Director. The Partnership is the largest moderate Republican organization in the country. Resnick is also associated with Arena Stage, Capitol Youth Center, Women in Government, Executive Women International, Domestic Abuse Shelter of Pennsylvania, Women in Government Relations, and many literacy programs. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and received her Master’s degree from Elmira College in New York.

Ronald Tascarella is Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of PathFinder Bank in Oswego, New York. He is responsible for implementing the bank's business plan, streamlining the bank's lending processes, and working closely with branch administration to foster growth in the loan portfolio. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and Sales Manager of Oswego County National Bank. Earlier, he was Senior Vice President of Commercial Services at this bank. Having spent more than 25 years in the banking business, Tascarella has held various positions of increasing responsibility at banks in Syracuse, Utica and Oswego, New York.

Tascarella is past Chairman of Industries for the Blind of New York State and the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Utica, New York. Active in many local community affairs, he is past president of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce and a member of its Finance Committee, a member of the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation loan board, Treasurer for Seneca Hill Manor, Treasurer for the Safe Haven Museum, and Treasurer of the Oswego Revitalization Corporation Board of Directors.

Tascarella earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the State University College at Oswego, New York in 1979.

Jill Long Thompson is Chief Executive Officer and Senior Fellow of the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy. She has taught courses in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, the College of Business Administration at Valparaiso University, and was the Mark E. Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship at Manchester College. During the Clinton Administration, Thompson was the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development and was responsible for 7,000 employees and an $11 billion annual budget. She served during a major reorganization of the USDA that included a transfer of function and headed up the conversion of rural home loan servicing operation. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Fourth District, Indiana, Dr. Thompson served on The Committee on Agriculture, The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and The Select Committee on Hunger. She chaired the Rural Caucus and was a National Vice Chair of The Democratic Leadership Council. Thompson has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Valparaiso University, and M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the School of Business at Indiana University.

Lauren White is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma League for the Blind, which manufactures insulated foam beverage cups, wooden aircraft wheel chocks and fire hoses for government customers. OLB also performs a number of service contracts including switchboard operations, warehousing and distribution, janitorial services and mailroom services. White worked for the Internal Revenue Service as an auditor and revenue agent for several years, held several accounting positions and was controller for a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical products prior to joining the League. A Certified Public Accountant, White graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration-Accounting. She is a member of the Workforce Investment Board and on the board of the Oklahoma Foundation for the Education of Blind Children. White was recently named one of Oklahoma’s Achievers Under 40 and does volunteer work for the Oklahoma Art’s Council and Festival of the Arts. She is Vice President-Operations of the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind.

Lance R. Zingale

Lance Zingale is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of StarTek, Inc., a leading global provider of outsourced process management services, including provisioning management for complex telecommunication systems, high-end inbound call center technical support and a comprehensive offering of supply chain management services. Fortune Magazine listed StarTek as one of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, and Business Week recognized it as one of 100 Best Small companies. Prior to StarTek, Zingale was President of Stonehenge Telecom, a subsidiary of a Dutch firm, with its U.S. headquarters in Florida, which focuses on building Internet protocol networks around the globe. He was also President and CEO of EIM Group, a specialty marketing company, and was Vice President of Specialized Markets and Marketing Vice President of Global Services Markets at AT&T. Zingale graduated from Allegheny College in 1977 with a B.A. in economics/political science, and he earned his M.B.A. in Marketing from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Abe Claude is Director at the New York office of Stanton Chase International, a global executive search firm. Prior to this position, Claude was the geographic partner responsible for the New York office of Ray & Berndtson, one of the ten largest global executive recruiting firms. Earlier, he was Executive Vice President and member of the management committee of Security Pacific Capital Corporation; Senior Vice President-Corporate Finance of Dillon, Read & Company; Vice President of Bessemer Securities Corporation; and Vice President of Morgan Guaranty Trust Company. A graduate of Yale University, Claude’s volunteer activities have included serving on the Boards of Lenox Hill Hospital, Westminster School (chairman), US Committee for Refugees, Phipps Houses, Diocesan Investment Trust, and the Bedford Association (president). He has received NIB’s Irwin Award, the Migel Medal presented by the American Foundation for the Blind, and the Raynolds Award from the Association of Executive Search Consultants, for excellence in executive search combined with a strong commitment to volunteerism. Claude was a member of the NIB Board of Directors and its executive committee from 1963 to 1994 and served as secretary/treasurer, vice chairman and chairman. When he retired as an active director, the NIB Board elected Claude an Honorary Lifetime Director in recognition of his outstanding service to people who are blind.

Jim Gibbons is NIB’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining NIB, Gibbons was president and chief executive officer of AT&T’s Campus Wide Access Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. While there, he was instrumental in integrating the acquisition of Campus Wide Access Solutions into the AT&T college markets strategy, resulting in a significant expansion of its customer base. Gibbons received his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University, and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, where he was the first blind person to graduate with a Masters in Business Administration. He is a member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Mary Jane Surrago is Assistant Secretary of National Industries for the Blind. Earlier, she was NIB’s Vice President-Administration, responsible for Board relations, corporate communications, event management, and rehabilitation services, and has been affiliated with NIB for more than 30 years. A graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York, Surrago holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She is Assistant Secretary of the American Foundation for the Blind and President of the Glen Rock Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Surrago is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician and a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Timothy B. Clark is Editor and President of Government Executive, a monthly magazine on management of the federal executive branch. The magazine circulates to 65,000 high-ranking civilian and military executives and managers. Government Executive’s web site, GovExec.com, which includes a daily news briefing and extensive archives from the magazine, receives 1.8 million page-views per month. Its daily e-mail newsletter circulates to 50,000 readers.

Clark has spent his career in journalism studying and writing about government. He is a founder of National Journal, the preeminent weekly magazine on politics and government. In the mid-70s, he founded Empire State Report, a monthly magazine about politics and government in New York. He is a member and former National Capital Area Chapter president of the American Society for Public Administration, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a principal in the Council for Excellence in Government. Clark is a graduate of Harvard University.

William Gormley, president and CEO of the Washington Management Group, has extensive experience in the world of Federal procurement. The catalyst for moving the Federal Government to commercial acquisition practices, Gormley was largely responsible for reengineering the GSA Multiple Award Schedules Program. While serving as Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Acquisition, Federal Supply Service, GSA, he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives and the Vice President's "Hammer Award" for changes to the Federal Supply Schedules Program.

Gormley is an alumnus of the University of Maryland, a Certified Purchasing Official of the National Institute for Government Purchasing and has done post-graduate work at Penn State. Gormley remains very active within the Federal business community. He serves on the Board for the Procurement Round Table, AFCEA (Bethesda Chapter).

Paul M. Healy has been teaching at the Graduate School of Business, Harvard University, since 1995. Prior to this position, Professor Healy taught accounting and management courses and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management for more than a decade. He was a visiting professor at London Business School and has done consulting work for KPMG, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brierley Investments, and the World Health Organization. His book, “Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements,” earned him the American Accounting Association’s Notable Contribution Award and their Wildman Medal. Professor Healy has published articles in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Financial Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Economic Perspectives, and the Harvard Business Review.

A graduate of Victoria University in New Zealand, Healy earned his M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees from the University of Rochester. He is a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of National Industries for the Blind.

Amy P. Hutton is Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Prior to this position, she taught M.B.A. and Executive courses on financial reporting and disclosure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. Hutton has published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Harvard Business Review. She has served as a referee for the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Contemporary Accounting Research, and was a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Accounting Review from 1994 to 1998.

Prior to earning her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, Hutton worked as a consultant for Xerox Corporation and as an investment banking associate at Chase Bank in New York City. Professor Hutton is a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of National Industries for the Blind.

Michael S. Rockefeller is CEO of Active Media. Since receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School, Rockefeller has consulted for America Online’s Greenhouse – providing business, planning and marketing expertise to sites such as The HUB, Urban Legends, PicturePlace and iGolf, among other online areas. Prior to business school, Rockefeller developed and implemented complete media campaigns at DDB Needham Worldwide Advertising for such clients as Michelin Tires, Weight Watchers and Ore-Ida Foods. He worked as an associate at Capital Research & Management, where he assessed stock markets; and at Morgan Stanley & Company, for which he developed procedural and organizational changes for the Merchant Banking Division and the Streamline Group.

Rockefeller serves on the boards of MOUSE, a nonprofit bridging the digital divide; Venrock, a venture capital firm; and Rockefeller Financial Services and LiveStock.

NIB Board of Directors

Chairman John C. Peoples

Lance R. Zingale

Chairman
John C. Peoples