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Annual Report
2007 Report to the Community
Message from the Board Chairman
I am pleased to present our annual report to the board of trustees, Lighthouse employees, volunteers, partners, donors, and community members who dedicated themselves to advancing our mission in 2007. As the old saying goes, ‘the only constant is change’ and that was certainly true of the Lighthouse for the Blind this past year. 2007 was a time of major organizational expansion and leadership transitions. Through it all, many talented and generous people worked together to ensure that these changes resulted in greater opportunities for people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities to live independently and achieve their goals.
In 2007, George Jacobson prepared to step down from his twenty-eight years as Lighthouse president. George has been a prominent leader in promoting blind employment and equal opportunity. His commitment to the Lighthouse mission has been evident throughout his forty years here, and this past year was no exception.
George worked closely with President-elect Kirk Adams this past year to implement a comprehensive transition plan that made the transfer of leadership intentional, orderly, and beneficial to the organization. Throughout 2007, Kirk added responsibilities quarter-by-quarter. By the end of 2007, all major Lighthouse functions reported directly to him.
We are thrilled to welcome Kirk Adams as our new president. Kirk’s extensive experience in non-profit leadership, his exceptional skills, and his unwavering dedication to the Lighthouse mission are tremendous assets to our organization. Under his leadership, we expect Seattle Lighthouse will continue as a national leader in employment and training for people with visual disabilities. As our first blind president, Kirk brings a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the community today. Under his guidance, we will continue to increase employment opportunities, upward mobility, and quality training.
This past year, we also took the first steps towards a watershed moment in our history: the establishment of our first satellite operation in Spokane, Washington. The Lighthouse board of trustees formed an ad-hoc committee to explore this project.
We purchased the satellite Inland Northwest facility this January. With this facility established, we committed to becoming a part of the Eastern Washington community and promoting opportunities for blind and Deaf-Blind individuals across the state. The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. is indebted to the great work of our ad-hoc committee members in pursuing this possibility to make it a reality.
As we worked to expand employment opportunities, we ramped up programs promoting skills training for upward mobility. Our efforts in this area centered on computer competency and braille literacy, skills at the heart of competing in today’s market. Our Computer Training Program (CTP) celebrated its first anniversary in October. In 2008, the CTP will add basic computer skills classes to better meet the needs of the people we serve. At the same time, we completed our program design for our Braille Literacy Program which will begin serving blind participants in 2008.
Amidst the many changes and new developments, we took time to celebrate a program that has been going strong for three decades: our Deaf-Blind Program celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The Puget Sound is home to the most vibrant and cohesive Deaf-Blind community in the country thanks to the opportunities and services available here. I commend the people who have helped to build this nationally-acclaimed program to the standing it holds today.
To all of you who were a part of our success in 2007, I extend my sincerest thanks.
Patrick Sullivan, Chairman
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
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