Heard & Empowered

Joe Spicer is the contact center services manager at Mississippi Industries for the Blind (MIB), a nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or visually impaired through meaningful employment, as well as a National Industries for the Blind Advocate for Leadership and Employment. 

Joe has over a decade of experience at MIB and a prior career in banking, finance, and business operations. In his current role, he trains and supports...

Michael Monteferrante has been the president and CEO of Envision, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, since 2013. Envision is one of National Industries for the Blind’s associated nonprofit agencies, proudly serving people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired across the nation – enriching lives through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education, and research.

In this episode…

Finding a job is challenging enou...

Jeff Mittman is the president and CEO of Bosma Enterprises in Indianapolis, one of the Midwest's largest nonprofit organizations providing employment and training for people who are blind or visually impaired. A retired U.S. Army veteran, he lost his sight in 2005 while serving in Iraq. Jeff has dedicated his career to service, first through the military and then through organizations that support America’s military and people who ...

Rebekah Grieb is a Contract Management Support (CMS) senior site supervisor at Alphapointe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with vision loss through employment opportunities, rehabilitation services, and job training. Rebekah joined  Alphapointe in 2017, and she has led its CMS department since 2022. She also leads the CMS Services Committee for the National Association for the Employment of People who are B...

Dean Thompson is the new host of the Heard & Empowered podcast, presented by the National Industries for the Blind, an organization dedicated to enhancing the personal and economic independence of people who are blind or visually impaired. With a background in film and television production, Dean has built a career in media, focusing on storytelling that empowers and informs. He brings his experience and passion to the podcast, whe...

Maj. Gen. Alice W. Treviño is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. In this role, she oversees all contracting activities, supporting the acquisition of weapons systems, logistics operations, and enterprise efforts for the Department of the Air Force. With over 30 years of service, she leads a global team of nearly 9,00...

Have you ever wondered how state programs can create meaningful job opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision? In this episode, we dive into the life-changing work being done by the New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP).

Our guest, Christopher Burke, is the executive director of NYSPSP. With a background in public administration and social entrepreneurship, Chris shares his...

Today’s episode focuses on an extraordinary collaboration between employees from NSITE and American Printing House (APH) to create the Job Seeker's Toolkit.

Marianne Haegeli is the director of learning and leadership at NSITE. She has more than 15 years of experience as a Learning and Leadership Development professional with engagements in nonprofit, public, and private sector environments.

In 2020, Richard Rueda joined the APH...

Maurice Crittendon is the senior specialist for talent acquisition at NSITE. After losing his sight due to diabetic retinopathy, Maurice ventured to Minneapolis for orientation and mobility training before returning to the Washington, D.C. area. Accepted into National Industries for the Blind’s (NIB) Fellowship for Leadership Development, his journey was interrupted by a 6.5-year period on hemodialysis.

In 2017, Maurice received ...

Heard & Empowered was created to show that anything is possible when you show up with the right mindset and attitude. Our guest this week, Jonathan Lucus, exemplifies this ethos in everything he does as the director of NSITE, which is National Industries for the Blind’s (NIB) talent management enterprise.

NSITE works with public and private corporations as much as with the AbilityOne® Program to place people who are blind or low ...

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes returning guest Doug Goist to the podcast this week. Doug is a program manager for workforce development at NSITE where he helps people who are blind and visually impaired find employment by providing training opportunities. Blindness doesn’t get adequate coverage in most diversity training, so NSITE created a program called “Blindness, Equity, Inclusion,” where Doug helps companies in the commercial sector...

In this week’s episode, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Brandye Lacy, the marketing coordinator at Travis Association for the Blind, also known as Austin Lighthouse. With a passion for writing and advocacy, she excels at crafting and telling compelling stories while championing causes that break down barriers to equality and equity. Brandye began losing her vision when she was in seventh grade and initially tried to hide it. Despite t...

Do you ever wonder if there is a purpose for blindness? How can it be seen as a gift? This week, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Blake Lindsay, an author, public speaker, voice artist, and the director of communications and outreach for Envision Dallas. They explore these questions as well as discuss Blake’s fascinating story. While enjoying a 22-year career in radio broadcasting, Blake also spent 7 years at Nations Bank (now Bank of ...

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes a familiar voice back to the podcast this week as he sits down with the Executive Vice President at Bosma Enterprises, Lise Pace, live from the 2024 NIB Public Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. Lise shares her remarkable journey from a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa in her early 20s to the thriving and fulfilling career she enjoys today. Despite the initial shock of the diagnosis, Lise’s path led her to B...

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes a very special guest to the podcast this week: the one and only Soraya Correa, the new president and CEO of National Industries for the Blind. After starting her career as a clerk typist, Soraya rose through the ranks of the federal government to join the Senior Executive Service. She held key leadership roles at the General Services Administration (GSA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N...

This week, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Dan Kelly, the Vice President of Public Policy for the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) and President and CEO of IFB Solutions. Dan is a dedicated advocate for the blind and visually impaired community, whose unwavering dedication shines through every aspect of his work. He discusses his experience with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that has affected...

In this episode, Dr. Hoby Wedler has the distinct pleasure of welcoming to the podcast Kevin Lynch, president and CEO emeritus of National Industries for the Blind (NIB). He retired April 30, 2023, from a 44-year career working and serving for the blind and visually impaired community in various capacities.

Kevin, a visionary leader, shares his inspiring journey from working with the Association for the Blind in Rochester, New Yo...

The human spirit’s capacity to overcome adversity is strong, especially in today’s guest, MaryBeth Clare. She sits down with Dr. Hoby Wedler to discuss the setbacks she faced after losing her vision, and how those were replaced by the determination and desire to grow that have kept her going in her role as lead cashier and stocker for the military Base Supply Center at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. She describes how her co...

In this episode, Dr. Hoby Wedler sits down with Rob Buettner, Vice President of Relationships & Business Services at Beyond Vision, to talk about leadership, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and where they merge. After being diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy as a young adult, Rob faced uncertainty and darkness. It wasn’t until he found a community of other people with the same disease that reminded Rob he could do anything he...