HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (October 16, 2016)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), a national nonprofit with an office in Huntington, will celebrate leaders who are expanding possibilities for people with vision loss at an awards event at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Guyan Golf & Country Club. The honorees are Cathy Burns, city manager of Huntington and a member of AFB’s Board of Trustees; AFB Trustee and renowned philanthropist Joan Weisberg; and the James H. & Alice Teubert Charitable Trust and its executive director, Jimelle Bowen.
“Cathy, Joan and Jimelle have played a vital role in helping the American Foundation for the Blind ensure equal access and opportunity for more than 20 million Americans with vision loss,” said AFB President and CEO Kirk Adams. “We are extremely grateful for their support and we look forward to applauding their outstanding leadership at this event.”
Support from the honorees has helped AFB to do groundbreaking work, both in Huntington and on a national scale. Now entering its 15th year in Huntington, AFB’s local office is home to AFB Tech, which works with leading technology companies to make products accessible to individuals with vision loss; the online technology publication, AccessWorld; as well as other AFB programs and the organization’s administrative and finance departments.
The reception, which will be emceed by Mayor Steve Williams, will feature a cocktail hour followed by dinner, awards presentation, and raffle drawing. Tickets for the event are $125 each; tables, ads, and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please visit www.afb.org/huntingtongala or contact Diane Wright at dwright@afb.net or (304) 710-3025.
About the Honorees
Cathy Burns was appointed Huntington City Manager in June 2016 after a successful tenure as the first female president and CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she led the Huntington-Ironton Empowerment Zone. She also worked for the Business Training Resource Center at Ohio University Southern and was a workforce recruiter for the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing. In addition to chairing the Development Committee of AFB’s national board, Burns also serves on the boards of Mountwest Community & Technical College as well as TEAM for West Virginia Children, a nonprofit that works to end child abuse.
The James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust was established in 1987 “to support activities that serve to correct, cure, or prevent blindness, or alleviate the hardships resulting from blindness.” Jimelle Bowen has served as executive director of the Trust since 1988. Fifteen years ago, the Teubert Charitable Trust provided funding that paved the way for AFB to open a regional office in Huntington. Teubert support ensures that essential AFB programs, such as AFB Tech and CareerConnect, continue to improve the lives of people with vision loss.
Joan Meyer Weisberg is the founder of Twelve-O-Six Virginia Inc., a real estate holding company, as well as president of Arthurs Enterprises, Inc. Weisberg is an AFB Trustee and the widow of former AFB Trustee Arthur Weisberg. Together, they were inducted into the Marshall University Business School Hall of Fame in 1996, were elected West Virginia Area Master Entrepreneurs of the Year in 1998 and each received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Marshall in 2008. Their daughter, Pamela Weisberg, is also an AFB Trustee.
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About AFB
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New York, AFB is proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than 40 years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB.
MEDIA CONTACT
For more information or to schedule an interview with the honorees or AFB President Kirk Adams, please contact Amanda Kolling, Communications & Marketing Manager, tel: (304) 710-3031, email: akolling@afb.net.
