| The Board |
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| Meet our commissioners |
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The Commission consists of seven members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Four members of the board must be legally blind. The other three members are appointed from the areas of business, labor, optometry, ophthalmology, and education of the blind. Commissioners serve two-year terms for a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Don Dartt
Representative of Blind Oregonians
Mr. Dartt is an attorney and has been practicing law for the past 14 years. Losing his sight seven years ago, Don received a variety of services from the agency such as computer training and orientation and mobility instruction. These services have enabled him to continue his practice. Also, for the past seven years, Mr. Dartt has volunteered his time for many Commission activities. Mr. Dartt who is legally blind, replaced Dr. John Boice on the board in July 2003
Joyce Green
Representative of The National Federation of the Blind
Following my under graduate education at S.E. Missouri State College, Cape Girardeau, Mo., and a few years of employment as a correspondence secretary with a paper company, I came west to seek my fortune. After six years working at medical transcription, I launched a career in social work. From 1971 through 1990, I served in that capacity at Providence Medical Center, taking time out to earn my MSW at St. Louis University. During my years as a social worker, I became aware of the tremendous need among low income people for help in purchasing their medications, and established a medication assistance fund within the medical center foundation to alleviate this need. During my last seven years of fulltime employment I accepted an administrative post at the hospital to establish and administer a mission and values integration program. My last responsibility was to help regionalize the mission program to bring it in alignment with regionalization of Providence health entities into a single unified system. Upon completion of this task and selection of a regional mission integration director, I retired from fulltime employment. Since retirement, I have volunteered my time to serve on boards of directors, namely, Outreach Ministries in Burnside and National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. My service as an OCB commissioner springs from my desire to help blind people become the best that they can be and live self fulfilling lives, serving their communities to the best of their abilities in successful careers of their own choosing.
Irvin Handelman, M.D.
Representative of Ophthalmology
Dr. Irvin Handelman is an ophthalmologist in private practice at the Retina Northwest Clinic. Dr. Handelman served as President of the Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology for two years, has been a member of the Executive Committee for eight years and co-chairs the Academy's Education Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors of Vision Northwest for several years. He replaced Dr. Phil Stockstad on the board in July 2003
Annis Holsworth
Representative of Blind Oregonians
Annis Holsworth is a native Oregonian. She has been legally blind since age eleven with Stargardts, juvenile macular degeneration. She has been married forty-four years and reared two successful children. Annis has always been active with community organizations and likes to do public speaking about her blindness. One of her most enjoyable volunteer jobs was listening to fifth grade students, at a local school, reading to her on a consistent basis. The Oregon Commission for the Blind helped her to start a small business called “The Joy of Screen-Reading”. This enabled Annis to teach JAWS, Open Book, Zoomtext and other applications for the visually impaired and blind. She is currently a teaching assistant for assistive technology at the Oregon School for the Blind. Annis also serves on the advisory board for the Talking Book and Braille Services for Oregon. She believes that providing skills and opportunities will promote the success of blind people.
Neil Kliewer
Representative of Special Education
Neil received his Masters Degree at Oregon State University , a certificate to teach the visually impaired and an Administrator's certificate from Portland State . He taught two years at Dallas Junior High School and seven years for the Salem-Keizer School District. In 1966, his family moved to the School for the Blind campus, where he was Principal and then Director until retirement in 1995. After retirement Neil and his wife became full time RVers for seven years. Currently Neil is on the Board of Directors of Advocates of the Visually Impaired; President of The Alliance for Blind Children; on the Advisory Council for Blindskills, Inc.; member of the Salem Downtown Lions Club and the First Church of the Nazarene. Since his retirement Neil has continued to substitute some time each year as a teacher or as an administrator.
Deb Marinos
Representative of the American Council of the Blind of Oregon
Mrs. Marinos is the owner of a thriving small business, Applied Electrical Training, providing training for licensed electricians to connect with code and theory using practical examples and stories. Mrs. Marinos was honored as an electrician with the Oregon Tradeswoman of the Year Award in 1999. She was also the recipient of the 2001 Silverton Business and Professional Women of the Year Award. She is active in advocating for blind Oregonians as legislative chair for ACB of Oregon and member of a rural transportation committee. Mrs. Marinos believes that her long time experience with different volunteer groups combined with her business knowledge will be of help with OCB work. She also credits the Commission for her success in business and life. She received training to continue her electrical contracting business in 1992, allowing her to continue successfully for nine more years and again recently to be able to transfer her electrical knowledge to her current business. Mrs. Marinos has RP, so retains some usable vision, yet has been legally blind for at least 12 years. She is passionate about using education as a tool for conquering life's challenges.
Richard Phay
Representative of Blind Oregonians, Prineville
Richard Phay spent 30 years in public service as a Teacher before his retirement. He spent the past 20 years of that career in Central Oregon, 15 of those years he was legally blind. He served as a role model to others that becoming legally blind does not have to stop you from living a full and productive life, including being successfully employed in the occupation of your choice. Richard is also a certified state mediator in the Crook County Courts. Richard hopes to be able to provide valuable insights to the agency that will be beneficial to the rehabilitation services provided to blind Oregonians.
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