Summary of Decisions from Our Recent State Conventions

(Editor’s Note: Three convention summaries are presented here, with the most recent first). 

2024 (November 1-3)

Members from the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota gathered at the DoubleTree in St. Paul with eagerness to connect with one another and to plan for the future. This year, the convention began on a Friday morning, with an additional half-day of activities. A general session started the convention off, with employment tips, and even some St. Paul history. Sessions on structured discovery training were hosted by the Minnesota Center for the Blind and attended by staff of State Services for the Blind, teachers of blind students, and interested Federation members.

 Other activities of the afternoon included workshops on diabetes, philosophy, and the arts, as well as a meeting of the resolutions committee. A town hall with State Services for the Blind, a session for guide dog users, and a meeting of the MN Association of Blind Students were just some of the evening activities that took place before the hospitality with karaoke hosted by the Metro chapter.

Saturday started bright and early with a meeting of our seniors division, followed by more general sessions and breakouts. The banquet, as usual, was the highlight of the convention, with a presentation by Gary Wunder, our national representative. Joyce and Tom Scanlan scholarships were presented to Aida Talic and Majed Alhuwayri.

After a delicious breakfast, the Sunday morning business session began with a remembering of members of the Federation who have passed on since our last Minnesota state convention. The session included other presentations related to the skills that serve a person well on the job, and the skills needed to live independently as a blind senior.

Dave Andrews, NFB of Minnesota's secretary, read the summary minutes from our 2023 convention. The convention voted to approve these minutes with a few corrections, which are reflected in the 2023 summary below.

In the treasurer's report, in addition to the statement of financial position and the income and expenses as compared to the previous year, Jennifer Dunnam reported on a few activities that affected the 2024 expenses. The belongings of the NFB of Minnesota were moved out of the Pillsbury mansion and into a functional and accessible storage unit. The affiliate now has a new mailing address—2801 Hennepin Ave. S. #126, Minneapolis, MN 55408. The convention approved the treasurer's report.

Elections to the affiliate board of directors were held, with the following results: Vice President, Steve Sawczyn; Treasurer, Jennifer Dunnam; and board members Steve Jacobson and Dale Heltzer.

The NFB of Minnesota's representatives on boards and commissions reported on their activities during the year. These included Judy Sanders on the Secretary of State's Advisory Council for People with Disabilities; Mike Colbrunn on the MN Department of Transportation's summit on transportation in rural Minnesota, as well as his involvement with the Business Enterprise Program; Steve Jacobson with the Advisory Committee for teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Department of Education; and Dale Heltzer and others on the Advisory Board for the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library. Eric Smith also discussed his participation on the City of Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Several Federationists serve in various positions on the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, appointed by the Governor to advise Minnesota State Services for the Blind. 

The resolutions committee (Jennifer Dunnam, Kotumu Kamara, Jan Bailey, Ben Zheng, and Sam Flax) recommended four resolutions to the convention, and all were adopted:

• Resolution A2024-01 calls upon the Mayo Clinic to make educational materials readily available in accessible formats;
• Resolution A2024-02 reaffirms the organization's support for the Business Enterprises Program (BEP) as one important venue for promoting self-employment among the blind and its willingness to work on ideas for expanding it;
• Resolution A2024-03 calls upon the Minnesota legislature to expand existing statutory requirements to include audio and large print formats for access to prescription drug container labels; and
• Resolution A2024-04 calls upon the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) to modify the existing traffic pattern in the arrivals area at Terminal 1 to be more accessible to all passengers and to work with our organization before making additional changes.

These and previously-adopted resolutions are available at www.nfbmn.org/about/resolutions. 

Joshua Olukanni, second vice president of the National Association of Blind Students, gave an update about activities of our national student division, with emphasis on the importance of collective action. The division has committees on advocacy, content creation, fundraising, and membership, and this year they put on regional seminars in Chicago, Colorado, and Arizona.

Ben Zheng, president of the Minnesota Association of Blind Students, reported that they are working to support students in our state and beyond by fundraising and outreach. They were able to support activities of the wider Federation and to send many students to seminars and to conventions via their fundraising efforts. They have started a new monthly webinar, called Thriving Without Sight, as a way to bring in people. They are working with the University of Minnesota to ensure accessibility of the transit system.

Each year a delegate and an alternate delegate are elected by the convention to represent Minnesota at the national convention in cases where the need arises for a roll call vote of the states. Corbb O'Connor and Steve Sawczyn were elected as the delegate and alternate to the 2025 national convention, respectively.

Proposed amendments to our bylaws were sent to the membership in advance of the convention. The convention voted that the amendments could be summarized rather than read verbatim on the floor. Steve Jacobson, who chaired the committee that put together the proposal, indicated that the amendments were intended to: 1) establish the voice vote as the primary voting method at our conventions, invoking the secret ballot only when the outcome of a voice vote is uncertain; 2) establish that in order to vote, a person must be a member in good standing and be physically present in the room; and 3) establish procedures for holding a convention or special meeting virtually when it is not possible to gather in person. The bylaws changes were adopted by the convention. The current bylaws, with the amendments incorporated, are available at www.nfbmn.org/about/restated-bylaws.

The Riverbend Chapter voted to dissolve earlier this year, but they kept open the possibility of reorganizing in the future. Federationists in the Mankato, New Ulm, and surrounding areas are interested in staying involved through other chapters.

The At Large Chapter, the Metro Chapter, and the Rochester Chapter reported on their fundraising, membership-building, and outreach activities. 

National Representative Gary Wunder offered closing remarks, complimenting the quality of the convention and the strength of the affiliate.  Corbb gave acknowledgement and thanks to all of the many people who made the convention possible, including people from various other states who came and assisted in substantive ways. With final door prizes distributed, tabs from the auction settled, and spirits high, convention was adjourned at noon.

2023 (November 3-5)

Federationsts from all around Minnesota descended on the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester with a sense of great excitement for the 2023 annual state convention. The agenda on Friday afternoon and Saturday offered an array of engaging and informative sessions on blindness-related subjects of all types, for individual growth and to build our organization. The Saturday evening banquet featured an inspiring speech by Julie Deden, our national representative, and a presentation of a Joyce and Tom Scanlan scholarship to Benjamin Zheng.

The Sunday morning business session began with acknowledgment of the members who had passed away since our last convention in the fall of 2022. Treasurer Jennifer Dunnam then presented the treasurer’s report, including the profit and loss and the statement of financial position year-to-date, as compared to the same period from 2022. The report was discussed and then approved by the convention.

A report followed from BLIND, Inc.’s interim executive director Jamie Richey, and then a session on advocacy led by Corbb O’Connor. 

The resolutions committee—consisting of Jennifer Dunnam, Jan Bailey, Corbb O'Connor, Sam Flax, and Kotumu Kamara—next presented two resolutions for consideration by the convention. Resolution a2023-01 took the Minnesota Department of Health to task for its failure to provide more accessible Covid-19 at home tests and urged immediate remedy of the situation. Resolution A2023-03 called upon Metro Mobility to reinstate its curbside service during rush hour. Both resolutions were adopted by the convention.

Elections for the board of directors were held next, with the following results: President, Corbb O’Connor; Vice President, Steve Sawczyn; Secretary, Dave Andrews;  board members, Kotumu Kamara, Michael Colbrunn,  and Steve Jacobson. Most were elected to the usual two-year terms, with the following exceptions: the vice president was elected to fill the second half of the term vacated by Corbb’s election to the presidency, and Steve Jacobson was elected to a one-year term as a result of Dave Andrews’s election as secretary.

(Note: A third board position was to have been elected at the convention. Because this election was accidentally omitted, a special membership meeting was held on December 4^th, 2023. At that membership meeting, Jan Bailey was elected as  a member of the board.)

After the board elections, the convention elected Corbb O’Connor as Minnesota’s delegate to the NFB’s national convention in 2024 in New Orleans; Steve Sawczyn was elected to be the alternate delegate. The delegate is the person who represents Minnesota in the roll call of states and casts a vote on behalf of our state when the voice vote of the full membership is too close to call.

The NFB of Minnesota is represented on various boards and committees external to our organization. Representatives reported on the activities of the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind,  The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library Advisory Committee, the Blind Entrepreneurs program, the Statewide Independent Living Council, the Site Council for the Minnesota Academy for the Blind, and the Pedestrian Advisory Council for the city of Minneapolis, among others.

The presidents of our chapters and divisions shared information about their activities over the past year, and how they continued to work to raise awareness and improve opportunities for blind people in their local communities as well as helping to build the Federation in general.

After closing remarks from our national representative and other announcements, the convention was adjourned at noon on November 5, 2023.

2022 (November 4-6)

The Federation spirit soared as members from around the state gathered at the Hilton Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hotel for our first in-person convention since the fall of 2019. On Friday afternoon, COVID testing was provided to all attendees of the convention. Upon testing negative, each attendee received a royal blue wristband, to be worn for admission to all convention functions.

Friday afternoon and Saturday were filled with a variety of informative and engaging sessions and events on many subjects. The Saturday evening banquet featured an inspiring speech by Everette Bacon, our national representative, and a presentation of scholarships to Rocky Hart and Avi Kasal.

The Sunday morning business session began with acknowledgment of the members who had passed away since our last convention in the fall of 2021. Next, the resolutions committee—consisting of Jennifer Dunnam, Jan Bailey, Corbb O'Connor, Sam Flax, and Kotumu Kamara—presented Resolution A2022-01, stressing the importance of comprehensive adjustment-to-blindness training. The resolution was adopted by the convention.

Treasurer Jennifer Dunnam then presented the report of the profit and loss and balance sheet for the year to date. The treasurer's report was discussed and then approved by the convention.

Elections for the board of directors were held next, with the following results: President, Steve Jacobson; Vice President, Corbb O'Connor; Treasurer, Jennifer Dunnam; and board members Dave Andrews and Yadiel Sotomayor. All positions are for the usual two-year terms, with the exception of the president, who was elected for the second year of the two-year term.

The election of a delegate and an alternate delegate for our affiliate at the 2023 national convention in Houston was then held, with Steve Jacobson elected as delegate and Corbb O'Connor elected as the alternate delegate. The delegate is the person who represents Minnesota in the roll call of states and casts a vote on behalf of our state when the voice vote of the full membership is too close to call.

The Federation is represented on various boards and committees external to our organization, and we heard updates on their activities. Corbb O'Connor is the chair of the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, Ryan Strunk represents the NFB of Minnesota on that council, and many others serve in various roles related to it. Mike Colbrunn is active on the state's Randolph-Sheppard committee. Dale Heltzer and others serve on the advisory committee for the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library. Steve Jacobson serves on the Minnesota Department of Education's Blindness/visual Impairment advisory committee. Kallie Decker represents the Federation on the Site Council for the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind. Steve Jacobson and Judy Sanders are active with the Secretary of State's Disability Advisory Committee.

Members of the NFB of Minnesota serve in leadership on committees of our national organization as well. Dick Davis reported on the activities of the employment committee, of which he is the chair. President Jacobson also mentioned others who serve in elected or appointed leadership on the National Association of Blind Students, NFB in Computer Science, Diabetes Action Committee, NFB Seniors' Division, PAC committee, Amateur Radio Division, membership committee, Survivors' task force, and Committee on Advancement and Promotion of Braille, among others.

The presidents of our chapters and divisions shared information about their activities over the past year, including their efforts to move back toward in-person gatherings. Although the at-large chapter always meets virtually and will continue to do so, it held its first-ever in-person meeting at this convention. Some of its members met each other in person for the first time. The chapters and divisions continued to work to raise awareness and improve opportunities for blind people in their local communities as well as helping to build the Federation in general.

The auction, which took place on Friday evening, with a few additional items auctioned at the banquet,  raised $4,039.00.

Everette Bacon offered some final remarks, urging us all to continue to find members and opportunities to make things even better in 2023.

Many people worked hard to make the convention successful, and time was taken to acknowledge them before President Jacobson gaveled the convention to a close at noon on November 6, 2022.