2021 BOARD MEMBERS UPDATE |
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Saying Goodbye to Our Wonderful Board Members |
The Lighthouse Team bids a sad farewell to five of the best board members we’ve ever had----as they “ROLLED” off of the Board on their customized walkers.
Michael Dippo, Mary Garr, Braden Graham, Bianca Rhodes and Leslie Triana termed out after investing 30 years of their life (6 years each) making the Lighthouse mission of “empowering people who are blind and vision impaired” a reality. Between them, they chaired 16 committees and attended hundreds of meetings---with an attendance rate of over 90%. Not only did they contribute, they were exemplary ambassadors and told the Lighthouse story all over our community.
During their tenure, the Lighthouse established 87-year, all-time records in every key financial and clients served metric. We are thankful for being blessed with their passion and fortunate all five plan on staying engaged as Leadership Advisory Council Members.
Thank you for your passion, commitment, and service. Each of you are truly one of a kind.
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Oncoming Board Members 2021 |
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We are excited to welcome five talented new board members to the Lighthouse family. We are thankful to be able to work with these uniquely gifted people, who not only make a difference at their business lives, but also at the Lighthouse. |
Bob LaBrutta
McFalls Associates, LLC
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Heather Hanson
Corvax Solutions
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Monica Hayes
Fusion Success Group
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Edward LeMonte Johnson
VIA
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Laura C. Manson
Corporate & Securities Practice Group at Clark Hill Strasburger
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Dora Montez Retirement
Thank you, Dora for 31 years!
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It is with mixed emotion after greater than 31 years of impeccable dedicated service, Dora Montez is retiring. Although we are most happy for her and her husband Santana, we are greatly saddened by the loss of her daily presence and irreplaceable expertise in textile design and manufacturing. Bob Buckley, Vice-President of Manufacturing, has always referred to her as his Timmy Duncan, the cornerstone of San Antonio Manufacturing as Timmy was to the Spurs. Bob summed it up most definitively stating “In all of my now 42 years of Manufacturing I have never, ever, had the honor and pleasure to work with such an outstanding, goal-oriented leader…..she is simply the best.” Robin Catalan, Production Manager went further to say that “ Dora has always had the mental commitment to focus on the solutions to any issue that arises.” Loved by many and indeed respected by all, Dora will be sorely missed; with the greatest of sincerity, we wish her the best of luck and fortune as she engages this most deserved phase of her life.
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Vince Boyd Retirement
Thank you, Vince for 23 years!
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With many changes on the horizon at the Lighthouse, it is with grateful hearts that we say good-bye to Vince Boyd, who is retiring at the end of the month. Vince’s career at the Lighthouse began in June 1997, as coordinator of rehab programs. In 1999, he was promoted and moved to manufacturing as Product Development Manager. But a year later, was asked to return to the rehab department as Director of Vocational Rehab Programs. During his 23 year tenure at the lighthouse, he developed the School to Work Program, School of Business and collaborated with Division for Blind Services to establish summer programs for blind and vision impaired students. He also created the Work base Learning program and over the years, also worked with local universities and colleges providing internships for students and made key connections that led to the success of our one of a kind programs we have today.
Mike Gilliam, CEO, had the pleasure of working with Vince for the past 15 years and has this to say, “If you ever know of anyone who needs assistance with our services, Vince is always the go-to-guy. You can hand them off to him and never worry about them being taken care of.”
Tiffany Walker, Senior Director of Programs, has worked with Vince for the past two years. And although their time together has been relatively short compared to his 23 years, she says “Vince is such a kind hearted person that will go out of his way to help anyone in need. Whether it be driving a magnifier to someone’s home or walking the manufacturing plant floor to check on all of the plant employees. He has a huge heart and we are a better organization because of Vince. He will be missed but has reassured all of us that he is a phone call away. Many people say that kind of thing when they leave but I know that Vince truly will help because his heart is connected to the Lighthouse.”
While we know that Vince has enjoyed his time at the lighthouse and will forever be an advocate for the visually impaired population and the Lighthouse, it is time for us to wish him a heartfelt farewell and a huge thank you for 23 years of empowering the blind and vision impaired.
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Welcome Tatineesha Harris Director,
Vocational Rehabilitation Manager
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We are excited to welcome the newest member of the Programs and Services Rehab team, Tatineesha Harris, Director of the Rehab Department.
Tatineesha Harris was a military spouse for over 24 years, 17 years of which was spent living outside the United States. During this time she developed a love for working in community programs, educating, and advocating for people. She graduated from Troy State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and received her Master of Education from the University of Texas in Austin with a focus in Rehabilitation Counseling Education. While pursuing her master’s, she had the opportunity to complete her practicum at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center as well as an internship at Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Tatineesha started her career as a teacher in alternative education, then went on to manage several military family support programs where counseled military families. One of her most rewarding positions was that of the Exceptional Family Member Family Support Coordinator, where she worked to implement base-wide change to ensure that military families with a special needs member were able to receive services to make their everyday lives easier.
We are thrilled to have Tatineesha join the Lighthouse family!
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In addition to bringing in new team players in 2020, the Human Resources area received a “facelift”/remodel to make for a more fresh and inviting atmosphere for our team members. Oh, and they even give out free goodies if you stop by and see them!
The Human Resources team looks forward to continuing their “new & improved” approach of servant leadership, and building connections with SALBVI team members.
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Liz Ornelas, Payroll & Systems Administrator – From El Paso, TX, Liz is Spanish speaking and brings 10 years of payroll experience. She is the mother of 2 children: 1 son and 1 daughter who keep her very busy! She manages the payroll function for the entire organization, and is the primary contact for tuition reimbursement, hardship loans, and anything dealing with paychecks.
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Sandra Gonzalez, HR Supervisor – Born and raised in Laredo, TX, Sandra is a certified HR professional with a diverse HR background in the healthcare, finance management, and insurance industries. As our HR Supervisor, Sandra provides leadership and guidance in all areas of HR. When she is not chipping away at the piles, you can find her and her husband chasing their fur-baby, Barry!
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Sarah Moczygemba, Director of HR – As the wife of a United States Marine, mother of 3 and Army daughter, Sarah brings over 15 years of strategic HR management experience along with a “work hard, play hard” mentality. She spends most of her time problem solving, and finding innovative ways to make the lighthouse better than it already is, hence her unique passion for people and organizational development.
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Carla Nickles, Reception Specialist – A true San Antonian, Carla has been a loyal and dedicated member of the lighthouse for 5 years. You can find Carla greeting visitors and ensuring all is under control at our always-nicely-decorated Eads location (thanks Carla!). When she is not at work, she is being a mother to all of her 5 children……….wait, actually 6 to include her husband who serves in the United States Army (thanks for your service James)!
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Jessica Taylor, Reception Specialist – An expert in providing world class customer service, Jessica manages the front desk operations at the Roosevelt Location. With both a husband and son in the Marine Corps, she spends most of her time with her adorable 2 year old grandson. To name some of her best qualities, she is caring, kind, organized, Spanish-speaking, and fun!
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Rebecca Baker, HR Generalist – Born in Little Rock, AR and raised in Tyler, TX, Rebecca brings a background in education along with a spunky personality! She is married with 2 young boys whom she is absolutely obsessed with. As our HR Generalist, she is able to handle all HR inquiries, however she serves as the primary contact for FMLA, benefits, and workers compensation.
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The Commercial Sales department launched a brand new eCommerce website for the year. This new website is sleeker, cleaner, and easier to use than the previous one; allowing customers to purchase and browse items with ease! |
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“How You Helped” is a new feature that was recently added to our eCommerce Site, which highlights how each customer’s Lighthouse purchases have helped further our mission.
We want our customers to know that every day their business is truly making a difference in the lives of the Blind and Vision Impaired.
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To view the website or or shop from our eCommerce website, please click the button below. We have an array of products and it would be our honor to serve you. |
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