CABVI introduces new Board chairman at 95th Annual Meeting
UTICA, N.Y. – The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) held its 95th Annual Meeting on May 14 at Monarch Banquets in Yorkville.
Following the regular board reports, CABVI staff and Board members said farewell to Jim Turnbull IV, who officially stepped down as chairman of the Board of Directors.
Turnbull was the first second-generation board chairman. His father, James B. Turnbull III, served as chairman and treasurer of the agency for many years. Jim had served as chairman since 2019 and has had numerous accomplishments, including raising $14.7 million towards the construction of the Vision Health & Wellness Center, and supporting renovations to both CABVI Syracuse Industries and the Kenneth Thayer Production & Distribution Center in Utica.
“Jim has been a lifelong supporter of CABVI. Jim’s father was a past chairman and treasurer of the agency for many years,” said Ed Welsh, CABVI’s president and CEO. “Jim brought unique perspective and experience to the Board. As chair, he helped lead us through COVID, opened our new Vision Health and Wellness Center, and supported the renovations to both our Dwyer Avenue and Syracuse facilities. Jim has great passion for Camp Abilities and our kids. I suspect we will see him at the lake this summer on Turnbull Tubing Day. I am grateful for his friendship and leadership. He will always be an important part of the CABVI family.”
At the meeting, George Nehme was voted in as Turnbull’s successor.
Nehme has been serving the nonprofit and academia communities for more than 40 years and joined the CABVI Board in 2021.
“I’m deeply honored, as a person who is legally blind; just being on the board alone has been an incredible privilege and now to become the next chair, I’m deeply moved by that and appreciate the trust that all of you have placed in me,” Nehme said.
Other Board officers named at the meeting were Ralph Eannace, first vice chair; Richard Dewar, second vice chair; Barry Sinnott, treasurer and Deborah Kessler, secretary.