With the departure of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) Executive Director Eric Bridges, the following plan of action was established by ACB's Board of Directors on Thursday, March 9th to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. ACB will welcome Dan Spoone, the organization’s current president, as Interim Executive Director starting on Wednesday, March 22. Deb Cook Lewis, current first vice president, will become president. Ray Campbell will become first vice president.
Dan Spoone hails from Orlando, Fla. He was elected president at ACB’s 2019 convention, held in Rochester, N.Y. Previously, he was the organization’s first vice president, and served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2012 to 2017. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA specializing in accounting from the University of Florida. He has a vast array of professional experience, and worked at Siemens Energy for 25 years. Starting as an entry-level computer programmer, he worked his way up to the position of senior project manager, with 40 direct reports. He retired in 2014.
Deb Cook Lewis is from Clarkston, Wash. Deb previously served as Chair of the ACB Board of Publications before becoming ACB’s first vice president. Deb retired in 2018 after 38 years with the State of Washington. She worked for the Department of Services for the Blind, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and finally the University of Washington Center on Technology and Disability Studies.
To contact Dan, email [email protected]. To contact Deb, email [email protected]. For our corporate and philanthropic partners, any existing relationships you have with ACB staff members will remain the same. We encourage you to reach out to your ACB contact with any questions you may have about this transition.