Displaying “Boilermaker 2013” on the front and [...]]]> The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) has folded and packaged over 1,000 t-shirts for the Boilermaker. The t-shirts were sold by the Boilermaker to raise funds for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The shirts, like the Race, sold out in 3 days.

Displaying “Boilermaker 2013” on the front and “Run for Boston” on the back, the shirts are loaded with a hyper-color technology that allows the back graphic to show up only when it gets wet or a runner sweats. Proceeds from the sale of these t-shirts reached $10,000 and one hundred percent was donated to the Boston Athletic Association’s charity of choice, “The One Fund,” on behalf of the Boilermaker runners, spectators and volunteers.

CABVI provided the labor to fold and package the t-shirts for mailing free of charge. “We were honored to be able to help with this endeavor and donate our services. The Boilermaker Road Race is a staple in this community and when they approached us about helping with the t-shirt project we jumped at the chance,” said Ed Welsh, CABVI Board Chairman. “It is our pleasure to be able to do our part to help the victims of this horrible tragedy.” Dennis Webster, CABVI’s Vice President of Manufacturing and Business Services added, “The CABVI employees who worked on the joint effort were thrilled to be able to participate in this venture to assist the Boilermaker in raising these funds.”

The Boilermaker would like to extend its sincerest appreciation to everyone who purchased t-shirts in support of the Boston Victims. “This Race had prided itself on community collaboration,” said Boilermaker President, Tim Reed. “We simply could not have gotten this project done as we did, without the generous services of CABVI.”

Key Job Elements:

- Ability to repetitively lift, sort, stack cartons [...]]]> To maintain a smooth and accurate flow of materials from receipt, to transfer, to storage and shipping.   Team player, adaptable to changing multiple priorities.  Ability to learn and become certified as a forklift operator, within 90 days of hire.  Good math skills a must.

Key Job Elements:

- Ability to repetitively lift, sort, stack cartons weighing up to 50 lbs. and stand for long periods.  Good vision necessary. Must have the ability to accurately identify, count and record physical inventories.

- Accurately select orders from inventory and complete appropriate paperwork accurately and legibly.

- Unload inbound materials and accurately and legibly record on the appropriate paperwork.

- Ability to become certified on all company forklifts and operate all in a safe and responsible manner.

- Load & unload trucks using forklifts and pallet jacks.

- Select and package small parcel orders.  Learn and be proficient on the documentation and processing of UPS and Federal Express orders.

- Maintain a clean, orderly, efficient and safe warehousing environment.

- Minimize damaged product.  Repack and re box as necessary.  Call all safety concerns to the attention of your immediate supervisor.

- Ability to work in an indoor unheated winter environment.

- Any and all other duties and projects as assigned.

 
The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Requires a high level of dependability, confidentiality, professionalism, and customer service skills.  Requires flexibility, initiative, teamwork, creativity, and planning [...]]]> Assists Business Development and Marketing Manager and VP of Marketing with day-to-day operations and product oversight.  Works on all aspects of sales. Performs marketing presentations to customers and conducts general sales calls as needed.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Requires a high level of dependability, confidentiality, professionalism, and customer service skills.  Requires flexibility, initiative, teamwork, creativity, and planning and organizational skills.  Must have empathy, sensitivity, and the ability to get along with a wide variety of personalities.  Must have positive attitude and ability to establish good working relationships with a wide variety of constituents.

KEY JOB ELEMENTS

-Assist with developing new products and existing products from beginning to end, from development, implementation, production, inventory, warehousing and shipping.

-Assists and supports the sales, customer service, and business-manufacturing departments.

-Responsible for providing sales reports to all agencies and maintaining compliance for all contracts.

-Conduct sales calls, through visits and phone calls, to current and prospective customers to discuss current product offerings as well as the state and federal compliance regulations.

-Adjust pricing to meet market and maximize profits.

-Creates, updates, and maintains reporting functions for the Sales and Marketing Department which may include tracking reports.

-Conduct market research for current and developmental projects, such as competitive pricing and product comparisons.

-Responsible for updating pricing on current product lines as well as maintaining records of pricing documentation, past price increases and future price increase opportunities.

-Research new commodity opportunities and product extensions for Federal and NYS.

-Conduct research for current bid opportunities for new product lines or expansion of current product lines from various agencies and websites.  This would also include following the bid through by facilitating the completion of paperwork, sending samples when necessary, monitoring the results of bids and maintaining a record of such bids, past, present and future.

-Competes tasks on marketing plans and opportunities as assigned by the Business Development and Marketing Manager

-Create and maintain relationships with vendors and customers.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelors’ degree in Business, Marketing, Management and / or   equivalent work experience.

The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Joan was an active transcriber handling most of the thermoforming and some bursting and binding. She took on these tasks in addition to her brailling at home. Along with [...]]]> The Mohawk Valley Braille Transcribers made a recent donation of $5,000 to CABVI, in memory of longtime braillist Joan Franklin, who passed away earlier this year.

Joan was an active transcriber handling most of the thermoforming and some bursting and binding. She took on these tasks in addition to her brailling at home. Along with the donation to the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Mohawk Valley Braille Transcribers have also named Joan’s workspace in her memory.

Founded in 1973, the Mohawk Valley Braille Transcribers work year-round to transcribe school textbooks into Braille. Twenty-two volunteers, many of whom are retired teachers, spent 11,410 hours to produce over 50,000 Braille pages in 2011. They distributed these pages to 20 states.

“We value the close relationship CABVI has with the Mohawk Valley Braille Transcribers,” said Rudy D’Amico, President and CEO of CABVI. “They are a dedicated group of volunteers committed to helping people who are blind to experience the wonders of the written word.”

The [...]]]>

Rudy D’Amico, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Utica has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB). Mr. D’Amico will be seated at the Annual NAEPB Board Meeting in January 2013.

The Mission of The National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind is to represent and protect the collective interest of its member organizations to enable them to strengthen and maximize opportunities for people who are blind. It is a membership association of agencies from across the United States who share the common goal of providing employment for people who are blind. NAEPB was founded in November 2001 in Dallas, TX and has 63 member agencies.

CABVI Board Chairman Edward P. Welsh said of Mr. D’Amico’s election, “It is gratifying that Rudy D’Amico was chosen to serve on the NAEPB National Board of Directors. By selecting Rudy, the NAEPB board clearly recognizes what we here at the CABVI in Utica already know. Rudy is a proven leader that will help them advance their mission.”

Mr. D’Amico served as a member of the CABVI Board of Directors for six years before joining the agency as Vice President of Operations in 2003. The CABVI board hired Mr. D’Amico as President & CEO in 2008. He also serves on the boards of directors of Industries for the Blind of New York State and the New York Vision Rehabilitation Association.

The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired employs 200 workers, 91 of whom are blind or visually impaired. One hundred twenty-four work in Central Industries, CABVI’s integrated manufacturing and services division, where they manufacture, package or assemble 32 different lines of products. They also staff a call center with an agency of the Federal Government as its customer.

CABVI provides a comprehensive range of vision rehabilitation services in Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Fulton, Lewis, Montgomery, northern Otsego and Jefferson Counties.

CABVI will provide troop support equipment and clothing items in support of the Aberdeen (MD) Contracting Center – Aberdeen Proving Ground.  According to CABVI President & [...]]]> The United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) today named the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) a prime vendor for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs.

CABVI will provide troop support equipment and clothing items in support of the Aberdeen (MD) Contracting Center – Aberdeen Proving Ground.  According to CABVI President & CEO Rudy D’Amico, “Our agency will supply U.S. allies, like Canada or Iraq, with individual troop requirements like uniforms, mess kits and field packs, just to name a few items. These products will be produced by agencies that employ people who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

“This contract helps CABVI continue its mission to help people who are blind or visually impaired find meaningful employment with competitive pay and benefits.

CABVI expects a number of employees who are blind to work on the contract with the expectation being that additional workers will be hired.

The FMS process will work as follows:

• A foreign military will make a request to purchase an item on the AbilityOne Procurement List from the Aberdeen Center. Most items will be U.S. military surplus.
• Representatives from Aberdeen will forward the request to CABVI who will then find producers or suppliers.
• If the items can be produced or picked from storage, and supplied to the customer, Aberdeen will pay CABVI a Prime Vendor Fee.

The AbilityOne program, formerly the Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) program, creates employment for thousands of people who are blind or have other severe disabilities. AbilityOne coordinates its activities and participation with more than 600 nonprofit organizations, like CABVI, and employs more than 40,000 personnel with severe disabilities. It also provides goods and services to the federal government at a fair price.

“Employment is the key to economic security and personal independence of all Americans, especially Americans with disabilities,” said Tina Ballard, Executive Director of the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the independent federal agency that administers the AbilityOne Program. “Through employment, this group of Americans, 54 million strong, will not only enhance their sense of well-being and gain more confidence, but will also be able to enjoy a reduced dependence on government support and join the ranks of taxpayers.”

The JWOD Act directs the designation of “a central nonprofit agency or agencies to facilitate the distribution of orders of the government for commodities and services on the procurement list among qualified nonprofit agencies (NPAs) for the blind or such agencies for other severely handicapped.” National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (formerly known as National Industries for the Severely Handicapped) are the national nonprofit organizations designated to perform this and other functions to help NPAs participate in the AbilityOne program. NIB and NISH work closely with contracting activities and NPAs to match government requirements with NPA capabilities.

Tony is responsible for developing relationships with CABVI’s customers and suppliers. He guides the group charged with developing new manufacturing or packaging opportunities for CABVI’s workforce. He also oversees the agency’s [...]]]> Tony Talerico is CABVI’s new Vice President of Marketing and Business Development.  He joined the agency in June 2003 as Sales and Purchasing Manager.

Tony is responsible for developing relationships with CABVI’s customers and suppliers. He guides the group charged with developing new manufacturing or packaging opportunities for CABVI’s workforce. He also oversees the agency’s customer service team.

Tony is a 1971 graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University.  He’s been happily married to his wife, Diane, for 40 years. They have three children and three grandchildren and live in New Hartford, NY.

CABVI promoted Jessica Watson to the position of Business Development and Marketing Manager. Jessica, who is a 2003 graduate of SUNY Oneonta and has her MBA from Kaplan University, also completed National Industries for the Blind’s Business Development Agency Program in 2010. Her new responsibilities include new product development for CABVI. She will also have a hand in sales. “I’m lucky to have a position that allows me to grow within the agency. I look forward to expanding business and creating opportunities for people who are blind to find good work.”

Jessica is an active member of her local Girl Scout Troop and she enjoys reading, traveling and singing. She lives in Frankfort, NY with her daughter Braelyn.

Paula Flisnik joined CABVI in 2002 as the Director of Volunteer Services and, in 2011, was promoted to Director of Community Relations. She is a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College and attended Utica College. She resides on many councils and boards throughout CABVI’s eight county region. During her tenure at CABVI Paula developed a strong cadre of volunteers and the agency’s highly acclaimed preschool vision screening program. She supervises volunteers, vision screenings, outreach, adaptive employment and technology programs.

Ryan Eddy started at CABVI September 12 as the Contact Center Manager. A 2003 graduate of SUNY Oneonta, he earned his Masters Degree in Literacy from Walden University in 2007.

In his new position Ryan oversees and supports the Contact Center staff and clients. His duties include training new customer service representatives, handling carrier escalations and monthly reporting of quality stats and call volume to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “The future looks bright for CABVI’s Contact Center. So far this has been a rewarding and educational experience,” said Ryan of his new role at CABVI.

His favorite pastimes include traveling, golf and billiards. He lives in Frankfort, NY with his dog Ulysses who is 2 years old.

Pamela DelMedico, a 2004 graduate of SUNY Fredonia, joined CABVI as the Outreach and Development Coordinator.  Pamela will be working with both the Vision Rehabilitation Department and the agency’s Development Department. Some of her duties include community outreach, increasing service referrals and graphic design. She will also be assisting with event planning and various marketing initiatives. “I couldn’t be more excited to work for such an esteemed organization. Everyone’s been welcoming and supportive. I am looking forward to my future at CABVI.”

Pamela has worked in public relations/development for several years in the Mohawk Valley. Formerly the Public Relations Coordinator for The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, she serves on the boards of directors for Leadership Mohawk Valley and the Mohawk Valley Advertising Club. She is a resident of New Hartford, NY.

After 12 years of dedicated service to CABVI, Bob Adams has been promoted to the position of Director of the Base Supply Centers. Bob has a strong background in both business and logistics management and is tasked with such responsibilities as increasing BSC revenue, creating new government business and expanding the sales territory.

Steve Niermeyer, who has worked in the Central Industries division of CABVI for the past 11 years, has been promoted to the position of Director of Manufacturing. Steve has a strong background in business management and his duties include overseeing on time delivery of products and services, labor certifications and finding new and different ways to improve production flow.

Suvad Dizdarevic , a 15-year veteran of CABVI has been promoted to the position of Production Manager. Suvad is a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College and has his degree in business management. Upon completion of two more classes, he will also have a degree in accounting. In this new position, Suvad is in charge of production, inventory levels and ordering necessary supplies.