Welcome to the California connection for February 12.

CCB Office Closure

The CCB office will be closed Monday, February 15th for Presidents' Day Holiday and Tuesday, February 16th for administrative purposes.

Conference And Convention Announcements

The 2016 CCB Conference and Convention announcement will be coming to you in a few weeks. However, at least for this year, we will not be able to distribute a cassette version, and those of you who normally receive a cassette will, instead, be provided with a CD version. However, if you would like the announcement in a different format, rather than a CD, please contact Administrative Assistant Ed Branch by email at ccotb@ccbnet.org or by telephone at (800)-221-6359.

Conference and Convention Preview: Hotel Reservation Information for the 2016 Annual California Council of the Blind Conference andConvention

Would you like to get a head start on attending the 2016 Annual Conference and Convention? If your answer is yes, then you can begin by making your hotel reservations starting now.

Registration is now open for the 2016 Annual Conference and Convention of the California Council of the Blind (CCB)!!!
This year's theme is "Believe it and achieve it".

The conference and convention will take place Thursday April 7th - Sunday April 10th, 2016 at the Viejas Casino & Resort four-star hotel. The hotel address is: 5000 Willows Road, Alpine, CA 91901.

The Casino Resort offers the following:

1. Luxury spa and high-end shopping at Viejas Outlets
2. Casino expansion with 10,000 square feet, featuring Vegas-style gaming and over 2,000 slots
3. Team-building and family friendly entertainment at Viejas Bowl, Fun Zone Arcade, and the Show Court with live multi-media performances
4. Buffet with endless gourmet selections and unlimited beer, wine, and champagne
5. Fine gourmet dining at The Grove Steakhouse, recipient of the AAA FourDiamond Award
6. Diverse dining options, including Asian and Mexican cuisine, and all-American favorites

To make hotel reservations via phone, call: 800-938-2532, or via Internet reservation link: viejas.com/hotel.

When making your reservation by phone or online, provide the following reservation conference code: 160413CALI.

Room rates are: Single: $99, Double: $99, Triple: $119, Quad: $139, Suites: $339.

The rates are all-inclusive of guest room tax.

The cut-off date for reserving a room in our block is March 16th, 2016, so don't delay, make your reservation today!!!

The Viejas Casino & Resort welcomes service animals and does not permit pets to be brought into their facilities.

Transportation between the hotel and San Diego International Airport, SanDiego downtown Amtrak Station as well as San Diego downtown Greyhound Depot information will be provided in a future announcement.

Please share this information with chapters and other interested parties. The CCB looks forward to welcoming you at the Viejas Casino & Resort!

Convention Door Prizes

Chapters, affiliates and individuals are encouraged to provide door prizes for the 2016 CCB Conference and Convention.
You can bring door prizes to the convention and leave them at the Convention Registration Desk or provide them to the CCB office ahead of time by sending them to California Council of the Blind, 1303 J. Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814.

CCB Board of Directors Elections

At the 2016 Convention in April, CCB will be electing a president, first vice president, treasurer, and four members to its board of directors.
We would like to provide perspective candidates an opportunity to give you some information on their qualifications for, and ideas about serving on, the CCB board. To accomplish this, we will again have a candidates page on our website.

For those who cannot access information through our website or are not comfortable doing so, you can contact the office and ask for the candidates' statements in either email or your alternate format of choice. It is our goal to have this webpage up by March 7.

If you are a potential candidate, we would invite you to answer the four questions indicated below, with the answer to each question to be not more than 300 words, with the count to be determined by the word-count feature in MS Word on a PC. Entries for each answer will terminate at the end of the sentence containing the 300th word and there will be no editing, spell checks or grammar checks done.

The deadline for submission of your statements is February 22, 2016. We will not accept any statements after that date! You will need to submit them to the office in electronic format as a .txt .rtf or MS Word file. Email them to ccotb@ccbnet.org no later than February 22, 2016. To be clear, there is no requirement that a candidate for the 2016 election submit answers to these questions.

The four questions are as follows:

1. What office are you seeking, and what are your qualifications?
2. Given the limited resources of our organization and the competition among nonprofit entities for financial resources, how can long-term financial stability be achieved for CCB?
3. In a time of great change for CCB, it is extremely important that each member of the board of directors provide leadership for the organization. Describe two specific areas in which you will help to lead this organization if elected.
4. Because the primary mission of CCB is to advocate for persons who are blind or have low vision, discuss three issue areas that you believe require our advocacy efforts and give specifics as to what CCB should be doing in those areas.

Seeking a roommate for CCB 2016 Conference and Convention

From Cam Schure: I will be arriving April 7th . leaving on April 10th.
Seeking a non-smoking female roommate, with a guide dog is okay.
Please contact me at (831) 372-0626 between 7 AM to 8 PM.

Roommate Request

From Margie Donovan
Greetings, I am looking for a roommate for the upcoming CCB convention. I will be staying from the 7th to the 10th. I have a guide dog and nor problems rooming with another dog, but a nonsmoker please.
If you are interested please email me at Margie.donovan1@outlook.com

From The CCB Hearing And Vision Loss Committee

An Introduction to Hearing Loss
The topic for the February 21 meeting will be Navigating the Equipment Maze.
We'll discuss questions like what are remote microphones, and when is a cheap solution as good as an expensive one? Join CCB's Hearing and Vision Impaired Committee as we explore this and more!

This is the fourth of a series of monthly open interactive resource conferences to help you deal with your hearing loss.

Date: Sunday, February 21; time: 2 PM pacific; Phone: 800-662-6992; ID: 1184109.

We encourage you to sign up for our email list where we will be posting resources we have talked about and where you can share your resources and experiences with us.
Go to: ccbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/hvi-l_ccbnet.org.

In addition, you can get links to previous audio recordings by emailing mlkeithley@comcast.net.

From Dr. Sharon Sacks, Superintendent, California School For The Blind

Celebrating the Life of Colleague & Friend Phillip H. Hatlen
A Memorial & Celebration Ceremony
Sunday, March 13, 2016 California School for the Blind 500 Walnut Avenue Fremont, CA 94536 12-3 PM
CSB Theater Reception to Follow

RSVP to Sharon Sacks by March 4, 2016 at (510)794-3816 or ssacks@csb-cde.ca.gov

Bring a note or photo to place in a memory book to be shared with Phil's children

CSB is easily accessible to BART, about ½ mile east of the station, an easy walk.

Resource Fair For People With Visual Impairments

Explore opportunities available throughout Southern and Northern California for children, teens and adults with visual impairments.

Saturday, February 20, 2016, 10:00 a.m." 2:00 p.m. FREE registration and parking.
Lunch provided. Raffle prizes available.

The resource fair will take place at The Braille Institute in San Diego, 4555 Executive Drive, San Diego, CA 92121.
RSVP with your name and number of attendees to: Allison Burdett at (323) 295-4555, ext. 210 or aburdett@juniorblind.org or Erin Foley at (510) 234-4984, ext. 703 or efoley@juniorblind.org

Administrator Department of Rehabilitation Orientation Center for the Blind: CommunityRecruitment Announcement (updated January 2016)

The Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) is recruiting for a Staff Services Manager II (SSM II) to serve as the Administrator for the Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB), a three acre campus located in Albany, California.

The OCB is a 30-bed, residential 24/7 program providing vocational rehabilitation services for DOR consumers to support adjustment to blindness, the development of appropriate vocational behaviors, attitudes and interests, and the preparation of participants to achieve independence and gainful employment.

The OCB Administrator is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating policies and practices governing the administrative, program/services and facility operations of OCB, managing and leading an interdisciplinary team of professional and non-professional staff, directing and participating in resident consumer development services and processes, and serving as Chair of the Admissions Committee.

The OCB Administrator further represents the OCB at meetings with others department divisions, advisory groups and other stakeholders, acts as ex-officio trustee for the American Printing House for the Blind federal quota program, and manages the OCB Trust Fund.

The OCB Administrator will participate and contribute to the long- term strategy planning on policy and operational activities as a means to support the preparation of OCB participants to achieve independence and gainful employment and to support the mission of the department.

The OCB Administrator reports to the Deputy Director of the Specialized Services Division (SSD) in the DOR.

The OCB Administrator position is based in OCB in Albany, California. The DOR works in partnership with consumers and other stakeholders to provide services and advocacy resulting in employment, independent living, and equality for individuals with disabilities.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to mentor, develop staff and promote team work
• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, and manage a multi-disciplinary team and the ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with staff at all levels of an organization
• Able to multi-task in a dynamic, ever-changing environment while remaining effective and exercising excellent problem solving skills
• Able to prioritize and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated possession of excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated extensive experience, knowledge and background in services to the blind and visually impaired
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Department's mission, goals, programs, and policies
• A personal commitment to the vision of the Department of Rehabilitation.

Special Requirements:
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications of the Staff Services manager II (Supervisory) specifications, in compliance with the Welfare and Institution Code, the Administrator for the OCB shall have all of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Four years of full time, paid experience working in a program for the education or rehabilitation of adults who are legally blind, with emphasis on nonvisual living techniques, including, but not limited to, daily living, mobility, and communication skills, at least two years' experience shall have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
2. Proficiency in Braille as a second language.
3. Education equivalent to graduation from college with a bachelor's degree. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

Essential Information:

• The position classification is Staff Services Manager II, Supervisory (SSM II) with a monthly base salary range of $5,830.00 to $7,245.00. The description for the SSM II classification is available at:
  http://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/pages/4800.aspx
• The incumbent will be hired using the Staff Services Manager II, Supervisory (SSM II) eligible list.
  The SSM-II minimum qualifications include: Four years of increasingly responsible management, personnel, fiscal, planning, program evaluation, or related analytical experience with at least one year in a supervisory capacity.
  In addition, a college degree is required.
• Those who are not already working in state government at the SSM II level must be on the SSM II eligibility list or take the SSM II examination at:
  https://exams.spb.ca.gov/exams/ssm2/
• A Training and Development (T&D) position may be considered when applicable.

This position will be open until filled; however, the DOR anticipates screening of candidates to begin March 1, 2016; therefore you are encouraged to submit your application package before screening commences.
Final hire will be subject to the state's hiring conditions.

Application Information:
Interested candidates must submit the following:

• Standard State Application (STD. 678)
• Statement of Qualifications
• Resume
• Evidence of their SSM II list eligibility, if applicable

The state application, along with instructions, is available online at:
http://jobs.ca.gov/profile/stateapplication
A "Statement of Qualifications" is a discussion describing how a candidate's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities meet the desirable qualifications and special requirements listed above for this position. The statement should be no more than two (2) pages in length and serves as a documentation of each candidate's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. Resumes do not take the place of the "Statement of Qualifications.

Although not required, applicants are encouraged to provide electronic copies of their submission along with the written copy. Electronic copies can either be e-mailed to the contact person, or be included in the paper copy submission on a CD.

Representatives from Advisory Committees and or stakeholder groups may participate in the interview process.

All complete application packages will be screened and only the most qualified candidates will be scheduled for an interview. Travel expenses for any interviews are the sole responsibility and at the expense of each candidate.

Applications are to be submitted to:
Department of Rehabilitation Attn: Maris Will 721 Capitol Mall Sacramento, CA 94814

Questions about the position can be directed to the contact person, Maris Will, at (916) 558-5582 or Maris.J.Will@dor.ca.gov.

Thank you for reading, Have a nice day