The following candidate statements were received for the 2026 office and board election at this year’s virtual Conference and Convention.
The Candidates Forum will take place Saturday, April 11 at 4PM Pacific time.
Candidates are responding to the following questions:
The theme of our convention this year is "Beyond Barriers."
- Please give your name and the position for which you are running on the CCB Board.
- Share a personal barrier you have confronted and overcome as an individual who has low vision or is blind.
- Based on your experience, what skills and talents can you bring to the CCB board?
- State how you can help CCB grow, concentrating on one area of concern.
Candidate List
List of Candidates for Officer Positions
List of Candidates for Board of Director Positions
- Board of Directors, David Alvarado
- Board of Directors, Nelly Emerson
- Board of Directors, Diana Fonseca
- Board of Directors, Mitch Pomerantz
Officers:
President, Guillermo Robles
My name is Guillermo Robles. I am running for President of the California Council of the Blind. It has been an honor to serve this organization and the members who make it such a powerful force for advocacy, empowerment, and community throughout our state. I am proud of the progress we have made together and committed to helping guide CCB toward an even stronger future.
One of the most significant barriers I have faced as a blind individual was learning to believe that blindness did not limit my ability to lead. Like many blind people, I grew up encountering environments where expectations were often low. I also faced personal challenges at home that sometimes made it difficult to stay focused on school and on my future. Those experiences required resilience and determination, and they shaped my belief that blindness should never define what a person can contribute to their community.
Over time, I learned to advocate for accessible materials, navigate systems that were not designed with blind people in mind, and challenge assumptions about what blind individuals are capable of accomplishing. These experiences strengthened my persistence, empathy, and creativity—qualities that continue to guide my leadership today.
Those lessons shape the skills and perspective I bring to the California Council of the Blind Board. Throughout my involvement with CCB, I have focused on collaboration, transparency, and building partnerships that strengthen our organization. Effective leadership begins with listening—listening to our members, our affiliates, and the diverse voices within our community.
Over the past year, we have made meaningful progress in several important areas. We began building stronger coalitions with organizations such as Hand in Hand and other disability advocacy groups in order to advance priorities that matter deeply to our community, including long-term care for seniors and improved transportation access. These partnerships strengthen our collective voice and ensure that blind and low-vision Californians are included in broader disability policy discussions.
Internally, we have taken steps to strengthen the structure and sustainability of our organization. Our committees have been reorganized to better align with our priorities and to encourage broader participation from members. We have also worked to review and improve our digital assets and administrative systems so they are accessible, consolidated, and organized in ways that ensure continuity beyond our current board and staff.
At the same time, we have continued exploring every possible avenue to restore and secure our nonprofit status. Establishing a strong legal and financial foundation is essential to ensuring that CCB can continue advocating effectively and expanding opportunities for our members.
Looking ahead, one of the most important areas where I believe CCB must focus its attention is membership growth and engagement. By strengthening outreach, increasing our visibility, and welcoming new voices—especially younger blind individuals—we can ensure that our organization remains vibrant and relevant.
The California Council of the Blind has profoundly shaped my life. I remain deeply committed to strengthening this organization and ensuring that together we continue building a future where blind and low-vision Californians thrive.
Second Vice President, Alice Turner
Share a personal barrier you have confronted and overcome as an individual who has low vision or is blind.
One of the most significant barriers I have faced as a person with low vision who is now blind emerged many years ago, and overcoming it shaped both my professional path and my life.
While serving as Training and Development Manager at See’s Candies, Inc., my vision loss became increasingly challenging by 2005. Although I remained fully capable of performing my duties, the demands of the position required working more than ten hours a day, not including my commute. I made the difficult decision to step away after thirteen years with See’s and accepted a position at Vista Center for the Blind. This move opened a new world of professional growth, community connection, and support that continues to enrich my life today. I became deeply engaged in the blind and low vision community, learned about CCB, joined Silicon Valley Council of the Blind, and began attending CCB State Conventions. What began as a leap of faith ultimately led to leadership roles at both the local and state levels. Looking back, overcoming the barrier of leaving a significant corporate leadership position and starting a new life journey remains one of the best decisions of my life.
Based on your experience, what skills and talents can you bring to the CCB board?
I have been actively involved as a leader at the CCB chapter and state levels since 2009 and have a long-standing career in nonprofit leadership, with a focus on fund development and community engagement. The skills and talents I would bring to the role of Second Vice President include:
- Project Management: A proven ability to lead teams, establish clear objectives, and deliver strong outcomes.
- Convention Planning: Long-term service on the CCB Convention Planning Committee, including serving as Co-Coordinator for the 2026 Virtual Convention. My professional experience enabled me to guide the committee through milestone development and consistent communication, resulting in the timely delivery of a comprehensive program and, hopefully, a successful convention experience for members.
- Mentoring and Team Development: As President of SVCB, I have prioritized mentoring and actively inviting new and younger members to serve on the Board of Directors. This intentional approach has brought fresh perspectives to our chapter.
- Communication and Fund Development: I count effective writing and collaboration skills, along with a strong background in fund development, as significant strengths.
State how you can help CCB grow, concentrating on one area of concern.
One significant factor in promoting the growth of CCB is strengthening our succession plan. If elected, and with approval of the CCB Board, I would focus on strengthening planning for both the Board and CCB committees, and eventually at the chapter and affiliate levels. This has been a significant learning goal for me as an Explorer in the ACB INSPIRE program. Effective succession planning is a deliberate, ongoing process that identifies, develops, and prepares future CCB leaders.
Treasurer, Lisa Presley-Thomas
Share a personal barrier you have confronted and overcome as an individual who has low vision or is blind.
Being that I am not low vision or blind I have not personally had barriers to confront or overcome, but being a sighted child with both parents blind; I have witnessed the nasty stares, criticism and complete disregard for blind equality which is why I’ve always supported CCB and wanted to be a part of this organization.
Based on your experience, what skills and talents can you bring to the CCB board?
The Treasurer’s position is not easy. I believe my professional background has been instrumental in being CCB’s Treasurer these past years. I have continuously worked in the tax and accounting field for over 30 years, with overlapping employment in HR, payroll, and management. Having the knowledge to be able to perform accounting & tax functions we once paid for has helped save money especially during times CCB has financially struggled the most; aided in streamlining internal controls crucial for audit purposes, restructured monthly and annual financial reporting to the membership for ease of understanding and clarity, and continually help find more viable and cost effective ways to do business. I believe I have brought a wide variety of experience and business perspectives that has helped CCB in the past and will hopefully continue into the future.
State how you can help CCB grow, concentrating on one area of concern.
My concern has always been finding a viable way to generate continuous revenue for CCB, however dealing with our current 501(c)3 issue has become a bigger concern. We’ve run into many obstacles that have delayed our reinstatement that weren’t expected, with COVID and federal government restructuring being the two biggest ones. And because of this CCB has been limited to what we can do to grow financially. Within the past several months I have been a part of consultations and discussions with the newly formed 501(c)3 ad hoc committee as well as tax attorneys to find the best solutions to help accelerate our reinstatement.
Thankfully we’ve recently been monetarily blessed from what I’ve called out r “CCB Angels”, and with my financial background I can help CCB responsibly spend as well as invest to provide revenue for CCB to sustain itself for many years to come. Once we get reinstated, I feel I can be an asset in helping find grants and/or business & financial opportunities suitable for CCB’s mission and vision that also fall in line with CCB’s financial growth.
Board of Directors:
Director, David Alvarado
David Alvarado – Board Director Seat
Share a personal barrier you have confronted and overcome as an individual who has low vision or is blind.
As someone with Retinitis Pigmentosa, I have always been drawn to light. Light is what allows me to see, so light has always fascinated me, so much so that I enjoy capturing it.
Photography is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, there are quite a few barriers that come with this, such as not having enough peripheral vision to make sure everything is in frame, not being able to see the screen on the back of the camera in bright daylight, and my Nystagmus acting up, making it very difficult to focus.
One of my biggest tools is the Sony Alpha a6700. This camera and its built-in screen reader have allowed me to achieve my goals with photography. It eliminates the stress of trying to read the settings in the bright sunlight. So, I can set my settings and focus more on framing my photos.
The rest of the barriers are overcome by practicing and making sure to take my time. Over time, I was able to develop techniques that work for me and my photography style. With a lot of practice, patience, and accessible technology, I was able to overcome this barrier.
Based on your experience, what skills and talents can you bring to the CCB board?
Although I am fairly new to CCB, as a person living with a visual disability, I have gained an understanding of how to help the community. I have a creative mind, a strong will to solve problems, and I always want to learn how things work. I have a strong desire to help others, whether that be with individuals or advocating for our community as a whole.
I am also an excellent communicator. As someone who teaches other individuals with visual disabilities about how to communicate professionally in the workplace, I believe I have the necessary skills that can be utilized in multiple situations. This ranges all the way from public speaking to drafting emails. My overall goal within joining the board is to learn and help where I can.
State how you can help CCB grow, concentrating on one area of concern.
One area of concern I would greatly focus on is to help build our CCB Next Generation group. I understand there are rumors of CCB going away due to there not being enough new members, and I want to get involved and help start the next generation of leaders.
A large focus of mine would be to help CCB last for generations. CCB must stay so we can continue advocating for those with visual disabilities. We just need to maintain a good foundation to keep the organization strong.
Director, Nelly Emerson
Nelly Emerson – Board Director Seat
NELLY M. EMERSON. DIRECTOR
A personal barrier I overcame was fear of traveling independently. Neither distance or modes of transportation deter me.
As a retired manager at California Dept. of Rehabilitation I bring knowledge of personnel management, negotiating skills, and ability to analyze and interpret information.
I plan to grow CCB membership through outreach to blind Californians of all ages and abilities. I will work towards the restoration of the 501 C3 status of CCB.
Director, Diana Fonseca
Diana Fonseca – Board Director Seat
My name is Diana Fonseca, and I’m running for a direct seat on the Board.
Beyond Barriers” is more than this year’s theme — it reflects the journey I have lived and the growth shaping my life and leadership. My experiences with vision loss, health challenges, and being the child of immigrant parents have shown me that the most difficult barriers are often the ones we cannot see. Frequently, the greatest challenges are the expectations placed upon us — the quiet pressure to become what others believe we should be, rather than stepping into who we are meant to be.
One of the hardest lessons I learned was to embrace who I am, rather than dim myself to meet society’s expectations. Navigating vision loss brought practical and emotional challenges, but beyond those was the deeper struggle of finding my voice. There were moments when it felt easier to quiet parts of myself to fit others’ assumptions. Over time, through advocacy, community involvement, and meaningful connection, I came to understand that leadership begins with authenticity. Choosing to stand confidently in my identity — as a woman with low vision and as someone whose passion lies in serving others — transformed how I show up in the world. That decision allowed me not only to grow personally but to serve more boldly and effectively.
For the past several years, I have dedicated my professional life to community service. At the Independent Living Center of Kern County, where I worked for four years as an OIB Specialist, I provided direct client services, resource coordination, and outreach efforts.
I later served as an Intake Specialist with Catholic Charities of Bakersfield, continuing client support, outreach initiatives, resource development, and administrative assistance. These roles strengthened my skills in resource coordination, community engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
Since 2023, I have had the privilege of serving as President of the Greater Bakersfield Council of the Blind, and I have been a committed member of CCB since 2018. In this leadership role, I have worked to expand outreach, strengthen partnerships, and support our local members. I am developing a comprehensive community resource list designed to benefit Bakersfield and chapters across CCB. I believe that access to clear, reliable resources is foundational to empowerment.
If elected to the CCB Board, I will focus on strengthening community resources, expanding outreach, and enhancing fundraising opportunities. My experience serving on the Independent Living Center’s fundraising committee — where I connected with donors and sponsors — demonstrated the importance of relationship-building and sustainable support. By improving how we share resources, engage communities, and cultivate partnerships, we can position CCB for continued growth and lasting impact.
“Beyond Barriers” is not only a theme — it is a call to action and a shared responsibility. I am committed to helping CCB move beyond limitations, broaden our reach, and empower more individuals to step confidently into their potential. Together, we can build a future defined not by obstacles, but by opportunity, resilience, and strength.
Director, Mitch Pomerantz
My name is Mitch Pomerantz and I’m seeking a Director position on the CCB Board. I am a Life Member of both CCB and the American Council of the Blind, Chair since 2014 of the Newel Perry Endowment Trust, serve on CCB’s Bylaws Committee, and Chair ACB’s Prohibited Conduct Panel.
After obtaining my Master’s in Political Science from the University of Southern California in 1972, I confronted the personal barrier of the lack of fulltime employment as a blind person. I wanted a career where my education might prove useful.
In 1974 I applied to take the entry-level Junior Administrative Assistant examination for the City of Los Angeles. I was denied because I didn’t have a driver license which was a requirement regardless of whether driving was necessary for the job. This was years before passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act or relevant state disability-rights legislation. I argued that most positions in this job classification were desk jobs where driving was not an essential function for most positions. After over a year of ongoing dialogue, I was permitted to take the exam and my almost 34-year career began in February 1975.
I will bring to the Board my 53+ years in CCB and 41+ years in ACB which brings perspective. As a former president of both CCB (1994-’96) and ACB (2007-’13), I consider myself to be an experienced leader with strong organizational and communication skills.
Through my professional career and work in CCB and ACB, I’ve reviewed, drafted and implemented blindness- and disability-related policies. Objectivity is very important to me; I don’t play favorites. I value and practice open, two-way dialogue regardless of the issue under discussion. While I will never breech confidentiality, transparency and honesty are vital to an organization such as ours and crucial to serving as a member of the Board. You will always know where I stand!
Nonprofit organizations such as ours need caring, competent and committed leaders; in addition, leaders with a basic understanding of what is necessary to manage an organization that is also a business. As someone who has been a decades-long member of CCB and ACB, member and Chairperson of the Newel Perry Endowment Trust, President for six years of our homeowners’ association, and Trustee on the Pasadena Lions Club Memorial Trust (with over $2.5 million in assets), I understand the delicate balance which must be struck between overseeing a membership-driven organization and managing a nonprofit business in today’s climate.
As both a trainer for my former employer and a private disability-awareness trainer, I am prepared to work with my fellow CCB Board members to assist them in becoming more aware of their fiscal and legal responsibilities. I also want to help newer board members better understand how and why CCB is the organization we are and why it is crucial for our continued existence to recognize and practice the guiding principles upon which we were founded in 1934.
