I hope you are all doing well and have recovered from such a great State Convention. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to be in person again and how long ago it seemed since we have been able to be together. It was so wonderful connecting with old friends and meeting new ones. From the speakers and exhibits to the impromptu jam session at the fire pit on Friday night, the Conference left me full and ready to begin working with you all this year. Thank you to each and every one who made this year’s Conference such a great one! A special thanks to our Convention sponsors, Democracy Live, Greater Iowa Credit Union and FuseBox One, and to all the vendors who added another dimension to the excitement of being together in person again!

As you know, this great organization cannot be run by just one person; it takes a village. I know as I am settling into my new role as President, I am going to lean on many of you for support. There are many members with years of experience and knowledge which I look forward to tapping into. Even in such a short time since my election, Carrie, Jeana, and many others have offered so much, and I’m so thankful to them. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything. I’m happy to do what I can.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m married to Cody Dolinsek, and we will celebrate twenty-five years of marriage in December. We have one cat, Stella, and she is the life of our house. Cody and I reside in Ankeny. I work full-time for Nationwide Insurance as a Digital Accessibility Analyst. I have been with Nationwide for 7 years. Cody is a professor at Drake University in the Philosophy and Religion Department. He just started his eighth academic year.

I really enjoy athletics, and I’ve begun running with a guide running group, Synergy. On September 17, I will run/walk a 5K with them. I’m super excited to be a part of this group. In 2013, I received my Level 1 certificate with CrossFit, and still enjoy doing those workouts. Since the pandemic began, I started to workout at home, and we built a gym in our garage. We continue to add to it, and I love the freedom to workout whenever it fits in my day. I do miss the comradery with friends at the local CrossFit gym.

I’m so excited to get to know you all in the up-coming months. I know this is going to be a great year for ICUB. As I said earlier, my door is always open, and I look forward to hearing from you all soon. Cheers until next time!

Bettina Dolinsek, President

Iowa Council of the United Blind

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Results of Board Elections

One of the major responsibilities of the ICUB State Conference and Convention is the election of officers and members of the Board of Directors. At this year’s Convention, we elected a President, Treasurer and four Board members. Contact information for each person can be found on the ICUB website at icublind.org. Those elected were:

President: Bettina Dolinsek

Treasurer: Jeana Mowery

Board members to serve 2-year terms: Karen Keninger, Robert Martin, and Mike Hoenig

Board member to serve a one-year term: Monica “MO” Carpenter

With nearly every election comes the end of the tenure of some Board members. This year Carol Flickinger, Rosemary Russell, and Norma Boge finished their service as Board members. With the election of a new president, Carrie Chapman will now move into the Board role of Immediate Past President, which means that Robert Spangler will conclude his tenure in this position.

The Bulletin editors ask you to join us in congratulating the new Officers and Board members, and offering them our support in the new year. We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to those whose time on the Board has ended. Their work has helped ICUB move forward.

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Meet the Board – In Their Own Words

Compiled by Liz Soenen

Editor’s Note: A quasi-regular feature of the Bulletin is an interview with one Board member to provide fuller knowledge to all about those who are leading our organization. In this issue, we are taking a different approach. President Dolinsek has requested that all Board members share some of their personal background so that they can get to know each other better and the ICUB membership can get to know them better as well. Here is what each one shared.

Bettina Dolinsek: I’m honored to be your State President, and I want all of you to know you are welcome to contact me at any time. My phone number is 866-436-0141, or you can email me at president@icublind.org. Besides representing ICUB as the State President, I work full-time for Nationwide Insurance as a Digital Accessibility Analyst. I have been at Nationwide for seven years. I also love sports and working out with my husband Cody. During the pandemic, we have turned our garage into a home gym. I will also begin working with Team Run Free in their guide running program, Synergy. Cody and I live in Ankeny and have one cat, Stella. Cody will continue teaching Philosophy at Drake University in Des Moines this fall. It is his eighth academic year at Drake.

Don Wirth: Getting to catch up with so many people at the Convention was a highlight for me - followed closely by the great information shared. I am currently in my second year as Vice President of ICUB. I also am President of the Across Iowa Chapter and facilitate a book group that meets every other Wednesday. I am serving as the ICUB representative to the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled Consumer Advisory Committee and on the Friends of the Library Board. I am a lifelong resident of Ames proper or a farm outside Ames. My wife Sharon has been a longtime community activist in Ames. We have two children—one in Ames and one in Chicago. I am a Yankees and ISU fan. I love reading, especially history and mysteries.

Jeana Mowery: Greetings to the 2022-2023 Board!! It is so interesting to learning all the backgrounds of our Board membership!! There is a wonderful amount of knowledge and experience in our new and returning board members, and I am very excited for the upcoming year!

I am a born-and-raised Iowa farm girl. I grew up east of Ames, attended the University of Iowa and graduated from Drake University with a BA in education. I have resided in Iowa all my life from the eastern side to the western border and several places in between, sometimes corralled in a town or city but always loving it when I could get back to the countryside.

ICUB BULLETIN Fall 2022

Table of Contents

President’s Report

Results of Board Elections

Meet the Board – In Their Own Words