AFB Welcomes New Chair and Two New Trustees to its National Board

NEW YORK (November 30 2009)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the nearly 90-year-old organization to which Helen Keller devoted more than 40 years of her life, announced the election of a new board chair, Concetta F. Conkling, management consultant and former Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo, at its November Board of Trustees meeting. Two distinguished new trustees were also elected: Debbie Dennis, Vice President, Dallas Region Customer Operations for Oncor; and Cynthia A. Watson, New Business Development Manager, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind.

"We're pleased to welcome Debbie and Cynthia to the AFB board, and look forward to working together to expand opportunities for blind and visually impaired Americans," said Carl R. Augusto, President & CEO of AFB. "As we prepare to celebrate our 90th anniversary, we are happy to have Concetta lead our board. With her expertise and enthusiasm, we are sure to have a bright future with her as our chair."

Concetta F. Conkling has 35 years of diversified management and consulting experience in the financial services industry. After 28 years at Wells Fargo Bank, she retired as a Senior Vice President in San Francisco, CA and currently serves as a management consultant. During her 35 years in financial services, Conkling worked in practically every aspect and level of retail banking. Her areas of expertise include change management and implementation, strategy development and execution, and process design and implementation. She is also Chair of AFB's National Employment Center Board in San Francisco, CA, and past Chair of the Moraga Educational Foundation.

Debbie Dennis currently serves Oncor as Vice President of its Dallas Region Customer Operations. In this role, she is responsible for Oncor's customer and community relations for the City of Dallas, as well as several other sites. Dennis has experience in customer service, human resources, supply chain, contract and outsourcing management. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University and in 1978, began working for Energy Future Holdings. She serves as Chair of the board of the AFB Center on Vision Loss and on the board of the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas.

Cynthia A. Watson is the New Business Development Manager at Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, a North Carolina-based organization that provides meaningful employment and services for people in the local blind communities and beyond. Winston-Salem Industries is the largest employer of the blind in North Carolina with over 200 blind employees. Prior to her current role, Watson participated in the Fellowship for Leadership Development, an intensive two-year program that consisted of three rotations; they included serving at the Blind Center of Nevada; the National Industries for the Blind; and the South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind. Cynthia Watson received her Masters in Business Administration, Marketing, from the University of Houston in 2005 and served seven years at the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services as an Employment Assistance Specialist.

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Media Contact:
Adrianna Montague-Gray
212-502-7615
amontaguegray@afb.net