Miami Lighthouse Women of Vision Honor
Jean Ellen Shehan and Gloria Martin
More than 50 of Miami’s most prominent female philanthropists gathered at
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired June 24 at the second
annual Women of Vision luncheon. The inspiring event included the presentation
of the 2008 Woman of Vision Award to Jean Ellen Du Pont Shehan; the completion
of Gloria Martin’s $1.1 million gift to Miami Lighthouse; news from CEO Virginia
A. Jacko about new initiatives at Miami Lighthouse; a touching testimonial from
Helen Mopsick, whose 6-month-old son Colton participates in the Miami Lighthouse
Blind Babies program; and original music performed by the Miami Lighthouse
musicians. Norma Jean Abraham, Shelley Beckwith Rutherford, Jan Salvesen
Morrison and Norma Quintero hosted the event.
Miami Lighthouse CEO Receives AXA Advisors 2008 Business Woman of the Year Award
April 8, 2008 – Virginia A. Jacko, President and CEO of Miami Lighthouse for
the Blind and Visually Impaired, has received the AXA Advisors 2008 Business
Woman of the Year Award in the Public Service/Non-Profit Award category. The
Award was presented April 4th at a luncheon hosted by AXA and the Coral Gables
Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. Jacko was a successful executive when she began to lose her sight to
retinitis pigmentosa and came to Miami Lighthouse for vision rehabilitation. Now
totally blind, as CEO she is leading Miami Lighthouse into a new era of growth
and expanded client services. The institution recently received its first
four-star ranking, the highest level from Charity Navigator, the independent
evaluator of not-for-profits.
“I feel so blessed to know my passion," CEO Jacko exclaimed. "As Helen Keller
said, 'Through blindness, I found myself, my work and my God.'"
"Despite her blindness, she has a vision for the future of vision enhancement
and rehabilitation in our community that will improve the lives of thousands of
impaired people." said Chairman William R. Roy, Ph.D.
She was nominated for the award by Miami Lighthouse Honorary Board Member Don
Marx and Pat Morgan of Smooth Sailing Executive and Life Coaching. The AXA
Advisors Awards, which are sponsored by AXA Financial Protection, were
established to honor outstanding professional businesswomen in Miami-Dade
County.
Miami Lighthouse Hosts “Music Under the Stars: A Taste of Brickell” Event
On April 30, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind hosted Music Under the Stars: A
Taste of Brickell. This inaugural event, held at the Lighthouse, benefited its
Children’s Vision Care Program, a mobile outreach program that provides free eye
care services to school children in need.
Friends and donors were treated to culinary delights prepared by Brickell
area restaurants including Morton’s the Steakhouse, Blu Pizza é Cucina,
Perricone’s Marketplace, Gordon Biersch, Rosinella, Baja Fresh and Provence
Grill. Musical entertainment was provided by Latin Tenor Warren Tesh,
international violinist Randolph Margitza, and the talented Miami Lighthouse
musicians.
To top the night off, legendary music producer Henry Stone presented CEO
Virginia Jacko with the first royalty check from sales of “Instrumental Magic,”
the first album produced by Stone since completing vision rehabilitation at
Miami Lighthouse, and featuring saxophonist Jeff Zavac, a current client at the
Lighthouse.
The event was sponsored by Ambutech, Eschenbach Optik, Florida Reading &
Vision Technology, Mobile Specialty Vehicles, Southern Wine & Spirits, and AMC
Liaisons/Rain Vodka.
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Miami Lighthouse Hosts First Annual “Dog A Thon”
On March 30th, friends gathered at the new Shops at Midtown Miami to take
part in the first annual Dog A Thon benefiting Miami Lighthouse. Event sponsors
included PetSmart, Ameriprise Financial, The Shops at Midtown Miami, Romero
Britto, Dunkin Donuts, and Multivision Video & Film.
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2008 McCrea Volunteer Recognition Luncheon
On March 10th, Miami Lighthouse Volunteers of the Year, Shutts & Bowen LLP
and the Lou Nostro Family, were honored at the 2008 McCrea Volunteer Recognition
Luncheon.
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Miami Lighthouse Board of Directors Approves New Mission Statement
The Miami Lighthouse Board of Directors voted unanimously at its December
12th meeting to adopt a new mission statement as recommended by the Board
Planning and Program Development Committee. Director Dr. Charles Pappas
presented to the Board the following mission statement:
Mission Statement
To provide vision rehabilitation
and eye health services
that promote confidence and independence, as well as to
educate professionals,
and conduct research in related fields.
“Our new mission statement reflects our broadening mission,” said Board
Chairman William Roy, Ph.D. “Promoting eye wellness should lead to fewer people
affected by vision impairment. Ensuring a steady supply of highly trained
professionals and encouraging new ways to provide vision rehabilitation will
improve the vision rehabilitation experience for present and future clients.
This is exactly what our founders had in mind.”
Miami Lighthouse Receives 2008 Healthy Vision Award
From The National Eye Institute
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is one of fifty
institutions in the U.S. to receive the 2008 Healthy Vision Community
Award from the National Eye Institute (NEI). The award recognizes the
achievements of Miami Lighthouse in the field of providing essential
vision care to school-age children, and includes a check for $10,000 that
will support ongoing efforts to ensure that children in Miami-Dade County
receive complete vision care. NEI, part of the U.S. National Institutes of
Health, is a government agency established by Congress in 1968 to protect
and prolong the vision of the American people.
The award, which will support the efforts of the Heiken Children’s
Vision Program at Miami Lighthouse, is earmarked for research and public
outreach that helps prevent and treat visual impairment in children. Miami
Lighthouse will make presentations to Miami-Dade County School staff,
parents, parent-teacher associations (PTA) and community referral agencies
to raise awareness of the Children’s Vision Program. New program
literature in English, Spanish and Creole will inform teachers and parents
about the importance of early vision care to education, and encourage
participation in the Children’s Vision Program.
“We are delighted to be working with NEI,” said Miami Lighthouse CEO
Virginia A. Jacko. “The aims of the Healthy Vision initiative are a
perfect fit with the goals of Miami Lighthouse and its Children’s Vision
Program, as we expand our mission to include eye health and education.”
Miami Lighthouse acquired the Heiken Children’s Vision Program in July
2007. Through a cooperative agreement with Miami-Dade County Schools, the
mobile optometric unit has provided free vision care and eyeglasses to
thousands of economically disadvantaged schoolchildren who failed
state-mandated vision screenings. According to CEO Virginia Jacko, a
second optometric unit is being mobilized to expand free eye care service
to more financially disadvantaged children in both Dade and Monroe
Counties.
The Heiken Advisory Committee was established by the Miami Lighthouse
President and CEO to maintain relationships with community groups such as
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Health Connect Teams, foundations that
have supported the Heiken Program, the optometric community and pediatric
ophthalmologists. These stakeholders have provided expertise and support
to ensure its continuing success.
The Dade County Optometric Association established the Heiken
Children’s Vision Fund in 1992. “The merging of nonprofits to make better
use of resources is an emerging trend,” said Dr. Steven Marcus, President
of the Health Foundation of South Florida. “By consolidating Heiken with
Miami Lighthouse, a larger agency with similar interests, all of the
resources for overhead can go directly to client service.”
The Miami Lighthouse Children’s Vision Program is funded by The
Children’s Trust, The Batchelor Foundation, Health Foundation of South
Florida, Public Health Trust, Florida Optometric Association Charities,
Blank Family Foundation, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, Peacock
Foundation, Junior League of Miami, Shepard Broad Foundation, Anthony R.
Abraham Foundation, Dade Community Foundation, Kennedy Family Foundation,
Geiger Charity Foundation, D. Richard Mead Charitable Foundation, and
others. The eyeglasses, free to the students, are provided by Florida’s
Vision Quest, Inc.
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