Our Officers
Ron Gardner, President
President George W. Bush appointed Ron Gardner to serve as a member of the United States Access Board. His term continues into the administration of President Obama. The Access Board is an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. Ron is one of thirteen people appointed by the President from around the United States to serve on the U.S. Access Board.
Ron also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC is commissioned and authorized to promote voting procedures around the United States that include independent, private, and accessible voting by all Americans including Americans who are blind or visually impaired or who have other disabilities. Ron currently serves on this Board of Advisors with Lt. Governor Gary Herbert, who will soon be Utah’s governor.
Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, appointed Ron Gardner to serve as a member of the National Advisory Eye Council for the National Eye Institute.
Ron Gardner, blind since birth, is an attorney and has practiced law since graduating from Law School at Brigham Young University in 1978. He was named Honored Alumnus of the Year from the BYU Law School in 1999. After litigating tax and bankruptcy cases for 17 years he served as Legal Director of the Disability Law Center in Salt Lake City for a number of years. He also taught business law as an adjunct professor for Brigham Young University for fourteen years. He served as director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness in the graduate school at Louisiana Tech University. He currently serves as director of field services for the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. In that capacity he provides training to state agencies on rehabilitation issues and advises charitable organizations on the legal requirements to maintain their tax-exempt status.
He lives and promotes the positive philosophy of blindness espoused by the National Federation of the Blind. “I believe blind individuals should take personal responsibility for acquiring the skills necessary to compete as a blind person in today’s world. Disabled people must not assume that the world owes them a living; rather, they should obtain the education and skills necessary to facilitate meaningful participation in the affairs of home and community. As I serve on the United States Access Board, I look forward to the challenge of combining a philosophy of personal responsibility with supporting the legal requirements to promote access for people with disabilities.”
Mr. Gardner also volunteers as Chair of the Advisory Council for the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and as a member of the Advisory Council for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Gardner has represented and advocated on behalf of individuals with disabilities and coordinated community and statewide efforts to increase the opportunities for employment and access to services that benefit the lives of people with disabilities. He particularly enjoys his work with the Utah Organization of Parents of Blind Children to promote the use of Braille. Other volunteer service includes Utah State Bar Needs of the Elderly Committee; Statewide Rehabilitation Council for the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation; Advisory Committee on Disability Issues for Senator Orrin Hatch; Board of Directors for the Utah Industries for the Blind; Committee on Accessible Transportation, Utah Transit Authority; Governor’s Task Force on Needs Assessment for the Handicapped; and Curriculum Advisory Committee for the Visually Impaired for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has worked with the Lieutenant Governor to identify and test electronic voting equipment, which is accessible to blind and visually impaired voters.
Gardner has been recognized for his legal and volunteer service on behalf of people with disabilities. He was awarded the “Utah Handicapped Citizen of the Year” by the Governor’s Office. He received the “Citizens Making a Difference” Award from the Utah Department of Corrections for his role in improving services for people with mental illness.
He enjoys serving other people and working to further the mission of the NFB to “Change What it Means to be Blind.” Ron enjoys serving as President of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah and works with other members of the Board of Directors of the Utah Affiliate, and with other NFB Affiliates around the country to mentor blind children, high school students, and college students. He lives what he preaches regarding the importance of obtaining alternative skills that facilitate living and enjoying life to the fullest.
Ron and Jan have five sons and five grandchildren. Together they love water skiing, snow skiing, scuba diving, and has enjoyed riding and caring for their two horses. In short, Ron enjoys a high quality of life, and works to help all blind and visually impaired individuals to create a high quality of life for themselves.
Cheralyn Creer, First Vice President
Bio coming soon.
Ray Martin, Second Vice President
Bio coming soon.
Norm Gardner, Treasurer
Bio coming soon.
Karl Smith, Secretary
Bio coming soon.
David Poteet, Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Sachin Pavithran, Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Everette Bacon, Board Member
Everette is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor’s in Music Education. He also received a Masters Degree from Western Michigan University in Rehabilitation Teaching.
I have a long history of blindness in my family that dates back some 17 generations. I came to Utah because my wife is a resident Neurologist at the University of Utah. I started in the field of rehabilitation as a client many years ago. Rehabilitation helped me obtain my degree, helped me find gainful employment as an Admissions Director for Dallas Baptist Univ. I also became a District Trainer for Blockbuster Inc. and am now in the field of evaluating and training people with assistive technology. It is a fun field that I enjoy and am glad to give back to a field like rehabilitation, which has helped me in so many different ways in my life.
Deja Powell, Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Kris Cox, Board Member
Bio coming soon.