New York State Preferred Source Program For New Yorkers Who Are Blind Names New Executive Director

ALBANY, N.Y., July 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York State Preferred Source Program For New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP), a program that creates and sustains employment for New Yorkers who are blind, named Christopher Burke as the new executive director. Burke begins his new role at the end of August.

Burke has more than 20 years of nonprofit management experience and has held several leadership positions. He joins NYSPSP from Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany (NABA), an NYSPSP affiliated agency, where he was executive director and chief executive officer and responsible for the overall agency management, leadership, and vision. In addition, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Northeastern Association of the Blind Foundation.

"A long-time advocate and ally to the program, we've had the pleasure of having Chris as a colleague during his tenure as executive director and CEO of NABA. I am confident that his wide range of experience in nonprofit leadership, government and community relations, and operations will undoubtedly prove to be valuable to the program," said Lisa Damiani, chairperson Empire State Employment Resources for the Blind (ESERB).

Burke was a member of the board of directors of National Industries for the Blind (NIB), organizational board chair of the Blind Employment Network of New York, and a member of the Disability Advisory Committee of the Capital District Transportation Authority, New York State Vision Rehabilitation Association, and the Albany and Troy Lions Club.

Associate Commissioner of the New York Commission for the Blind Brian S. Daniels said, "We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Burke as our new executive director. He will assuredly bring the same leadership to NYSPSP as he did to NABA which will inspire job growth among blind state residents; the foundation of our mission."

As executive director, Burke will provide leadership, management, and direction to NYSPSP, and will work closely with NYSPSP affiliated agencies, state and municipal government customers, commercial partners, and other key stakeholders to create and sustain employment opportunities for New Yorkers who are blind.

"Chris has been a valuable part of our network for many years. His leadership, professional experience, and insight are sure to be great assets to the NYSPSP team," said Kevin Lynch, president and CEO of NIB, the nation's largest employment resource for people who are blind.

NYSPSP is a state-mandated program to create and sustain employment opportunities for New Yorkers who are legally blind. State and local agencies in New York State are required to purchase products and services that appear on the New York State Office of General Services Preferred Source List through NYSPSP. These commodities and services are produced or performed by affiliated nonprofit agencies in New York that employ people who are blind or visually impaired. NIB manages NYSPSP through a separate 503c entity called Empire State Employment Resources for the Blind (ESERB). ESERB oversees the daily operation of NYSPSP, as designated by the NYS Office of Children & Family Services/NYS Commission for the Blind. 

Learn more about NYSPSP at http://www.nyspsp.org.

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About New York Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers who are Blind
The New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP) is a state-mandated program under Section 162 of the Finance Law which creates and sustains employment opportunities for New Yorkers who are legally blind by directing state and local government agencies to purchase pre-approved products and services on the Office of General Services (OGS) Preferred Source List. All these offerings are produced by affiliated nonprofit agencies in New York that employ people who are blind or visually impaired. They are:

Alphapointe – Queens
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Rochester
Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment – Binghamton
Aurora – Syracuse
Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Utica and Syracuse
My Blind Spot – New York City and Long Island
Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany – Albany
VIA (formerly Olmsted Center for Sight) – Buffalo
Southern Tier Association for the Visually Impaired – Elmira
VISIONS – Manhattan and Rockland County
OGS information at:  https://ogs.ny.gov/procurement/preferred-sources 
OCFS/NYSCB information at: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cb/ 

SOURCE New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP)

Related Links

http://www.nyspsp.org