Anita Aaron served for twenty years as Executive Director of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired headquartered in San Francisco followed by ten years as CEO of World Institute on Disability. Anita will focus on formalizing the CAABVI association; strengthening CAABVI’s advocacy efforts for effective and equitable training, education and services; facilitating the community outreach and education agenda and expanding funding opportunities for a service system where government revenue sources have been severely reduced and competition for private funds has increased significantly.

Shari Roeseler is the Executive Director of Society for the Blind, which provides education and services to people who are low-vision and blind in a 27-county region. Prior to joining Society for the Blind in 2012, she served as Executive Director for St. Anthony Foundation, one of the largest non-profit social service agencies in San Francisco, with a staff of 130 and an annual budget of $15 million. Shari served for nine years as the Vice President of Resource Development for the West Region of Mercy Housing, a well-known national non-profit affordable housing organization. She has a B.A. in Social Work, Sociology, and Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Masters in Ethics/Bio-Ethics from Santa Clara University- Jesuit School of Theology.

Sarah E. Orth, MPA is the Chief Executive Officer of the Blind Children’s Center in Los Angeles. Before joining the Blind Children’s Center in 2017, Mrs. Orth served as an Executive Director with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California for five years; and as Development Director for Families Forward Learning Center in Pasadena for nine years. Orth holds a BA from Fordham University, and a Master’s in Public Administration from CA State University, Northridge. Active in the community, she currently serves on the governing boards of the Center for Collective Wisdom (President) and the Patron Saints Foundation.

Angie Rowe is the Executive Director of Blind Children’s Learning Center in Orange County, Formerly Blind Childrens Learning Center, and possesses over 20 years of experience championing successful initiatives to spur revenue and donor growth, community participation, and programmatic and operational excellence. Prior to joining BCLC, she served as Interim Executive Director at Global Genes, a leading rare disease advocacy organization. Angie has a Masters of Science in Public Policy and a Certificate in Industrial Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University. Angie has worked extensively on the boards of community and non-profit agencies in Orange County.

Allison Burdett has worked in the field of disability services since 2008 and currently serves as Vice President of Visual Impairment & Developmental Disabilities Services for Wayfinder Family Services. Ms. Burdett oversees programs that span Southern and Northern California including rehabilitation and workforce development programs for transition-age youth and adults with visual impairments, a non-public K-12 Special Education School, licensed Group Homes, Infant and Early Childhood Development services, and Adapted Summer Camping/Recreation Services. Ms. Burdett graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Special Education from San Francisco State University and is also an Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind and visually impaired. Ms. Burdett also serves on the board of directors for California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES).

Elsie joined CCBVI eight years ago. She volunteered for six months prior to being hired as the case manager/volunteer coordinator--a position that morphed into director of client services with additional responsibilities. Elsie retained that position until she assumed the position of interim executive director in October 2021.

Born and raised in Lathrop, Elsie graduated from East Union High School, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Stanislaus, and received a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix Online. Prior to joining CCBVI, Elsie worked for three years at an Eddie Bauer call center in Washington. She then assumed the position of store manager at Society for the Blind in Sacramento and later transitioned to vocational assessment specialist. She spent five years at Society for the Blind.

Elsie is a trained A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls coach and a certified 1Touch Self Defense Project coach. She is active with the Lodi Chamber of Commerce Partners in Education committee and San Joaquin County Office of Education Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), oversees volunteers, and works closely with Stockton Unified School District Special Education Department to develop group sessions. As if that's not enough, she is the current secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of California At-Large Chapter and a member of the Stockton Host Lions Club.

When not working, Elsie enjoys traveling with her amazing husband of 16 years. She is a wonderful aunt to her niece and nephew and mother to two cats. A nature lover, Elsie likes the outdoors, especially a good hike. And, she even gets in a good book every now and then.

Shellena Heber is the Executive Director at VCB. Since joining the organization in 2015, she has been focused on ensuring VCB is ever improving in fulfilling the mission and excellently serving the community of people who are blind and visually impaired. She brings significant leadership experience in management, nonprofits fund development, and event coordination to this integral role at VCB. Shellena holds a Bachelors in Political Science from UC San Diego as well as a Masters in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. Shellena was compelled to join the Center’s mission because she believes people with vision loss deserve a stronger voice and more opportunities in the United States and she wanted to see that change in the Central Valley.