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President: Cary Supalo

Cary is the founder of the Happy Valley Chapter. Active in The NFB since 1993, and instrumental in the implementation of portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act pertaining to blindness, he is currently a PhD student in Chemistry at Penn State. He did his undergraduate work at Purdue University. When asked about the NFB, Mr. Supalo has said, "The Federation has taught me that blindness need not be a barrier in the pursuit of one's ambitions to achieve whatever goals he/she aspires to achieve."

Vice President: Alyssa Bates

Alyssa is an undergraduate student at Penn State who is pursuing a B.S. and M.S. in Meteorology.  She is fascinated by the weather hopes to research tornadoes.  Although new to the National Federation of the Blind, she has become actively involved in the Happy Valley Chapter, the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students, and in general NFB activities.  Alyssa has thoroughly enjoyed discovering herself as a blind person, meeting new people, and learning how to “network.”  She is a firm believer in equality for all and believes that nothing should stop someone from pursuing his or her dream.

Secretary: Lindsey Gifford

Lindsey has been working with the National Federation of the Blind since 2001. She currently resides in western Pennsylvania but is not a stranger to other areas of the United States. She is a graduate of Clarion University and is currently working in the field of Rehabilitation for the Blind and visually impaired. Lindsey has learned through her involvement with the National Federation of the Blind that there exist many great possibilities for blind people and the expectations for blind people can be set as high as an individual desires.

Treasurer: Michelle Bernetskie

Michelle joined The NFB in 2002 and has worked quickly through the ranks, developing new angles for our chapter's presentation and running multiple events from both "behind the scenes" and the foreground. She has a B.S. in the Behavioral/ Social Science field and is pursuing a Master's in Rehab Counseling, with the possibility of pursuing a Master's in the Teaching of Blind Students. She believes strongly in the education and training of all those wishing to pursue their dreams through independence.

Board Member: Jenna Spinelle

Jenna is one of our newest chapter members and has been elected to serve as our board member in 2009. She received her bachelor's degree from Penn State in May 2008 and is currently working as a writer/editor for Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology. She looks forward to supporting our chapter and our effeots in whatever ways she can.