Public Advisory Council

Guiding Principles 2/2010

We are in agreement that the purposes of the NLCSD Public Advisory Council are worthy of our commitment to the following:

  1. Keeping foremost in our minds the long-range objectives of increasing the number and quality of leadership personnel who will ultimately influence improved services for infants, children, and youth who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, and deafblind, including those with multiple disabilities.
  2. Listening to and considering all perspectives expressed by members.
  3. Ensuring that all communication and processes are accessible to all PAC members.
  4. Ensuring that communication between PAC and NLCSD Leadership is timely, clear, effective and relevant to PAC.
  5. Acknowledging and respecting that organizations operate differently.
  6. Agreeing to give priority to outcome-oriented agenda items and if we fail to reach consensus, revisiting the item at a future time or appointing to a committee to resolve.
  7. Respecting and promoting diversity in all its many forms and at all times.
  8. Selecting one’s proxy from among other PAC members and notifying NLCSD Director when not able to be present.
  9. Understanding and acknowledging OSEP’s roles and responsibilities within the cooperative agreement.

Invitation, Announcement
Hold Dates for First NLCSD Consortium and Public Advisory Meetings

NLCSD Consortium members, please hold the dates of February 1, 2, and the morning of February 3 for the first NLCSD meeting, which will be held at the Office of Special Education Programs in Washington, DC.  You will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. We will make hotel accommodations for you. Please keep all travel receipts for reimbursement; you will receive a “per diem” for your food expenses.

We will begin our work at 9:00 a.m. EST on Monday and Tuesday mornings, and at 8:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday morning. Please plan to leave the meeting no earlier than noon on Wednesday.  We will have a joint meeting with the Public Advisory Council on Wednesday morning.  Please be advised that NLCSD Consortium members are required to attend this meeting, if you have a conflict, please make any necessary adjustments to your schedules.  Unfortunately, we have no flexibility with the dates of this critical first meeting. If you are flying in we suggest you use Reagan National Airport

NLCSD Public Advisory Council (PAC) members and potential members, we realize that this may be the first time you are hearing about this project and for that we apologize but time is of the essence.  We have attached an abstract of the NLCSD Cooperative Agreement Proposal to help familiarize you with the project.  Please hold the dates of February 3 and 4 for the first NLCSD meeting. 

You will notice that most of the representatives of the public advisory organizations are tentative.  (See attached list of Tentative Public Advisory Council members). Please contact us as soon as possible with the name and contact information of the person your organization has appointed to serve on the NLCSD PAC Please send the information directly to Tina Fitzpatrick at tfitzpatrick@salus.edu, or if you have questions contact Kathy Huebner at Kathyh@salus.edu.

This first meeting will be held at OSEP in Washington, DC.  You will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements.  We will make hotel reservations for you if you need them at the Holiday Inn on C Street SW.  We have arranged for a block of rooms and for direct billing to Salus for the rooms.  Please keep all receipts for travel reimbursement; you will receive a “per diem” for your food expenses.  We will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 3, and will conclude by 3:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 4.  If you are flying in, we suggest you use Reagan National Airport.

Everyone, shortly you will be receiving more information, and we will be contacting you for your arrival and departure dates. We will also need specific information on accommodations, special communication or dietary requirements of each PAC representative.   

Please hold the dates, make any necessary adjustments in your schedules that may be required and arrange for flights now so as to get the best possible rates.   

Thank you all for your support and willingness to participate in the NLCSD effort. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Huebner at kathyh@salus.edu

The NLCSD Leadership Team
Kathleen M. Huebner
NLCSD Project Director
Salus University
1-215-780-1361
kathyh@salus.edu 		Brooke C. Smith
NLCSD Project Coordinator
Salus University
bsmith@salus.edu
John Killoran
NLCSD Liaison to the Deafblind Community
Western Oregon University/NCDB
killorj@wou.edu		 Brenda Schick
NLCSD Liaison to the 
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community
University of Colorado - Boulder
brenda.schick@colorado.edu
Glinda Hill
OSEP Projector Officer
glinda.hill@ed.gov		 Tina Fitzpatrick
Administrative Assistant
Salus University
Tfitzpatrick@salus.edu

NLCSD Public Advisory Council

Blind and Visually Impaired

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deafblind

General

Updated - 04/21/2010