Florida Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
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Message from the President
January 2025
President’s Message
Welcome to 2025! As we step into a new year, we are filled with anticipation for another outstanding biennial conference this October. Mark your calendars for October 22-24, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Altamonte Springs. Our conference committee is already hard at work, seeking inspiring speakers who will empower our members to “Teach with FLAER!” We invite you to join us—whether as an attendee or presenter—to engage, revitalize, and make FAER’s 2025 Conference an unforgettable event.
Each year brings new opportunities to recognize and support emerging professionals in our field. For 2024, we proudly awarded the FAER General Scholarship in the Field of Visual Impairment to Flavio Kertzman, a student in the FSU Visual Disabilities program. Unfortunately, the Purvis Ponder Honorarium was not awarded this year due to a lack of applicants. In a time of critical shortages, these scholarships are an essential way to invest in the next generation of professionals. We encourage you to share this information and help guide promising new talent toward the opportunities FAER offers.
Do you know someone whose work exemplifies dedication, innovation, and leadership? The 2025 conference will present 10 prestigious awards to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in our field. This is an excellent opportunity to honor those who make a profound impact on our profession. Let’s celebrate excellence together.
I am also pleased to announce the election of new members to the FAER Board, who will begin their two-year terms on January 1, 2025. We are excited to welcome Jessica Smith, President-Elect; Matthew Conrad, Treasurer; Sue Glaser, Secretary; Ginette Mora Diaz, Member-at-Large Education; and Rachel Hage, Member-at-Large Rehabilitation. Their leadership will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our organization.
At FAER, we understand the importance of both recruitment and retention. While growing our membership is essential, equally important is ensuring that every member feels supported and valued in their role. A strong, united professional organization serves as a foundation for lasting success in our field. FAER’s vital work takes place in committees, and we rely on the engagement and insights of our members to shape our future. We encourage you to become involved and bring your unique perspective to our committees. Your participation is not just an opportunity to contribute—it is a chance to help shape the future of our profession. Together, we can drive innovation, foster community, and create a lasting legacy of excellence.
To learn how FAER can support your professional growth and discover ways to get involved with our chapter committees, please visit https://www.flaer.org/. Should you have any comments, suggestions, or inquiries, feel free to reach out to the FAER board at floridaaer@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued dedication to our shared mission. Together, we can accomplish great things.
With optimism and confidence,
Tiffany Conrad, FAER President
Board of Directors
President
Tiffany Conrad
After receiving both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Visual Disabilities from Florida State University, Tiffany served as an itinerant teacher of the visually impaired and orientation and mobility specialist in various counties in Florida including Broward, Lee and Hillsborough. She is currently the Coordinator for the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired. She is a Nationally Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals. Tiffany has spent over 20 years dedicated to providing access and increasing levels of independence for all students with special needs.
President Elect
Jessica Smith
Jessica has been working in the field of visual impairments for 8 years. She started as a vision specific paraprofessional in Citrus County while attending classes to become a teacher of the visually impaired at FSU’s satellite campus at St. Petersburg College. She then moved to Hillsborough County and continued her role as a paraprofessional working with students who have visual impairments and brailling materials. She graduated from FSU’s visually impaired education program in December 2020 and continued on to finish her Master’s degree in December 2021 to become an orientation and mobility specialist. She has worked with teens at the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision during the summer transition program as well as year-round activities. She worked as a TVI/O&M in Hillsborough County until May 2022, has taught in Brevard County as a TVI and O&M instructor, worked at the Conklin Davis Center as an O&M specialist, and is currently working with Allied Instructional Services. She is also currently working on obtaining a PhD at Florida State University while teaching courses a with the Visual Disabilities program at Florida State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Research Assistant. She has been on the FAER board serving as Member at large, education for the last term, as well as on the recruitment committee helping to spread the word about the field of visual impairment education.
Past President
Elizabeth Anderson
Liz is the supervisor for the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC-VI). At FIMC-VI, her mission is to ensure both high quality instructional materials and professional development are provided to stakeholders statewide. As a certified teacher of the visually impaired and certified orientation and mobility specialist (COMS), Liz has taught in Hillsborough County Public Schools and several agencies. She is also a member of the Florida Virgin Islands Deafblind Collaborative Advisory Board.
Treasurer
Matthew Conrad
Matt has over 15 years’ experience in the Corporate Finance & Treasury field. He has worked for different Fortune 500 companies in various sectors in roles that range from entry level Analyst to Director. His areas of expertise include cash management, financial modeling, cash forecasting, and capital structure analysis. Matt is an effective communicator with a proven ability to collaborate with people at all organizational levels. He has obtained the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) credential and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Secretary
Sue Glaser
Sue Glaser has been a Statewide Educational Specialist for Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired coordinating events and workshops for students, families, and teachers since 2008. She served as the Transition Program Coordinator at the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision in Tampa for 21 years, taught as a TVI and O&M instructor in Hillsborough County Schools for 12 years and was the coordinator of Florida State University’s Satellite Program in Visual Disabilities for 17 years, recruiting, advising, and teaching future teachers of students with visual impairments.
Member at Large-Rehabilitation
Rachel Hage
Rachel Hage holds a B.A. in both Entrepreneurship and Marketing with a Minor in French Studies from Florida Atlantic University. She currently works as an independent contractor for Allied Instructional Services as an Assistive Technology Specialist. She first began training as an Assistive Technology Instructor for Lighthouse of Broward from early 2016 until late 2022. She began by teaching Assistive Technology to the transition students at Lighthouse of Broward before instructing AT for the adult rehab programs. Rachel has been a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS) through ACVREP since 2019. She is dedicated to helping those who are blind and visually impaired to use screen readers, magnification programs, braille displays, computers, smartphones, tablets, and various AT devices. She assisted in teaching those within both the vocational rehab and independent living programs, as well as training those striving towards their academic goals. Rachel has served as a member on the FAER Communications Committee since 2020, and Rehab At Large since 2022. Rachel obtained her Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) in December 2023, as she continues to advocate for accessibility on the web and in the community.
Member at Large - Rehabilitation
Samantha Kelly
Samantha Kelly, oversees the curriculum and implementation of current programs as the Vice President of Programs at Lighthouse of Broward. Her previous experience includes working as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialist for Broward Schools. Samantha attended Florida State University and earned her undergraduate in Visual Disabilities and her master's degree in Orientation and Mobility and Early Childhood Special Education. She holds a Florida Teaching Certificate in Visual Disabilities and ACVREP certification in Orientation and Mobility and Vision Rehabilitation. She is VIISA certified in Birth to five years and DBS endorsed for Employment Placement.
Member at Large - Education
Ginette Mora
In addition to teaching as a TSVI and O&M instructor with Flager County schools since 2020, Ginette Mora, has also served several Central Florida districts in need on a contractual basis and served O&M, Children's, and Transition program clients through a community rehabilitation provider. Since her time as a graduate student in FSU's Visual Disabilities Program, Ginette has been committed to improving the lives of individuals with visual impairments in Florida through her teaching, volunteering at Camp Abilities Florida and various statewide events for children, and involvement with the Florida Low Vision Initiative.
Member at Large - Education
Susan Garner
Susan was recently awarded her Ph.D. from Florida State University and has eagerly joined the FSU Visual Disabilities Program faculty, for which she is teaching courses in O&M, reading, and working with children who have multiple disabilities. She is a TSVI and COMS with experience teaching at a residential school. She is especially interested in improving ECC instruction for students with visual impairments and developing the capacity of caregivers to teach their children.
