by Connor Courtien, RDPFS Intern
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has appointed Eric Bridges as their new President and CEO, effective April 12, 2023. As noted in press release on his appointment from PRNewswire, Bridges has over two decades of experience in leading causes related to vision loss. He was a LEGIS Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, described by the Brookings Institute as a fellowship in which participants “become an indispensable subject-matter expert for legislators” as they learn the process of policy making and provide their insight on critical issues. Subsequently, he served as an advocate for the American Council of the Blind, playing an instrumental role in passing key legislation, such as the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which per the Federal Communications Commission, acted to “increase the access of persons with disabilities to modern communications.” Bridges then continued to forge relationships across industries as the Director of External Relations and Policy, and was able to improve the organization’s revenue, as well as pull them out of a pre-existing deficit. On Bridge’s appointment as President and CEO of the AFB, Board Chair Debbie Dennis said, “We are delighted to bring Eric Bridges to the role of CEO and President of AFB. He brings strong leadership to the organization and a life’s passion and commitment to improving the quality of life and equal access for the millions of individuals who are blind or have low vision.” For more about the previous career of Eric Bridges, as well as his stated goals for the AFB under his new leadership, check out the link to the press release above.
