A conversation with the chief executive officer of The Lighthouse for the Blind
Mar 04, 2024 6:40 PM
George Abbott of The Lighthouse for the Blind
A conversation with the chief executive officer of The Lighthouse for the Blind
George Abbott, the chief executive officer of The Lighthouse for the Blind, will provide Rotarians with an update on the work of the Lighthouse, a social enterprise that started in Seattle in 1918. Today the Lighthouse manufactures parts for the aerospace industry, and provides a variety of products and services to the federal government. The mission is to empower individuals who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities by creating diverse, sustainable, and meaningful employment opportunities. Focus will be on the types of jobs employees who are blind hold, services provided to employees and the community, and priorities for the future. Time will be reserved for questions and answers.
In 2014,m George joined the board of trustees for the Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., where he served until 2018. In March of 2020, George relocated from Chicago to Seattle to join the Lighthouse as senior vice president. In August 2021, he was promoted to president and CEO overseeing the direction of 450 employees, 250 of whom are blind and DeafBlind, across twenty locations throughout the U.S.
George earned a Bachelor of Science in finance with a minor in economics, a Master of Science in Education in Rehabilitation Teaching of Blind Adults from Northern Illinois University, as well as a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Illinois – Chicago. George’s interest in the rehabilitation field was fueled by his personal experience as a blind person, born blind due to under-developed optic nerves. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. For more of George's biography, click HERE.