Board of Trustees Appoints Current COO Jared Kittelson as Successor
From Foundation For Blind Children, November 2022
Marc Ashton, Foundation for Blind Children CEO, announces plans to retire effective June 2024. FBC’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Chief Operating Officer, Jared Kittelson, to succeed Ashton on July 1, 2024, and lead Foundation for Blind Children as the non-profit’s next CEO.
Ashton was a part of FBC for 26 years, first as a parent and volunteer, then as a Trustee and later a leader. Ashton explains, “Anyone who knows me, knows I love my job. Foundation for Blind Children gave my family hope when we had none. FBC provided the best education in the country and opportunities I never thought were possible. I owe a lot to FBC and always will.”
Over the past few years, Ashton and Kittelson’s leadership grew FBC into the largest preschool for the blind in the country; curated the largest braille library in the country; built the first Teacher of the Visually Impaired undergraduate program at ASU; and created the first of its kind teaching rubrics and progress tracking for visually impaired students.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, families, staff, and students of FBC, I want to express our gratitude to Marc for his leadership and stewardship over the past 15 years. His foresight ensures a smooth and successful transition of leadership and a legacy of success. Marc and Jared will continue their work to serve visually impaired students of all ages”, says Moses Sanchez, FBC Board of Trustees President.
Jared Kittelson is a former teacher, principal, and Executive Director. He joined Foundation for Blind Children almost six years ago without prior knowledge of vision loss, yet devoted himself to learning the community, profession, culture, and history. Today, Jared is a recognized leader among vision professionals. The Board of Trustees recognize Jared’s passion for FBC’s mission and his ability to inspire others.
Kittelson says, “It is an exciting time for FBC. We have an incredible staff to carry out this important mission to make sure that students, families, and clients have the resources available to them for the next 70 years. It is an honor to carry on the legacy Marc set forth as CEO of Foundation for Blind Children. I am looking forward to leading the next chapter of our storied history.”
About the Foundation for Blind Children
The Foundation for Blind Children was founded in 1952 by parents of blind children who wanted services for their blind children in Phoenix, instead of having to send them to the State Institution for the Blind in Tucson.
FBC serves the blind and visually impaired of all ages in Arizona, from birth to 102 years old, our oldest current client. As the only agency of its kind in Arizona, the Foundation for Blind Children is an essential resource to children, families and adults with blindness or low vision.
With three Valley locations (East Valley, West Valley and Central Phoenix), we strive to serve as “the” community’s resource for blind, visually impaired, and multi-handicapped children, adults, and their families.
