Administration and Leadership Division (Division 1)

Welcome to the AER Administration & Leadership Division page!

The purpose of this division is to provide a forum for division members to address issues related to the management of organizations that work with people who are blind and visually impaired, such as non-profit, federal, state, or provincial agencies, schools for the blind and visually impaired, public school systems, and related organizations.

Check out the recording of our “Learning Together/Leading the Way” discussion.

Also, check out the recording of “Catch and Release: Acquisition and Allocation of Resources” discussion, held on April 12, 2022.

Proposed Position Paper on Noncompete Clause

At the 2024 AER International Conference, AER members approved a resolution outlining why contracts that contain noncompete clauses impede the ability to provide FAPE and qualified services. This resolution called for a position paper, or white paper, to be developed by July 31, 2025, for the membership to review. A draft paper has been created and is ready for review. 

 

Division 1’s plan for moving the position paper forward is outlined below; links to the original resolution, the proposed position paper, a form for public comments, and a Zoom Meeting to review the paper with membership at large.

  • Original resolution 2024-02 on Contracted Services may be found by visiting the AER International Resolutions Page
  • Proposed position paper on Noncompete Clause
  • Please use the linked Google Form here to provide comments
    • To submit a response, you must sign-in to your Google account. We have enabled this option to be able to reach out to specific members for any added clarification. Public comments will be open from July 31 to September 10, 2025.
  • Public Comment Zoom Meeting on September 10, 2025, from 6:00-7:00 PM EST to receive additional comments and review the position paper.

Following the Public Comment Zoom Meeting, an editing team will address the proposed comments to create a final version. The final version will be posted for voting by September 31, 2025. Should you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to your Division 1 Officers.

Greg Lazur – Chair
Kirsten Connelly – Chair Elect
Catherine Summ – Past Chair