Douglas Bowman, Legally Blind Since Age Seven, Joins Virginia Industries for the Blind as a Contract Closeout Specialist Supporting the Defense Logistics Agency
March 10, 2014, ALEXANDRIA, VA – National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, secured employment for its 100th Contract Management Support (CMS) training program participant. The CMS training program develops career opportunities for people who are blind by providing high-level training in the field of contract management.
Virginia Industries for the Blind (VIB), one of NIB’s 93 associated nonprofit agencies that employs people who are blind, hired Douglas Bowman as a contract closeout specialist in support of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Bowman, who is legally blind, joined NIB’s CMS training program in May 2013 and now works alongside four VIB colleagues at DLA responsible for contract closeout activities.
“I frequently received emails with job opportunities,” said Bowman. “When the team at [Fort] Belvoir asked me to fill a vacancy, NIB was there to get me the pre-job training I needed, so I could hit the ground running my first day.”
The CMS training program launched in 2009 and is designed for individuals who are blind, with a four-year degree or equivalent work experience. NIB partners with the Department of Defense’s Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to provide eligible candidates with the core training courses required to establish a foundation in contract management.
“This is an incredible milestone for our CMS training program,” said Kevin Lynch, NIB president and CEO. “With the right training and experience, coupled with advances in accessible technology, there’s no limit to the capabilities of people who are blind.”
For more information on the CMS training program, visit https://www.nib.org/resources/training-programs/contract-management-support/.
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About National Industries for the Blind
For more than 75 years, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has been focused on enhancing the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and its network of 93 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® and other products and services through the AbilityOne® Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act. For more information about NIB, visit www.NIB.org.
Contact:
Mike Johnson
Communications Program Director
703-310-0568
mgjohnson@nib.org