Shawn Dobbs poses for a photo in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
This dynamic employee of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. has already lived a diverse and interesting life, and some of his biggest plans are still ahead! In 2012, Shawn joined the Lighthouse as the Director of Public Relations and Development in Spokane, WA. It meant leaving his home state of Indiana and moving to a town where he knew no one, though he did bring along his cat, Farrah.
I think it’s important to take a risk to move yourself forward,” he says. “Worst case, I was going to grow as a person.”
Shawn is not averse to taking risks if the reward is his own or others’ spiritual or emotional growth. Shawn has climbed Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York State, at 5,343 feet. He’s done yoga in Costa Rica, worked to prevent human trafficking in Tijuana, and brewed beer in his own back yard.
“The BMT program is a great opportunity to grow my knowledge of business practices and be able to apply what I learn to help us carry out our mission. Ultimately, I hope that participation in the BMT program will create executive leadership opportunities for me in the years to come.”
But one of the most rewarding things he does on a daily basis is to help advance the Lighthouse’s mission and create opportunities for people who are part of the blind community. As part of that mission, Shawn moved from Spokane to the Lighthouse’s newest facility in Summerville, South Carolina. The Summerville facility opened its doors in 2016 and is already the largest employer of people who are blind in the state, employing fourteen individuals. “We have a mission that’s easy to get excited about,” he says, “within three years we’ll employ thirty people. It needs to happen.”
To make this happen, Shawn is out in the community meeting people and introducing them to the Lighthouse. He is helping plan events, and in January he organized the second annual Lighthouse Oyster Roast at the Summerville Country Club. Over 175 community members attended, helping raise over $9000 for the Lighthouse’s services in South Carolina!
In late 2018, Shawn was accepted into a Business Management Training (BMT) program with National Industries for the Blind. Of forty-two applicants, Shawn made the cut! He’s hoping the year-long program allows him to further develop his business acumen and to use that knowledge to advance the needs of the Lighthouse. The program, run by George Mason University, aims to teach Shawn about the various aspects of running a business, as well as the skills needed to do so.
Check out this video from 2015, when Shawn was Development and Public Relations Director for the Lighthouse in Spokane, WA
