As immediate past chair of the National Industries for the Blind Board of Directors, Paul Healy helped shape the future of NIB with steady leadership, financial expertise, and a deep commitment to mission.

In the latest episode of Mission Driven, Paul reflects on guiding NIB through pivotal moments and shares what ethical leadership looks like in a mission-driven organization.

People who are blind often face steep challenges in finding and sustaining meaningful employment. How can organizations not only provide job opportunities, but also foster long-term independence and career growth?

According to Paul Healy, immediate past chair of the National Industries for the Blind Board of Directors, real impact comes from combining mission-driven leadership with strategic innovation. Drawing on his background in finance, governance, and ethics, Paul helped NIB navigate challenges like the Covid pandemic while championing initiatives that expand the organization’s reach. He highlights the transformative role of programs like NSITE, which prepares and places people with vision impairment in roles beyond traditional manufacturing, opening doors to broader career pathways and personal independence.

In this episode of Mission Driven, a special series of the Heard and Empowered podcast, National Industries for the Blind President and CEO Soraya Correa talks with Paul, a professor at Harvard Business School and longtime NIB board member, shares how ethical leadership, sustainable business models, and a commitment to mission can create lasting opportunities for people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired.

Joe Spicer is the contact center services manager at Mississippi Industries for the Blind (MIB), a nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or visually impaired through meaningful employment, as well as a National Industries for the Blind Advocate for Leadership and Employment.

Joe has over a decade of experience at MIB and a prior career in banking, finance, and business operations. In his current role, he trains and supports contact center agents using adaptive technology. Joe was named MIB’s Employee of the Year in 2014.

People who are blind or visually impaired often struggle to find stable, fulfilling employment — not because of lack of skill, but because of systemic barriers and outdated assumptions. What happens when someone with lived experience takes the lead in removing those obstacles?

Joe Spicer, contact center services manager and a public policy advocate at Mississippi Industries for the Blind, has built a career doing just that. Drawing on his background in banking and his personal journey with retinitis pigmentosa, Joe manages a call center designed to employ, train, and empower blind professionals. He’s seen firsthand how meaningful work boosts confidence, builds skills, and opens doors. Now, as an Advocate for Leadership and Employment, Joe’s voice is helping shape national conversations on employment equity — from pushing for Social Security Disability Insurance reform to championing a 1% Department of Defense utilization goal for agencies employing people who are blind.

In this episode, Joe shares how inclusive employment creates real change, why representation in advocacy matters, and what it takes to build a more accessible future for all.

Michael Monteferrante has been the president and CEO of Envision, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, since 2013. Envision is one of National Industries for the Blind’s associated nonprofit agencies, proudly serving people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired across the nation – enriching lives through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education, and research.

Finding a job is challenging enough; for a person who is blind, gaining upward mobility and long-term career success is even harder when opportunity is limited by outdated perceptions and lack of access.

According to Michael Monteferrante, a longtime leader in workforce development and organizational transformation, meaningful progress happens when individuals are given structured mentorship, practical training, and a clear pathway to employment. In this episode, he emphasizes the importance of employer education, hands-on cohort learning, and collaborative partnerships that not only build confidence but also open doors to sustainable careers.

Michael Monteferrante, president and CEO of Envision, shares how his journey from transit and manufacturing into mission-driven leadership has shaped his belief in reinvesting business success into people. He offers candid views on launching mentorship and training cohorts with NSITE, NIB’s talent management enterprise, supporting college students through transition programs, and why impact — not intention — is the key to long-term change.