Mr. Todd Reeves, Chief Executive Officer & Director
Growing up in Eugene, Oregon in the 70’s, I spent a few days each Summer sitting in the cheap seats at Eugene Emeralds games, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Squinting to see the likes of Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, and Bob Boone take the diamond before claiming their dream of donning a Phillies uniform are memories I enjoy. And when they’d seemingly vanish at the moment they’d be called up, I’d wonder if -- in whatever profession I’d find myself in -- I would ever make it to the big leagues.
I think I’ve been there since July of 2017 when I started my position as Executive Director and CEO of the Overbrook School for the Blind, which began trailblazing pathways to serve children who are blind or visually impaired long before I arrived. I’ve been enriched in the most important ways having served as a Superintendent at the Washington (State) School for the Deaf and then at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children as well as having been a Director of Special Education in the Tacoma (WA) Public Schools. And the Overbrook School for the Blind has provided ever-greater opportunities. How many school leaders can say they’ve sat in a hotel room in Mongolia during a site-visit for their school’s International Program and uploaded Facebook posts to students in their classrooms half a world away? For me, only at Overbrook.
But enough about me and the opportunities I’ve enjoyed since joining the Overbrook School for the Blind community. What I’ve brought with me here is not nearly as important as what our students will take with them once they leave. So many things at Overbrook matter, but what matters most is what has been gained and lost in the lives of the students and families we serve. It is for me and my colleagues to create even more educational pathways and open up the world to our students, ensure their dreams don’t vanish and celebrate their ascent to claim their rightful place in society.
I invite you to get to know our school, to get to know our exceptional students, our parents, our staff, our community and the impact we have every day in the Philadelphia and around the world.
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