Douglas Yingling Retires as Executive Director with ‘Confidence’ in the Agency’s Future

By Agency Team |
Photo of Douglas Yingling

Shortly after Center for Vision Loss Executive Director Douglas Yingling joined a blues and rock guitar duo called Yingling Porter On Tap, the band agreed to open the agency’s first Songs4Sight concert event.

The fact that Center for Vision Loss employees came together to sponsor the duo’s set reflects the affection that they hold for Yingling, who retires today after nine years as their leader.

During Yingling’s tenure, the agency empowered more than 1,000 people with visual impairments to seize their personal independence; held nearly 500 life skills classes for its registered clients; provided free vision screenings to more than 55,000 children; and gave more than 18,000 rides to clients so that they can access medical care, food supplies, and other important services that influenced their quality of life.

Yingling came to the Center for Vision Loss in 2010 to be its Director of Agency Services after he had served as Executive Director of the Montgomery County Association for the Blind for 21 years. He was promoted the following year to succeed Executive Director Stephanie Olexa. Yingling helped guide the organization after the 2010 consolidation of the former Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), which served Lehigh County, and Visual Impairment and Blindness Services (VIABL), which served Northampton and Monroe counties.



Since 2011, the agency enhanced its financial strength, boosted the number of people it serves, expanded its investment in vision rehabilitation services, developed its award-winning Camp I CAN! summer program for kids, and grew its vision screening services for children.

Yingling announced his retirement in January and the following months have offered him a chance to reflect and appreciate those he has worked with and the people who have been helped.

“I leave with confidence in the agency’s future because our dedicated and supportive team will help it grow even stronger,” Yingling said. “While I will miss the clients and our team members, I am grateful for the opportunity to meet them and be part of the positive impacts that the Center for Vision Loss has made. I also have a feeling of excitement in imagining the possibilities that will arise in the next phase of my life.”

There is no doubt that he will enjoy much of it with his acoustic guitar in hand.