Kate Raymond Elected President of Sights for Hope Board of Directors

Kate Raymond was elected to her first full term as Sights for Hope’s Board President and Daniel Lombardo was elected Board Treasurer during the organization’s Annual Meeting.

Paul Miller was elected to his first full term as Board Vice President and Devin Darby was re-elected Board Secretary. All two-year officer terms begin July 1. Officers can serve in their positions for up to two elected terms.

Raymond became Board President in November upon the retirement of Michael Wambaugh, whose term ends June 30. Miller became Vice President in November to fill the remainder of Raymond’s term as Vice President. Lombardo succeeds Fred Folland as Treasurer, who completes his second term on June 30.

Raymond is Manager of Internal Communications for PPL Corporation and has been a member of the Sights for Hope board since May 2019. She served as Board Vice President from July 2021 to November 2022 and as Board Secretary from September 2020 to June 2021. Prior to her work with PPL, Raymond was a Director of Marketing and Public Relations for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

“I am honored to serve an organization that directly impacts the lives and livelihood of members of our community daily,” Raymond said. “Without Sights for Hope’s critical services, people with visual impairments in our communities would continue to struggle for basic needs and face unacceptable disparities with respect to personal independence and well-being. I am looking forward to helping Sights for Hope grow its impact while I have the opportunity to serve in this role.”

Lombardo has been a board member since July 2021 and has served on the board’s Finance and Audit Committee. Lombardo is Branch Manager for Richard B. Ryon Insurance in Walnutport, PA. He is a member of the Lehigh Township Lions Club as was District Governor of Pennsylvania Lions District 14-K in 2021-2022. In his year as District Governor, he worked actively with Sights for Hope to promote its financial support from Lions organizations in the Lehigh Valley.

Miller, who identifies as completely blind due to progressive retinal disease and has dealt with visual impairments for most of his adult life, is President and CEO of Active Learning Centers and Lehigh Valley Martial Arts. Miller has practiced martial arts for more than 45 years, is a fifth-degree black belt in karate, and has trained more than 1,000 black belts. His businesses operate in six locations and have more than 150 employees.

Darby has been a member of the board since 2019 and has been its Secretary since July 2021. She has been an Occupational Therapist Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network’s vision rehabilitation group since 2016, and has been with the network since 2011. In her role, she designs and executes treatment plans for adults and children who suffered vision loss because of strokes, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, autism disorders, development delays, and other conditions. Darby also made three volunteer trips to train and assist Haitian medical providers through Good Shepherd’s collaboration with the Haiti Health Trust.

Linwood Gehris, who served as Board President from 2017-2021, will conclude his third and final term on the board as of June 30. Deborah Lillegard, Immediate Past District Governor of Pennsylvania Lions District 14-K, will end her one-year term as the board’s Lions Leadership Director on June 30.

The Sights for Hope Board of Directors represents the American people as stewards of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It holds fiduciary responsibility and provides strategic direction to ensure fulfillment of its mission and vision.

Image: Sights for Hope Board President Kate Raymond