Our People

Kate Raymond has been President of Sights for Hope’s Board of Directors since November 2022. She has been a board member since May 2019 and previously served as Vice President and Secretary.

In her work as Senior Manager of Internal Communications for PPL Corporation and with Sights for Hope, Raymond has exemplified a commitment to excellence and community empowerment. As Sights for Hope’s Board President, Raymond has guided the organization’s strategic initiatives, influenced heightened professionalism, and supported the expansion of its programs.

At PPL Corporation, Raymond plays a pivotal role in shaping internal messaging and employee engagement strategies. Her expertise in corporate communications is informed by more than two decades of experience, including her work as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at St. Luke’s University Health Network. In the community, Raymond also supports Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley and has volunteered with the Da Vinci Science Center.

Raymond holds a master’s degree in American Studies from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Public Relations from Susquehanna University

Paul Miller has been Vice President of Sights for Hope’s Board of Directors since November 2022, bringing decades of leadership, entrepreneurship, and lived experience to its mission. Identifying as completely blind due to progressive retinal disease, Miller was a client of Sights for Hope when it was known as the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI).

Raised in the projects of Reading, PA, Miller’s background includes work as a professional chef in Amsterdam and the United States and the establishment of several businesses. His most successful venture is as Founder and CEO of both Lehigh Valley Martial Arts and Active Learning Centers – two thriving businesses that reflect his lifelong passion for personal growth, self-confidence, and empowerment. With more than 45 years of martial arts experience and a fifth-degree black belt in karate, Miller has trained more than 1,000 black belts and has used martial arts as a foundation for teaching confidence, discipline, and life skills. Lehigh Valley Martial Arts opened in 1997, followed by Active Learning Centers in 2002, which integrates martial arts principles into early childhood education. Today, his businesses employ more than 150 people across five locations.

Miller is a tireless Sights for Hope advocate who says its people were the only ones who treated him like his full loss of sight at age 35 “wasn’t the end of the world.” He served on its board originally from 2004-2007, and joined the board again in 2022. He and his wife, Susan, are among Sights for Hope’s most generous individual donors.

In recognition of Miller’s extraordinary dedication and impact, Sights for Hope honored him in 2024 with its Titan of Hope Award.

Dennis Zehner has been Executive Director and CEO of Sights for Hope since July 1, 2020. He had been its Director of Advancement from 2018-2020 and its Associate Director from 2019-2020. Zehner’s connection to Sights for Hope’s mission is rooted in the experiences of his paternal grandfather, who was legally blind. With deeply held beliefs about fairness, dignity, and human potential, Zehner drives Sights for Hope to empower every person to thrive however they see the world.

Under Zehner’s leadership, the nearly century-old organization has undergone a bold transformation – rebranding as Sights for Hope, galvanizing its service identity, revitalizing its operations, unifying and expanding its programs throughout its communities, doubling its annual standard contributions, increasing its annual grant and program revenue substantially, building its annual donor retention rate to more than 15% above the national average, and earning the top four-star rating from Charity Navigator – the world’s largest nonprofit evaluator. Through these efforts, Sights for Hope also has established itself as a crown jewel of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB), performing consistently as one of its most prolific members.

A Lehigh Valley native, Zehner holds a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University, a graduate certificate in Marketing Strategy from Cornell University, and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. He has more than 25 years of nonprofit sector experience and a track record of elevating organizations and brands. He held positions of increasing responsibility with the Da Vinci Science Center and worked with the Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Outside of Sights for Hope, Zehner is the Digital Voting Manager and an advisor for the Emmy award-winning What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® student video contests produced by the Manufacturers Resource Center in Allentown, PA.

Jennifer Pandolfo became Sights for Hope’s Associate Director in October 2021 and has been its Director of Services since April 2020. She had served as its Director of Monroe Operations from 2015-2020.

As Associate Director, Pandolfo informs the development and execution of organizational strategies. She also provides expertise, perspectives, and support to the implementation of policies, procedures, and activities that benefit its operations and reputation among its stakeholder groups.

As Director of Services, Pandolfo led a restructuring of Sights for Hope’s services staff and developed hybrid delivery of several services. She also created its Teen Transitions program for career and college preparation. Through her leadership, Sights for Hope has established itself as a crown jewel of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB), performing consistently as one of its most prolific members.

Jennifer has 20 years of social service experience. She is a former Program Director and Acting Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Club of Morris County, N.J., and a former support specialist with Step By Step, Inc., who worked with children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.

Jennifer holds a degree in Community Psychology from Montclair State University and studied Social Work on a graduate level at New York University. She also has served as President of the InterAgency Council of Monroe County and Vice President of the Pocono Autism Society.

Anthony Silvetti, O.D., is Sights for Hope’s Low Vision Optometrist. His comprehensive exams and treatment plans are designed to help people with visual impairments and blindness maximize any remaining vision, maintain their independence, and improve their quality of life in ways that are important to them.

Dr. Silvetti joined Sights for Hope in 2010 when it consolidated with the former Visual Impairment and Blindness Services (VIABL). He had been VIABL’s optometrist from 1996-2009. Dr. Silvetti also provides optometry services for Northeast Sight Services in Exeter, PA; the Lehigh Valley Sight Center in Allentown, PA; and Houser Newman Associates in Tamaqua, PA.

Dr. Sivetti earned his optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and completed externship training with the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Administration and Advancement
Dennis Zehner, Executive Director and CEO
Jennifer Pandolfo, Associate Director and Director of Services
Olivia Haggerty, Administrative Assistant

Casework Services
Yvette Quintero, Lead Client Caseworker
Erin Hahn, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Sarah Madden, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Erica Vibert, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Melinda Weston, Monroe Client Caseworker
Enid Cruz, Client Services Assistant

Client Programs
Rita Lang, Client Activities Manager
Dianne Michels, Vision Rehabilitation Therapist
Carol Weisberg, Youth Program Specialist

Low Vision Tech Solutions
Anthony Silvetti, O.D., Low Vision Optometrist
Kim Williams, Lehigh Valley Low Vision Care Coordinator
Cheryl Miller, Monroe Low Vision Care Coordinator

Prevention Services
Angela Hill, Monroe Prevention Specialist
Ariana Ingstad, Lehigh Valley Prevention Specialist
Colleen Rountree, Lehigh Valley Prevention Specialist

Transport Services
Lisa DePietro, Monroe Transport Coordinator
Brian Schell, Lehigh Valley Transport Coordinator
Dorothy Fletcher, Monroe Transport Driver
Kareem Harvey, Monroe Transport Driver
Byron Jackson, Monroe Transport Driver
George Petrolock, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Ken Powell, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Jesus Ramirez, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Les Schoenberger, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Crystal Silva, Monroe Transport Driver