'Visionary Leader' Paves Way For Care In Orange County: Local Hero

ALISO VIEJO, CA — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented and changing times.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. We’re working to let all your neighbors know about these outstanding people and their stories.

This submission comes from Carrie Williams-Freitas who nominated Angie Rowe of Aliso Viejo.

Local hero’s full name

Angie Rowe

Local hero’s home state

California

Local hero’s Patch

Aliso Viejo

How do you know the local hero?

Client

What does the local hero do?

Angie Rowe is CEO of Beyond Blindness, a nonprofit based in Santa Ana, CA that helps children with visual impairments and other disabilities build the foundation to live their best lives

Why do you believe the local hero should be recognized or honored?

Since joining Beyond Blindness in 2020 as President and Executive Director, Angie Rowe has expanded the organization to reflect the growing needs of children with visual impairments and other disabilities — and their families.

In addition to achieving impressive growth for the organization, Rowe adapted Beyond Blindness’ services — critical to the wellbeing and development of children with visual impairments and other disabilities — to continue without interruption throughout the pandemic. This was no small feat, as it required transitioning to virtual services and then, as feasible, to a hybrid model - almost overnight.

Angie also led the organization through a complete rebranding (from its previous name, Blind Children’s Learning Center) and strategic planning process.

Under her leadership, Beyond Blindness is now the leading accredited organization for children with visual impairments and other disabilities in OC, offering expanded services, including Early Intervention, Education + Enrichment, and Family Support.

Angie Rowe is a visionary leader who has strategically and innovatively transformed a 60-year-old organization — Beyond Blindness — to ensure that children with visual impairments and other disabilities, and their families, get the world-class services and support they need. She’s achieved this impressive milestone in just two years — and in the face of a pandemic that disproportionately affected her organization’s client base, many of whom are immunocompromised, and many of whom are economically disadvantaged.

Angie also formed the nonprofit’s first Ophthalmic Advisory Board, bringing prominent medical professionals, academics and firms into the fold — a move that not only has secured an impressive amount of additional funding for Beyond Blindness, but also has brought leading edge medical and scientific perspectives to the organization, helping to guide its move to focus on Early Intervention programs.

Angie’s credibility and stature within the nonprofit sector — and her leading-edge vision for Beyond Blindness — also has been key in attracting larger grants and corporate funding to the organization. Her appointment to numerous boards, including the Orange County Disability Collaborative, California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES), OneOC’s Non-Profit Advisory Council, and California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CAABVI), where she is a Founding Member, Treasurer, and Children and Youth Policy Chair, will not only drive forward services, access and inclusion for children with visual impairment and disabilities statewide, but also will further increase the stature of Beyond Blindness within its sector.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the local hero?

Under her leadership, Beyond Blindness is now the leading accredited organization for children with visual impairments and other disabilities in OC, offering expanded services, including Early Intervention, Education + Enrichment, and Family Support.

Thank you for all you do, Angie Rowe!

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Know someone making a difference in town?

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