Lighthouse Guild has named Thomas Panek as its new president and CEO to take the helm starting next month.
Before we get to Panek, talk about this organization.
Originally founded in 1905 as The New York Association for the Blind Inc., the New York City, New York-based nonprofit (later named Lighthouse International) merged with Jewish Guild Healthcare in 2013 to unite under the Lighthouse Guild name.
Its purpose: To serve as a one-stop-shop offering integrated vision and healthcare services to help the blind and visually impaired manage their daily lives.
- Such services extend to: Vision rehabilitation, assistive technology, mental health services, professional training, and research, to name a few.
Now to this new leader.
Panek brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.
Most recently, he has spent the last 10+ years serving as president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind—a nonprofit dedicated to providing specially-trained guide and service dogs to disabled individuals in North America.
- During that time: The organization reportedly raised $350+ million in donations to support its cause.
Before that, Panek was vice president of Relationship Management at the National Industries for the Blind, the largest employment resource for blind individuals in the United States.
- See here for further details on his non-executive experience.
Go on …
On the technology side of vision impairment innovations, Panek partnered with Google in 2020 to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tech designed to enable individuals with visual impairments to run independently.
- Watch this video on how he became involved.
About this tech: Dubbed “Project Guideline,” this early-stage research project uses image recognition technology and on-device machine learning that operates on Android smartphones.
How this works:
- The tech identifies a colored line on the ground to ascertain the line’s position (left, right, or center of the runner) before sending audio signals through headphones worn by the runner.
- Based on this, the runner can correct their running position to safely stay on the line.
- See a real-time visual of how this runs, and click here for a more in-depth look at the technology used in this.
Notably: In 2023, the project was open-sourced, giving accessibility to the public. As Google stated, “The source code of the core technology we developed, as well as the pre-trained image recognition model and 3D simulator, are available for free to anyone. This allows developers and researchers around the world to use Project Guideline's technology for new accessibility initiatives or even apply it to technical development in completely new fields.”
Sounds groundbreaking! How else has Panek been involved in that?
Back in November 2021, he actually used the Project Guideline technology to run a 5K race in NYC’s Central Park—completing the first-ever solo race for a blind person (with no animal or human assistance).
Some background: Panek lost his eyesight in his 20s after developing retinitis pigmentosa; by age 26, he was legally blind (though that didn’t stop him from completing a half-marathon in 2019 with the assistance of two guide dogs).
Alrighty, now to this new leadership position. Who is he succeeding?
Calvin Roberts, MD, who served as president and CEO since April 2020.
Dr. Roberts, an ophthalmic surgeon specializing in laser and transplant eye surgeries, is also a clinical professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College and the program manager for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
And what will Parnek be focusing on in his new role?
Speaking of his upcoming appointment, Panek noted that he will be working with the Lighthouse Guild team to “expand access to critical services, harness emerging technologies, and create innovative solutions that support independence and opportunity for all.”
When is this transition effective?
April 2025.
Lastly, what has the organization been up to as of late?
Just last month, Lighthouse Guild received a $100,000 grant to expand and provide access to critical technology skills and assistive technology training for the visually impaired.
In light of this funding: The Guild announced it would launch the Frannie Scaife Tech Training Initiative (named after the grant’s donor: the Frances G. Scaife Foundation, a privately-run foundation that funds nonprofit programs).
- Plans for the initiative include providing one-on-one, in-person, and remote training to visually impaired individuals beyond the NYC area, including group sessions and special workshops focused on essential assistive technology skills.