PORT LUDLOW — Sherry Perry, new appointee to the board of the Washington State School for the Blind, admits she hasn’t seen many blind people in her life.
Yet with her 28-year experience in quality improvement, she became a very desirable candidate to the institution that serves the educational needs of visually impaired and blind students throughout the state.
“We are just delighted to have Sherry on the board,” said the school’s superintendent, Dean Stenehjem.
“We have always emphasized to the governor the need to keep our board diverse.”
Gov. Gary Locke appointed Perry to the board earlier this month.
“With her quality improvement background, she can really round up our board, which would make it a very strong board.”
Perry, a four-year Port Ludlow resident, traveled to Vancouver in southern Washington to visit the school, and returned very inspired.
“My Lord, this is the best kept secret in Washington state!” she exclaimed during an interview Friday.
“People move into this state just because of the school.”
State of the art school
Perry said she was very impressed with the state of the art equipped facility set up in a century old building, as well as the school’s educational and outreach programs, including translation of voters’ pamphlets into Braille.
Originating from an 1886 residential school for blind, deaf and mentally disabled, the school became a separate state agency in 1986.
Last school year, the institution provided services to 600 students.
Today, about 1,425 state residents younger than 21 qualify as being visually impaired or blind.