Six new members were appointed to the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) - Goodwill Industries of Greater Rochester, Inc.'s Board of Directors.

Dr. Madhu Ayyagari, Michelle Batiste, Toby Cherry, Matthew Lashway, David Mehalick and Michael Norris have joined the ABVI-Goodwill Board of Directors, and each will serve a three-year term with the agency.

"Each of these professionals and community leaders bring a unique blend of talent and experience to help lead this organization into the future," said A. Gidget Hopf, Ed.D., president and chief executive officer of ABVI-Goodwill. "Collectively, the board is poised to continue the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to our mission that has been the driving force of this organization for almost a century."

Dr. Ayyagari is a project manager at Bausch & Lomb. Michelle Batiste has spent 30 year as part of the military family and was instrumental in supporting families of soldiers deployed to Iraq and other military locations. Matthew Lashway is local district manager for Rochester's Kohl's department stores. David Mehalick is a partner with the law firm Harris Beach. Michael Norris is chief counsel at Sentry Group. Toby Cherry is director of Human Resources at Paychex and has previously served on the ABVI-Goodwill Board, including two years as board chair.

October 21, 2007