Dream come true: Conklin Davis Center celebrates first birthday

The Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired unveiled its strategic plan for the next three years at its birthday celebration on Thursday, May 25.

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Kathy Davis often says that you don’t have to have sight to be a true visionary.

The Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired has built its mission around that idea, serving over 500 visually impaired people every year at its 42-acre campus at 405 White St. in Daytona Beach. The CDCVI is a result of the 2021 merger between Davis’ Center for the Visually Impaired — founded in Ormond Beach in 1988 — and the former Conklin Center. On Thursday, May 25, the CDCVI celebrated its first birthday.

“My dream has been that this center be world class in responding to people like me —people who are also blind and visually impaired,” Davis said. “And my dream has come true tonight.”

The CDCVI helps visually impaired people lead independent lives through job training, employment help, technology aids and other services over the client’s lifetime. 

As the center celebrated its first birthday, it also unveiled its strategic plan for the next three years. The plan is designed to lead the center to its next phase: an expansion to create a wellness center where CDCVI clients could enjoy fitness, health, music, art and other programs customized to their needs — a $4 million venture that, according to the center, would be the first of its kind in the United States.

“Many things have changed since we’ve merged the two organizations together,” CDCVI President and CEO Ronee David said. “Our staff has grown, our programs have really tripled in the past year. Our staff has actually tripled, and we have a long waiting list for our services. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we really have a lot more to do.”

Planning for 2025

Goals in the center’s strategic plan include creating affordable housing opportunities for clients, adding an intergenerational mentoring program and establishing a vocational training program with on-the-job training.

Currently, the CDCVI averages 44 client job placements a year and 192 client referrals for jobs per year. The center aims to create housing for 10 blind employees in 2023, 20 in 2024 and 32 in 2025.

Tomoka Eye Associates CEO Bill Watson, chairman of the center’s board, said that the last nine years have been the “most magnificent years” of his life. He had served on the Center for the Visually Impaired board prior to the merger. 

“Our board has been absolutely stellar through this whole merger, and it was an amazing amount of work that everybody put forth,” Watson said.

CDCVI Event Chair Nancy Epps said the center is living up to Davis’ dream.

“It’s been a great organization for me to be associated with,” Epps said. “I’m very proud.”

Mary Yochum and Bobbie Cheh, of the Ormond-by-the-Sea Lions Club, presented the center with a $500 check during the program. Mahyar Okhovatian, of the Ponce Inlet Lions Club, presented the center with two $1,000 checks on behalf of the staff of CompuSys, an information technology company.

Made in her likeness

The program also recognized Judy Jenkins, who recently donated $130,000 to the CDCVI — the largest donation received to date. Jenkins said she was stunned to see what the center has done for the community, not just the visually impaired. Davis is also a wonderful person, Jenkins said.

“She’s just given so much of her life to people who need it,” she said.

Davis was further honored with a bust sculpture, which will be displayed at the CDCVI alongside that of Millard Conklin. When David unveiled the bust, she urged Davis to feel it and see if she recognized who it depicted.

“Oh my goodness, it’s me,” Davis said.

Those in attendance cheered and laughed as Davis asked if the artist had eliminated her wrinkles. 

“This statue is going to stand here as a testament to you and your dedication,” David said.

Davis said she’s a person of great faith and believes God led her on this path when her ophthalmologist told her in 1988 that she would lose all of her vision.

“When I said, ‘Where can I go? What can I do?’ He said, ‘I have no idea,’” Davis recalled. “That’s when I knew that God said, ‘You’ve got to do something so that nobody ever has to hear that answer again. So that’s why I’m walking this walk.’”

 

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