Board Vice Chair Julie Stark Builds Community and Awareness with Leadership and Passion

Julie Stark was a client of The Chicago Lighthouse long before she became a board member. As a person with Stargardt’s Disease, she came to The Lighthouse for annual appointments with Dr. Alfred Rosenbloom and later Dr. Gerald Fishman. Beyond that, however, she didn’t really know much about the organization until a friend-of-a-friend introduced her to then-Board President Joel Kaplan.

“I was a patient for some time, but I didn’t know about all the other programs. I was just getting tested every year,” Julie says. “Once I took a tour and learned more, I fell in love with the organization.”

Julie joined the Board in 2007 and now serves as its Vice Chair. In that role, she uses her experience as president of JS Consulting, which designs and delivers leadership training to organizations throughout the Chicagoland area, to help guide The Lighthouse’s mission, raise its public profile and expand its reach.

“As someone who has low vision, I appreciate how The Lighthouse helps people live with independence and dignity,” Julie says. “The Lighthouse is more than just a service provider, it’s a community. And every person who benefits from its help becomes a part of that community.”

Julie is also chair of the Board’s Clinical Services Enterprise Committee, which is dedicated to advancing the work of The Lighthouse’s comprehensive vision services and research programs. Julie is particularly passionate about these programs as someone who has personally benefitted from these services for many years. This spring, Julie and the Clinical Services Enterprise Committee will be working to build public awareness of The Lighthouse’s comprehensive work.

“I wish there were a million people like [Lighthouse SVP of Clinical Services] Dr. Crumbliss and her team because what they do is transformational,” Julie says. “Unless people are already a part of the community, they don’t really know about The Lighthouse and all of the services we provide. That needs to change.”

If you are interested in contributing to The Chicago Lighthouse’s comprehensive low vision clinical services programs, which include vision services, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility, psychological support and assistive technology consulting and training, for people who are blind or visually impaired, contact Lora Nickels at (312) 997-3643 or lora.nickels@chicagolighthouse.org.