About Us

Founded in June 2003, Blind Ambitions Groups, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, assists blind and visually impaired persons to develop their abilities by:

Teaching blind and visually impaired people to advocate for themselves in getting what they need to facilitate a better quality of life.
Job Readiness Training (JRT) to help the blind and visually impaired prepare for the skills needed to go to, or back to, work.
Assisting the blind and visually impaired with job placement.
Assisting sighted family members of recently blinded persons with their own adjustments to make the transition smoother for the entire family.
Educating and informing blind people and their families about available resources
Networking with others and learning about products available that might make their lives easier.
Educating blind and sighted people alike about the capabilities of blind people by providing opportunities to participate in group events, as well as finding ideas for effectively participating in events in their local areas, as well as community support group meetings held monthly which have their own page.
Cooperating with public and private institutions and organizations concerned with blind services, including fundraising opportunities to generate means to fund our Mission Statement, our Purpose and our Goals.

Blind Ambitions Groups Mission Statement

The mission of Blind Ambitions Groups is to educate the blind and visually impaired, and their families, about available resources, and to encourage each individual to move to the next step, whatever it may be.

Board Members and Staff

Mark Marvel

Founder, President, and CEO of Blind Ambitions Groups

My name is Mark Marvel and I am the President and CEO of Blind Ambitions Groups. I was born in Salisbury Maryland and lived in Georgetown Delaware for the first twenty five years of my life. I moved to the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex of Texas in January of 1993 but moved backed to Newark Delaware in September of 2011. I lost my sight on April 1, 2001 due to diabetic Retinopathy. I received a kidney transplant on September 20, 2003. I have five children, Brittany 22, Patrick 21, Sarah 20, Andrew 17, and Haley 15. I have been a Disc Jockey, firefighter, Fire Instructor, Salesman, Tanning Salon Manager and district manager. I have been a part of Blind Ambitions Groups since its inception in June of 2003. I am the Job Developer and Job Placement Specialist for BAG. I host two radio shows for the blind and visually impaired. I enjoy all types of music, cooking great meals, listening to described movies, staying in contact with old friends and classmates, meeting new people, attending my church, and spending time with my family. It has been a very rewarding time serving the blind, visually impaired, and their families for the past ten years, and I look forward to doing this for a long time to come.

Michael Jarrett

Vice President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Blind Ambitions Groups

Nancy O'Donnell

Secretary of the Board of Directors of Blind Ambitions Groups and Editor in Chief of Blind Ambitions Magazine

Hello, my name is Nancy O'Donnell and I will be joining Blind Ambitions as the Secretary of the Board of Directors and Editor In Chief of Blind Ambitions Magazine. My background consists of a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, a paralegal certificate, and a Masters of Arts degree in Holocaust & Genocide Studies. For over a decade, I taught English, reading, and multiple disciplines within the Social Sciences. Currently, I am an accounting supervisor for a major East Coast business. A few of my favorite joys in life include traveling, listening to all genres of music, cooking, reading, watching movies, working with great causes and people, and most of all, spending time with friends and family. I am very excited to join Blind Ambitions Groups and look forward to the many exciting opportunities the organization has planned in the near future. Together we can share, learn, teach, and bring change.

Christine Chaikin

Research Manager for Blind Ambitions Groups and Advertising and Subscription Sales for Blind Ambitions Magazine

As head of this department, I personally handle both research and development for Blind Ambitions Groups. This includes, but is not limited to, research on various organizations, articles, and any other information beneficial to the publication. I also seek to encourage both new subscribers and advertisers to take interest and part in the magazine.

Harry David Kowal

Multimedia Team Director

Back in the seventies Harry worked with NASA during the Apollo-Soyuz mission. Besides being involved in electronics and computers, Harry has spent over 15 years as a commercial photographer & graphic designer. He also has over 10 years in Multimedia Production & Programming Management. Harry brings to Blind Ambitions Groups his years of experience in graphic design including web site design and development and database creation. "Coming to terms with my own disability has opened my eyes to others who are in some ways not as fortunate as others. Everyone deserves an equal chance to have a job, a life, to pursue happiness and to live life to the fullest, not just exist."

Jessica Freise

Programmer/Web Developer for Blind Ambitions Groups

I am twentysomething blind mother, programmer, and all-around a geek. Born on July 1, 1985, I went blind fully at the age of five due to Retinopathy of Prematurity. Ever since then I have blazed my own unique path to my goals, even if I wasn't quite sure sometimes what those were. These days, in between feeding my obsession with various things to many to count, I live with a surprising number of dogs, cats, and various other critters (Yes, including other Humans, even!) in Texas, raising my son and daughter and working for Blind Ambitions Groups.

Walter Harper

Assistive Technology Trainer for Blind Ambitions Groups

My name is Walter Harper. I was born in Milford, Delaware in 1983. I am totally blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity.

I was educated in the Sussex County Resource Room for the Visually Impaired through the sixth grade and later graduated from the Milford High School. I continued on to Lions World Services for the Blind, in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I received a certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist. I am presently employed by Blind Ambitions Groups as a technology Trainer.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing music for local churches, enjoy eating out with friends, and learning about innovative assistive technology.