Meet the Board

President: Jeri Cooper, Contact: jericooperdb@gmail.com, 918-200-6550


Jeri Cooper

Jeri Cooper was also born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a child, Jeri didn’t respond well to light and sound, so her doctors advised her parents to send her to Hissom, an institution for the mentally handicapped. Instead, her mother raised her at home. Later, it was determined that Jeri was not developmentally delayed; rather, she was legally blind and hearing impaired. 

From fourth grade until graduation in 1976, Jeri attended the Oklahoma School for the Blind. In 2009, Jeri earned her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind; and, in 2010, she earned her Deaf-Blind Rehabilitation Certification. She is currently the Deaf-Blind Specialist for Visual Services.  

Although Jeri is now totally blind and severely hearing impaired, Jeri is a very active person. Her hobbies are bowling, watching the Tulsa Drillers baseball games, TU football, and of course OU and OSU football. She enjoys visiting with people and giving back to others what she has received: patience, faith, and love. 

 Vice President: Darla Cook, Contact: dcook1960@cox.net

Darla Cook was born in Tulsa and graduated from the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee. She is married and has 2 grown sons and grandchildren.

Darla was born prematurely and has been visually impaired since birth as a result of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).

She volunteered at Ability Resources for three years before being hired, and has been employed with them for fifteen years as their receptionist.

Darla enjoys meeting new people and doing what she can to help newly blind people see the positive things in their life. She is an OU football fan, she likes to read and take walks, and she likes to shop and travel. 

Treasurer: Julie Bailey, Contact: j.bailey@cox.net

My name is Julie Bailey and I am a true blue “Okie.” I was born in Tulsa and have lived in Broken Arrow since I was 6. I was born with a hereditary syndrome which included glaucoma as one of its conditions, and have undergone various surgeries and treatments throughout life to attempt to control the glaucoma and keep my vision. I was legally blind at age 23.

              I achieved a Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State University/Broken Arrow with a major in Psychology, and a Master’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a major in Rehabilitation of the Blind/Rehabilitation Teaching. I am a member of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), a Board Member of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind (OCB), current Treasurer of Tulsa Council of the Blind (TCB), member of the Association of Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), Board Member of the Oklahoma Association of Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (OAER), and a member of the Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT). I began working for Visual Services in a Rehabilitation Teacher position in August of 2011 and was certified as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist in May of 2013.

                I love to read, go swimming, listen to music, and most of all I am a big beach bum. I have learned that my family is my number one fan and support.
 

Secretary: Debbie Waller, debbiew5957@gmail.com
 
Debbie was born in rural southwestern Illinois on May 24, 1953.  Born with albinism,  she first attended public school in her hometown before deciding to attend the Illinois Braille and Sight Saving School in the fall of 1964.  After six years she decided to complete her high school education in the area where she grew up.

Debbie completed her high school education program in Highland, IL in 1971 graduating and then attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL (from 1971-1975).  She earned her BS in Home Economics (family services) with minors in Health Education and Journalism in December of 1975. 

Debbie worked in the field of social work assisting multiply challenged individuals for 8 years and then after her daughter born in 1992 started school, Debbie developed an afterschool day care (latch key) program with the IL DCFS.  Debbie moved on to accepting a position with IL DCFS four years later. 

In 2007 Debbie moved to Indianapolis, IN first working as a licensed real estate salesperson and personal care assistant.  She went to work with Bosma Enterprises after accepting a position as an Itinerant Rehabilitation Teacher for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 2008.  Debbie attended Western Michigan University from 2009 to 2012 earning her MA VRT at the School for Blindness and Low Vision Studies. 

Debbie’s accomplishments include serving on the IN-AER board for two years before moving to Tulsa where she accepted a position as Rehabilitation Specialist for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  Debbie has facilitated several low vision support groups and been a member of the Indiana Council for the Blind (2008-2017) and the Association for Vision Rehabilitation Therapists since 2010.

 An advocate for individuals with disabilities, especially vision loss, she is active on the Tulsa Council of the Blind organization and was elected secretary in November 2018.

Members-At-Large: Allison Fallon, Ruthie Tipps: