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Governor Abbott Appoints Three To Governing Board Of The Texas School For The Blind And Visually Impaired

Government and Politics

February 27, 2025

From: Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Belinda Rudinger, Ed.D. and reappointed Beth Jones, Ph.D. and Bruce L. “Lee” Sonnenberg to the Governing Board of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) for terms set to expire on January 31, 2031. TSBVI serves as a special public school in which students who are blind, deaf-blind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and the professionals who serve them.

Belinda Rudinger, Ed.D. of Carrollton is an assistant professor of Special Education at East Texas A&M University. She is a member of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and a volunteer of the Plano Animal Shelter. She is certified in Texas as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and nationally as a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for Individuals with Visual Impairments. Rudinger received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of North Texas and a Doctor of Education in Educational Sustainability from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

Beth Jones, Ph.D. of Anna is a professor of Special Education at East Texas A&M University. She is a member of the Council for Learning Disabilities, Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the CEC, serving as president-elect for the Division of Visual Impairments and Deafblindness. Additionally, Jones served as the former president of the Texas Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments. Jones received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University. 

Bruce L. “Lee” Sonnenberg of Lubbock is the executive director for the AERBVI. He is the board treasurer for All Blind Children of Texas and a member of the Texas Society of Association Executives. Sonnenberg received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas Tech University. 

These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.