red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

Georgia Blinded Vet A True Spark of Light in the Darkness

Thanks to the leadership of Elizabeth Holmes, currently the organization’s National Treasurer and previously the president of the Columbus Chapter of the Georgia Regional Group, the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has been a shining light wherever Liz sees fit to offer her time, energy, and expertise in service to her community and her fellow blinded veterans.

Liz herself brightens the lives of others as she goes about creating new service opportunities for herself and others—and executing them flawlessly.

Following her military service, where she held many “firsts” as a female in the Army beginning in 1976 when she was first commissioned, Liz worked in nearly every craft as a U.S. Postal Worker before retiring in 2014 due to her loss of sight. She was a member of four different unions and held the position of State Secretary of the American Postal Workers Union for three years. She was also the State Coordinator for the Post Officer Women for Equal Rights (POWER) representing Georgia at national conventions.

Liz has assisted in organizing successful BVA state conventions in Georgia the past four years. As a participant in the March of Dimes Walk since 2005, she asked members to support her in the walk of 2016 to bring awareness to the BVA Columbus Chapter. In 2017, the chapter walked as a team and in 2018 the group received a thank you plaque for donating $1,350 from the walk. To date, the chapter has raised approximately $3,500 for the March of Dimes.

Elizabeth Holmes is another shining star among her fellow blinded veterans who truly understand what it means to light up the darkness. She, too, personifies the upcoming Blind Veterans Day “Light Up the Darkness” concert March 28 at the Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center in Annandale, Virginia.

For her successful service to her regional group and community BVA recognized National Treasurer Elizabeth Holmes with the Irving Diener Award at the 74th National Convention last summer. To Liz’s left, Executive Director Joe Bogart and National President Tom Zampieri.
For her successful service to her regional group and community BVA recognized National Treasurer Elizabeth Holmes with the Irving Diener Award at the 74th National Convention last summer. To Liz’s left, Executive Director Joe Bogart and National President Tom Zampieri.