District Directors Goldsmith, Jackson Assume New Roles on BVA Board
Blinded veterans Daryl Goldsmith of Pensacola, Florida
and Kevin Jackson of Austin, Texas have been sworn in as
members of the BVA Board of Directors representing
Districts 5 and 6, respectively. The official action
occurred on July 24, 2020.
Under BVA’s National Bylaws, each of the newly elected District Directors will serve three-year terms. Darryl will serve in the capacity for the first time while Kevin has recently served as Interim Director of District 6, having been first appointed to the position by the National Board of Directors when it was vacated in 2018 and having won a special election in 2019 to finish out the term’s final year.
District 5 represents BVA regional groups and members in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia while District 6 is comprised of the groups that exist in the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. District Directors are the voice of Association members to the Board of Directors on matters of national policy, finance, advocacy, and any others brought before the Board for a decision or recommendation.
Darryl Goldsmith joined the U.S. Marine Corps following his graduation from high school in Canton, Michigan in 1979. He experienced eye and other injuries due to equipment failure during nuclear, biological, and chemical training soon after enlisting. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service until his declining vision made further employment impossible. Darryl attended a Michigan Commission of the Blind rehabilitation program, where he learned about VA benefits. Soon after, he attended the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center at Hines and has been an adaptive sports and recreation enthusiast ever since. He has also been a strong advocate for the blind and visually impaired, serving in numerous regional group leadership and volunteer positions for BVA in both Michigan and Florida. He was a charter member of the Michigan Regional Group.
Kevin Jackson graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He entered the Marine Corps in 1977 and served on active duty during 1978-79. He then served with various reserve units until 1991, when he was activated with the 1st Marine Force Service Support Group for the 1st Marine Division during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury, losing his left eye and sustaining legal blindness in the right eye as he worked with faulty Saudi Arabian equipment. Kevin received an honorable discharge in April 1995 after more than 17 years of service. He worked for General Motors for 24 years, both during his Marine Corps reserve duty and after his Gulf War injuries. He joined BVA in 1991 and began serving in leadership capacities in 2007, taking on
simultaneously the roles of both President and Secretary of BVA’s Greater Austin Chapter.
