Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[01:49] What it meant for Mary Jane Surrago to receive National Industries for the Blind’s (NIB) highest honor, the R.B. Irwin Award
[02:25] Why Mary Jane stayed at NIB for 50 years and how blindfold training shaped her perspective
[05:06] How NIB’s public image was elevated through storytelling, marketing, and board governance
[08:29] The behind-the-scenes story of leading NIB’s 50th anniversary
[17:17] Career advice for those pursuing mission-driven work

In this episode…

For many professionals, a long career is defined by titles and achievements. But what does it look like when a career is defined by unwavering dedication to mission and service?

Mary Jane Surrago spent 50 years at National Industries for the Blind (NIB), shaping its communications, governance, and storytelling while supporting its mission to create employment opportunities for people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired. Along the way, she led milestone initiatives like NIB’s 50th anniversary campaign, authored the organization’s official history, Empowering People, and was recently honored with the R.B. Irwin Award, the highest recognition NIB bestows. Her journey reflects the power of combining professional excellence with a deep commitment to creating an impact.

In this episode of Mission Driven, a special series of the Heard and Empowered podcast, NIB President and CEO Soraya Correa sits down with Mary Jane to reflect on her five decades of service. Together, they explore the lessons learned from a lifetime of leadership, the evolution of NIB’s mission, and the advice Mary Jane offers to those pursuing meaningful, mission-driven careers.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“What made me stay for 50 years? It was mission.”
“Those experiences really had a profound impact on me and, in addition, I was moving up in the organization.”
“I really enjoyed the challenge of elevating a public image at a time when government purchasing was dramatically changing.”
“NIB has a very proud history, of course, but I hope our staff and the staff of our associated agencies are inspired by it.”
“First, find something you genuinely enjoy doing because you’re going to be doing it for a long time. Second, keep learning and adapting because everything is changing, and it always will change. And third, use your strengths to make a positive impact. Don’t just come to work every day: make a positive impact. It’s all pretty simple.
“I encourage everyone to dig a little deeper and learn more about the people we are in business to serve. Talk to our Employees of the Year at the conferences or when you visit an associated agency. Every one of them has a very unique story, and it’s very inspiring.”

Action Steps:

Celebrate long-term commitment to mission: Recognizing decades of service reinforces loyalty, dedication, and inspires future generations of employees.
Share organizational history and stories: Documenting milestones preserves culture, educates new staff, and strengthens pride in the mission.
Elevate public image through storytelling: Showcasing real impact highlights capabilities, builds credibility, and broadens support from stakeholders and partners.
Support volunteer leadership with structure: Providing clear guidance and resources empowers boards to focus on strategic impact rather than administrative burdens.
Encourage continuous learning and adaptation: Embracing change ensures resilience, personal growth, and organizational relevance in evolving environments.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is sponsored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s largest employment resource for and employer of people who are blind. NIB creates opportunities for people who are blind to become wage earners and taxpayers, reducing their reliance on government support and increasing engagement with their communities. Learn more about their impact at NIB.org.

This episode is also brought to you by NSITE, the premier organization dedicated to connecting professionals who are blind, low-vision, or visually impaired with career opportunities. Whether you’re an employer seeking talented individuals or a job seeker ready to take the next step, NSITE provides the resources and support to help you succeed. Learn more and explore opportunities at NSITE.org.

About Mary Jane Surrago

Mary Jane Surrago is assistant secretary emeritus of the Board of Directors for National Industries for the Blind (NIB), a nonprofit that creates and sustains employment for people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired. She retired in February 2025 after 50 years of service and received NIB’s highest honor, the R.B. Irwin Award. Over her career, Mary Jane held leadership roles in administration, governance, communications, and rehabilitation services. She also authored Empowering People: The Story of National Industries for the Blind, in honor of the organization’s 75th anniversary in 2013.

Episode Transcript

Intro: 00:00

Welcome to the Heard and Empowered podcast presented by National Industries for the Blind. We’re on a mission to empower people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired to build fulfilling careers, gain personal independence, and take the next step toward achieving their own American dream. Guests from all walks of life share their journeys and how they overcame challenges they faced along the way. Whatever your interests, experience, talents, or career goals, listen to discover important connections and unlock the resources and inspiration you need to chart a new path. Ready to be heard and empowered?

Soraya Correa: 00:36

Hello and welcome to Mission Driven, a special series of the Heard and Empowered podcast. I’m your host, Soraya Correa, president and CEO of National Industries for the Blind. In this series, I sit down with the people who power our mission to create meaningful employment for individuals who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired. From agency leaders to government partners, we’ll explore the challenges and triumphs of mission-driven work and what keeps us moving forward.

My guest today is Mary Jane Surrago, or MJ Surrago, whose career has spanned five decades of service and storytelling at NIB. This year, MJ was honored with the 2025 R.B. Irwin Award, the highest recognition given by National Industries for the Blind. She joins us today to reflect on her remarkable career, the evolution of NIB, and what it means to dedicate yourself to a mission driven organization. MJ, thank you for joining us today.

Mary Jane Surrago: 01:30

Good afternoon, Soraya, thank you.

Soraya Correa: 01:32

It’s a pleasure to see you again, and I hope you’re enjoying your retirement and having a great old time.

Mary Jane Surrago: 01:38

I am.

Soraya Correa: 01:39

Good. Good. So again, congratulations on your R.B. Irwin Award. I’m just curious, how did you feel when you learned that you were going to be this year’s recipient?

Mary Jane Surrago: 01:49

Oh, Soraya, I was speechless. Just so very honored the board selected me to join NIB’s honor roll, high honor roll.

Soraya Correa: 02:00

Yeah, yeah. No, very well-deserved award. And all of us were very excited to see you receive that award. So, you know, you were with NIB for 50 years, which is amazing, right? And by the way, you don’t look like you were here for 50 years. You must have been, you know, hauled in on your little, you know, in your little bike, you know, you rode in, right, with your little pigtails. Anyway, what drew you to the organization in the first place? And what made you stay so long?

Mary Jane Surrago: 02:25

Well, previously I worked for a large international organization, and I really wanted to do something different when I was searching for another job. But I think the more important part of your question is what made me stay for 50 years? And it was mission. My first job at NIB was in an administrative role in its rehabilitation department, and the rehab department of NIB was located in one of NIB’s associated agencies in New York. Part of my early training was multiple blindfold experiences, orientation, and mobility. I was using a cane. I learned basic braille and I learned skills of daily living as a blind person. Then I sat blindfolded on the production line of one of our associated agencies, and I tried, and I have to emphasize the word tried, because I kept messing up the whole assembly of pens and packing chemical bottles.

I was knocking them all over the place. So, you know, it sounds like a simple operation, but it was much harder than I imagined when I was blindfolded. Those experiences really had a profound impact on me. And, in addition, I was moving up in the organization. So I decided to stay rather than pursue a career in finance and accounting, which is what I got my degree. I was going at night to school and working at NIB in the daytime, but I decided to stay.

Soraya Correa: 03:56

Wow. That’s amazing. So, you know, it’s interesting when you describe, you know, sitting on the production line and doing the work, because it’s the first thing that impressed me. As soon as I went out to visit one of our nonprofit agencies, and I saw individuals who are blind, visually impaired, you know, working some of this heavy machinery and assembling products and, and just getting the job done. And I’m like sitting there going, I know that I would fumble this, so I’m not brave enough to try it like you did blindfolded, but just observing them doing the work, and it makes you think about what people don’t know about the capabilities of individuals who are blind or visually impaired and what they can do and how well they do it, you know? So it’s something that I speak about tirelessly when I talk to people, when people ask me what I do, I always tell them, you got to go see what they do out there on the production lines.

Mary Jane Surrago: 04:47

And when you try it, it’s humbling.

Soraya Correa: 04:50

It is.

Mary Jane Surrago: 04:50

Yeah.

Soraya Correa: 04:51

Very humbling. So as you said, you held quite a few roles at NIB, including vice president of administration and assistant secretary of the board. Which of these roles did you think challenged you the most, and which ones inspired you the most?

Mary Jane Surrago: 05:06

Well, I would not view one more inspiring or more challenging than the other. They had different challenges while I was overseeing a few departments when I was on the staff as a VP. I really enjoyed the challenge of elevating our public image. It was at a time when government purchasing was dramatically changing. We had to adopt and develop a marketing collateral, our first product packaging, more aggressively promote the capabilities of our associated agencies. And I tried to position Opportunity magazine not as a means of just bringing news of our associated agencies to our stakeholders, but more of a vehicle to demonstrate capabilities.

So I did this with feature stories showing off mission-ready products for America’s warfighters, demonstrating our service capabilities, and showing how technology enables blind people to compete efficiently and effectively. But certainly working with a board of any organization, the other role that I had, you have the opportunity to witness strategic thought processes of our governing body. You know, all volunteers. And that’s always very interesting and inspiring.

Soraya Correa: 06:27

Yeah.Outstanding. Well, as I as I very well know personally from experience, you are someone who has helped lead the searches for the CEOs and the CEO and president of NIB. And tell me, how did you approach that responsibility? And again, you know, what’s your thought process around that?

Mary Jane Surrago: 06:47

Well, with any assignment that I took on for the board, I always approached it as well, how can I make their roles as volunteers easier? That was my job. To make life easier for them and not to instruct, but to support and guide.

So, for the CEO search, I did a lot of legwork: Recruiting appropriate search firms, developing the RFP for it, analyzing all the proposals and laying them out on the spreadsheet with all the pluses and minuses of each search firm. And then I prepped each of the search firms that the search committee decided to interview for their interviews to give them more background about the company. So, I also took very seriously my role, well, my responsibility, I should say, in maintaining total confidentiality of the process. And I think it all worked well. We found you.

Soraya Correa: 07:47

I do remember how well and how serious you took the role of confidentiality. I always remember my first meeting with the board, and I can tell you that I was truly impressed with the organization and how well it was facilitated. And I know that you had a fine hand in that. So I congratulate you on your great work there. And yeah, you made a great choice. Look who’s here! I know, just kidding.

So one of your most high-profile projects was leading the communications team for NIB’s 50th anniversary, which garnered, of course, a presidential proclamation and a PBS documentary. A documentary. Excuse me. Congratulations on that. Can you walk us through how that came together and your role in that, and how you brought the team together to make it happen?

Mary Jane Surrago: 08:29

Okay, sure. Well, as you know, when you have a large-scale project, you can’t accomplish it alone. So I started by forming a committee of key NIB staff and a half a dozen executives from our associated agencies. I had the board’s full support, which I was very grateful for, because they approved the special line item in the budget, and it included things like publishing a commemorative history, holding a congressional reception, as well as a “Thanks, Congress” event on the steps of the Capitol with members of Congress and all the Employees of the Year.

We wound up being successful with Congress approving a resolution recognizing our program. We could not have done that without the support of our associated agencies. Our suppliers provided most of the funding for the production of a documentary. So the 50th anniversary was not only a public relations event, but also a chance to educate our elected officials about our mission. We hosted training programs for the communication professionals from our associated agencies. We developed a unifying logo, press kits, brochures, sample press releases, and hosted a contest of our associated agencies and gave awards for the best 50th anniversary events, the best publications, the best publicity. And it was amazing what they did. One agency in North Carolina obtained 27 free billboards throughout the state promoting State Blind Week. Our associated agencies in New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania were able to secure proclamations from their governors. We wound up with Congressional Record articles, local news coverage of our associated agencies and how they work with NIB to create jobs.

Many of our agencies, of course, hosted members of Congress like they do with the August recess that’s going on now, throughout the country, hosted by our associated agencies. And we hit the major news markets and landed articles in The New York Times and The Washington Post. And for all these efforts, we wound up receiving Awards of Merit from the International Association of Business Communicators. So it was a massive undertaking, with a lot of people doing their part to make it all come together.

Soraya Correa: 11:05

But under one great leader. Thank you for doing that. That’s fantastic. That’s, I really appreciate the volume of work and, you know, bringing all those sources together and the accolades and the recognition that you gave to the program. So, thank you for doing that.

So you were the long-time editor of Opportunity magazine, which you mentioned earlier, and you authored the book Empowering People. I happen to have my copy right here on my desk, Empowering People. What motivated you to take the challenge of chronicling the history of NIB, the story, our story. What challenged you? What motivated you?

Mary Jane Surrago: 11:37

You call me a storyteller, right? When I was first approached to write our history, I pushed back at first and then I thought about it. I think I was down in Virginia visiting NIB for the week. And I went back home and I thought about it. And I always like new challenges.

I knew our history, our successes, the issues we face. I knew where to research for all the source materials, and I wrote so many articles over the years for Opportunity about our capabilities, stories of employees. So I decided, you know, I would say yes to it and I felt I could do a pretty good job. It made sense. And once I took on the project, I really loved it.

Soraya Correa: 12:22

Outstanding. So what do you hope people will take away from the book when they read Empowering People? What do you want them to take away from this book?

Mary Jane Surrago: 12:31

Well, NIB has a very proud history, of course, but I hope our staff and the staff of our associated agencies are inspired by it and feel as I do in choosing, as I have done, in spending my career devoted to our mission. But I also encourage everyone to dig a little deeper and learn more about the people we are in business to serve. Talk to our Employees of the Year at the conferences or when you visit an associated agency. Every one of them has story, very unique, and it’s very inspiring.

Soraya Correa: 13:05

Compelling stories, I can tell you that I, you know, I personally do that myself, not only with the Employees of the Year, but when I go out to visit our nonprofit agencies. I always try to stop and chat with employees and kind of get to know them, understand, you know, what motivates them, what inspires them. And you know, the one thing that always strikes me, and I know that you’ve captured this throughout your career, and we talk about this quite a bit. These people love their jobs. They love what they do. They’re proud to do this work, and they’re really happy that they’re supporting the federal government. Many of them talk about, you know, the support to the warfighter, whether they’re making uniforms, creating products, making kits. They’re really excited by the work. And I just find that inspiring myself.

Mary Jane Surrago: 13:51

I do, too. It’s their way of serving.

Soraya Correa: 13:54

Exactly, exactly. So let’s talk a little bit about you personally beyond NIB. You’ve always had a deep commitment to your local community in Glen Rock, New Jersey, excuse me, from EMT work – I was very surprised to learn that – from EMT work to public service on the borough council.

How did those experiences shape your professional life?

Mary Jane Surrago: 14:15

Well, for me it was the other way around. My professional life actually shaped my volunteer work. So serving on the borough council in various leadership roles – I was council president, I was chair of public works – I was part of a municipal board making the decisions instead of supporting the work of a board.

So what I learned from many years focusing on board governance was very, very helpful to me in those roles. A lot of the concepts about ethics and, you know, acting in the best interest of your constituents, it’s similar. And then besides volunteering almost 15 years with an incredible team of EMTs in my community, I was also on their board, too, and served as their president. So again, my work at NIB really helped shape my volunteer life.

Soraya Correa: 15:09

That’s outstanding. And that’s good to know. That’s good to know. And I like the way you, you know, it’s interesting what you learn at work and how you can apply it to your personal life and vice versa. The reverse is also true.

So now that you’ve, now that you’ve retired, tell me your thoughts. As you look back, you know, I guess, what did you love most about your job? I think I already heard it is mission, but what did you like most about your job and then what lies ahead for you?

Mary Jane Surrago: 15:42

Well, what did I love most about my job – just being part of the team, of supporting the board and communicating our mission to our stakeholders. As to what’s next, well, I’m enjoying more time with my precious grandchildren. I have lots of travel planned. I’ve been to seven continents, but there’s still so much on the bucket list, so much more to do. And I have a couple of very exciting trips coming up this fall.

And finally, I don’t believe my volunteer work is done. I just, I know I’ll find another way to serve. I’m just sort of taking some time to figure out what it is I want to do.

Soraya Correa: 16:25

Well, that’s outstanding. And I and I, I believe you when you say “I’m going to find another way to serve,” it’s in you. It’s in your passion, your commitment, your dedication. And I certainly thank you for that. I thank you for that incredible service that you’ve provided, and certainly know that you have inspired many of the folks here, including many of the leaders who are here, including myself, because your story is very inspiring.

The fact that you’ve stuck with it, that you’ve really dedicated yourself to the mission of this organization says a lot about you, and it says a lot about the organization as well, its ability to retain people like you.

So, I have one final question, of course, for our listeners who might be starting their professional journey, especially in nonprofit or public service, what advice would you give them about building a meaningful career and about working in organizations like ours?

Mary Jane Surrago: 17:17

I would say three things. First, find something you genuinely enjoy doing because you’re going to be doing it a long time, if you spend your career right. A career is a very long time. Second, keep learning and adapting because everything is changing and it always will change. You talk about that all the time, Soraya. Right? And third, use your strengths to make a positive impact. Don’t just come to work every day: make a positive impact. It’s all pretty simple.

Soraya Correa: 17:47

It is. It’s pretty straightforward. That is outstanding advice. So MJ, thank you so much for joining me today. But most importantly, thank you for your remarkable career, for the great work that you’ve done. You’ve left an indelible mark at NIB and on the lives of so many people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired. And I can’t thank you enough, and I can’t congratulate you enough on your very well-deserved and earned retirement.

So again, thank you for joining me today. And for folks who want more information on the National Industries for the Blind and to learn more about our mission, visit nib.org. Join us again next time on Mission Driven.

Outro: 18:24

Thank you for listening to the Heard and Empowered podcast. Please make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information, visit heardandempowered.org. That’s heardandempowered.org. Join us again next time.

About National Industries for the Blind:

Since 1938, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has focused on enhancing the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and improving employment. NIB and its network of associated nonprofit agencies are the nation’s largest employer of people who are blind through the manufacture and provision of SKILCRAFT® and many other products and services of the AbilityOne® Program.

For more information about NIB, visit NIB.org.

Contact

[Mission Driven Series] Mary Jane Surrago’s 50-Year Legacy of Service, Leadership, and Storytelling