Today, Governor Kim Reynolds announced she has appointed Stacy Cervenka as Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind.
Cervenka most recently worked as Senior Director of Policy with RespectAbility (now Disability Belongs) in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She was also Director of Public Policy for the American Foundation for the Blind and worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. She is also currently a volunteer on the Consumer Advisory Panel for the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and a contributing writer to U.S. News and World Report and the Omaha World-Herald.
“I am very pleased to appoint Stacy Cervenka as the Director of the Department for the Blind,” said Gov. Reynolds. “From her experience starting as a legislative assistant to working her way up to director of public policy for a national organization, she has shown she is uniquely qualified to continue the department’s mission to empower blind Iowans to be gainfully employed and live independently.”
Cervenka has a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Texas Tech University.
“I’m honored to be appointed by Governor Reynolds to serve in this position,” said Cervenka. “The Iowa Department for the Blind has a legacy of leading the nation in innovative, high-quality services for blind and low vision people. I’m excited to build on that history by ensuring all blind Iowans have access to the services they need to enter or remain in the workforce and to live actively in their communities.”
Cervenka will start in her role on July 7, 2025.