Tim Gracey

I am retired and except for attending the University of Northern Iowa to earn a BA in Psychology and an MA in Counseling, I have always lived in Des Moines.  I contracted polio at the age of three weeks and have faced mobility barriers all of my life.

I am married to Marcia, a farm girl I met at UNI and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren.  I worked for Goodwill Industries for 4 years and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation for over 30 years as a rehabilitation counselor and manager of their Independent Living, where I became familiar with the Iowa Department for the Blind.

When I retired, my friends urged me to spend my "free" time reading for IRIS radio and narrating books for the blind at the Dept.  I read the DSM Register on the first and third Wednesdays and have already narrated over 40 books. Both activities are great fun and allow me to keep in touch with my friends at IDB.

Kim Brown

I am Kim Brown, and I reside in Wapello, Iowa. I am a retired teacher of blind and visually impaired students. I have been a patron of the library since I began to read.   I have two children and three grandchildren. My son has  also been a library user since he was born. I enjoy reading, traveling, boating, and spending time with my family. 

Don Shepherd

 I was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia.  I graduated with a BA from West Virginia University and a PhD from the University of Notre Dame.  I taught for six years at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.  After that I worked at the Iowa Department of Public Health.  I retired at the end of 2017 and since have been becoming more active in volunteer activities.

As soon as I arrived in Iowa in 1979 I contacted the Library at the Department for the Blind to get established.  Reading is my favorite activity as I have a love of learning.  I am also fond of music.

I was married but am now divorced.  I have a daughter who lives in Kansas City and three grandsons who are all smart as whips.