Combat Blindness International has announced that the president of its board of directors, Reena Chandra Rajpal, MPH, will also assume the role of Executive Director.
She will continue her role as board president as she assumes the Executive Director role.
Rajpal was the Director of Development for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, according to a press release from the organization. Prior to this, she was the Director of Development at Combat Blindness International for six years and joined the CBI Board of Directors in 2013. Reena brings with her 18 years of experience in strategic planning, development, grant making and management for nonprofit organizations, higher education and international NGOs.
“Combat Blindness International has been in my heart and soul since I was a little girl,” Rajpal said in a statement. “CBI’s ability to help so many people around the world for so little is incredible. For $25, you can give someone their whole world back. That, to me, is impact and I’m proud to be a part of this organization.”
Combat Blindness International was established by Dr. Suresh Chandra in 1984. The organization’s mission is to eliminate preventable blindness worldwide by providing sustainable, equitable solutions for sight through partnerships and innovation. CBI currently has international projects in India, Paraguay, Gambia, Botswana, and the United States, according to a release. To date, they have provided over 360,000 cataract surgeries and screened over 2 million men, women, and children for eye conditions. Domestically, CBI partners with Madison School District and UW-Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences to provide screenings and glasses for children and adults who couldn’t otherwise afford optometric and ophthalmological care.
