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The 2025 North Dakota Legislative Session is in full swing. Every odd-numbered year, starting in January, the North Dakota Legislature meets for a maximum of 80 days to pass new legislation and approve the state’s budget for the next biennium, which begins July 1.

Legislative activities are followed closely by state agencies, including North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind, as agencies’ budgets for the next two years are set by appropriations bills. Each agency plays an active role in the budget bill process, with the leader of each agency often making multiple trips to Bismarck, either virtually or in-person, over the course of the 80-day session to propose and defend their agency’s budget request. But preparations for the legislative session begin months before the legislature convenes in January.

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NDVS/SB Financial Assistant

Capable. Kind. Flexible. People who end up working at ND Vision Services/School for the Blind seem to always possess these traits. Our newest hire, Tallena Thom, is no different. Tallena is the Financial Assistant at NDVS/SB, but her duties go beyond accounting. Her title, she says, “doesn’t justify everything I’ll be doing. I’m excited to learn different roles and wear many hats like everyone else.” Her supervisor, Business Manager Paula Solheim, has full confidence in Tallena’s abilities. “She is very adaptable. She is not afraid to take something on to help make sure everything will run smoothly,” Paula says. Paula and Tallena have worked together before, which made them both even more certain this job would be a perfect fit. “Tallena is always willing to help with whatever anyone needs,” Paula says. “If she doesn’t know something, she will certainly find out and make it happen. I am so glad she is here with us!” Read on to learn more about Tallena.

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NDVS/SB Maintenance Supervisor

Arik Solheim wasn’t expecting to change jobs this winter. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to end up working alongside his wife, Paula Solheim, Business Manager at NDVS/SB. “When you’re happy at your current job, you’re never really looking for a new job,” he said. But when Paula told him that the Maintenance Supervisor position would be opening at NDVS/SB, he knew he better jump at the chance. “I knew some of the people there and the dynamic of the team, and that really appealed to me. I applied, and here I am,” he said. In just a few short weeks, Arik has made himself right at home at NDVS/SB and has kept up its reputation for its well-cared for grounds. “I oversee our maintenance and housekeeping, which means making sure we keep up this building’s great appearance inside and out,” he explains. With Arik’s experience in facility management and his hobby as a DIY-er, the building is sure to shine. Find out more about Arik by reading on.

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by Tracy Wicken, Project Chair, NDVS/SB Technology and Lions Club Member

There is an exciting project underway, and your support is needed to make it happen. We hope to be able to install a life-size bronze statue representing the service and support that NDVS/SB provides to persons of all ages with vision loss throughout North Dakota. The statue also represents Lions Clubs and their members and the service and support they give to vision-related projects as well to people with vision loss in North Dakota and around the world. We are calling this project “Statue of Service.”  This bronze statue, along with a resting area, will be placed on the grounds of NDVS/SB in Grand Forks to represent that service as well as inform people of the location of NDVS/SB.

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by Cindy Williams
NDVS/SB Coordinator of Student Programs

The first semester of the school year seemed to fly by faster than usual. During this time, we had a full house for our numerous student programs. This included our middle school program in September, “The World Around Us – Learning Through Exploration,” themed around exploring the community; our elementary program in October, “Falling into the ECC,” themed around all things fall; and our teen program for 10^th - 12^th graders focused on career exploration and skills of independent living. Our last program of the semester, for our 7^th - 10^th grade students, included venturing to the Metigoshe/Bottineau area where we collaborated with Annie's House at Bottineau Winter Park. While there, our students participated in some outdoor fun and adventures the first weekend of December.

What exactly happens when students attend our short-term programs (STPs)? Well, read on, and I will explain! 

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