Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind, a non-profit organization that provides opportunity and assistance to individuals affected by blindness and vision impairment, today announced the appointment of Hugh McElroy as chief executive officer for the organization. McElroy will oversee the agency’s 185 employees. Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind provides rehabilitation and community outreach services, manufacturing, fulfillment and business services. 

Since 1931, Dallas Lighthouse has assisted thousands of blind and sight-impaired individuals of all ages offering a solid foundation for enhancing their independence by providing jobs, job training and other support services like teaching how to use assistive technology and other critical skills.  As the largest employer of people who are blind or severely visually impaired in North Texas, the agency produces an array of high quality products for military, federal, state and commercial customers in its on-site business services, sewing and manufacturing operations.

“When I first toured Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind, I knew this was the next career step for me,” said Hugh McElroy. “I recently retired from the corporate world and saw a great opportunity to expand this organization’s services to reach thousands more in our North Texas communities. I am honored to have been chosen to engage my leadership experiences to help Dallas Lighthouse serve as many visually impaired people as possible in North Texas.” 

There are more than 150,000 individuals who are blind or visually impaired living in the 11 North Texas counties served by the organization. More than 50% of those individuals desire, and are capable of, gainful employment and a chance to live a productive and independent life. Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind provides training in employment skills along with low to no-cost adaptive living customized services. All of their instructors are blind or visually impaired, giving them a unique understanding of the day-to-day challenges that their clients experience.

Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind also has a retail store in their main offices at 4306 Capitol Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204

McElroy is a graduate of Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree. He continued post-graduate studies and further education in business management, engineering and process improvement at the Bridgeport Engineering Institute, Yale University, Duke University, and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. 

McElroy brings more than 20 years of corporate, military and industrial CEO experience along with serving as a volunteer board member of numerous non-profit organizations. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Frontiers of Flight Museum for the past 6 years; University of Texas Southwest Medical Center’s Board of Visitors; former vice-chair of the Dallas Chapter of the American Red Cross; executive advisor to the American Red Cross CEO, Southwest Region and Executive Council and Chairman Emeritus of the Millville Army Airfield Museum. He has volunteered and served on Boards of numerous other non-profit organizations throughout his career.