Executive director has a heart for people with special needs

By Andrea Busche

TheLighthouse Center for Vision

Loss is an invaluable resource for the visually impaired. The facility itself consists of many components, including a kitchen, where trained professionals teach the blind how to cook and safely navigate a kitchen, including the use of a knife, oven and stovetop.

There is also a Lighthouse store, where items such as talking calculators, magnifiers, bump dots and other useful items can be purchased. The Lighthouse also contains a technology lab, Braille classrooms, and even a studio for Newspaper of the Air and the Talking Book Program; a free, closed-circuit news and information service that broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This organization employs 14 people, including instructors, occupational therapists and more; some of whom are sighted, and some of whom are blind or visually impaired. Randy Rusnak, for instance, is a technology instructor who teaches the use of tablets, laptops, smart phones and other devices to the visually impaired. Rusnak also is blind.

The leader of this vital community resource is Mary Junnila. She has been executive director since 2010. With a background in public policy, Junnila began her career in Washington, D.C. But when one of her sons was born with a disability, helping people with special needs became a driving force in her life.

History

This year marks the centennial anniversary for Lighthouse, located at 4505 W. Superior St. The organization was started in 1919 by Bertha Hanford, a 33-year-old woman who lost her sight at age 17. Hanford was the first state agent for the blind in Duluth. “She got the community behind her for support, and she wouldn’t settle for patronizing views of the blind,” Junnila said.

The Lighthouse has a strong history of female leadership. It has been led by women for 51 of its 100 years. Today, in addition to Junnila, the Lighthouse’s associate director and chairperson of the board are both women.

Background of a leader

Junnila was born in Grand Rapids, Minn., and has two older siblings. After her parents’ divorce when she was 9, Junnila moved to Oregon with her mother. The family later settled in Tennessee, where Junnila graduated high school.

Minnesota was never far from her heart, however. “Although I spent summers here, I missed Minnesota so much,” she said. “I could physically feel how much I missed the water.”

So, she returned for college. Junnila earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. At the time, jobs in her field were tough to come by in

Minnesota, so she did some moving around, first to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she worked in the corporate finance training program for General Electric, and later to Washington, D.C., where she got a job at the Brookings Institution.

Junnila was immensely bright and eager, and entered Harvard’s graduate program as a Kennedy Fellow. She graduated in 1989 with a Master’s Degree in public policy.

Despite her impressive education, however, her future remained unclear. “I wanted to make a difference, but didn’t know how,” she said. “I’m academic by nature, but was interested in youth and education issues.”

Return to Minnesota

Junnila developed an impressive professional network in Washington and held a few prestigious jobs before making the decision to return to Minnesota. Her father, a former lawyer, had recently purchased Lutsen Mountains, and her brother and brotherin-law, both lawyers, also moved to Minnesota to join the family business. “I wanted to serve people more directly, so I decided to spend a winter at Lutsen as a springboard to look for jobs in Duluth or the Twin Cities,” Junnila said.

Due to the twists and turns inherent in every life, a single winter evolved into a decade spent in Cook County. Junnila met her future husband, Bill Junnila, a teacher, when he was working as a ski instructor and head of the ski school at Lutsen. Bill was also originally from Grand Rapids.

“We had an instant connection on so many levels,” Junnila said. “We shared the same hometown; we both love the outdoors and the water.” The two were married at Lutsen Church and had their wedding reception at the Lutsen Chalet.

For a time, Junnila ran the Lutsen Mountains restaurant. Later, she got a job as executive director for the Cook County/Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority. She also started the Cook County Higher Education Project, which is still in existence 20 years later. The Junnilas became owners of the retail shop at Lutsen Mountains, which they still own today.

Shortly after marriage, the Junnilas welcomed their first son, Eric, who is now 24. Eric was born with cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock care. It was difficult to find reliable help for their son, and the couple ultimately decided to move to Duluth. They later added another child to the family, a son, Andy, now 17, whom they adopted from Korea.

Personal connection to the job

Junnila got the job as executive director for Lighthouse in 2010. For her, this job was very personal. “I have a lot of family members with vision loss,” she said. “My mom has macular degeneration, and my dad has glaucoma.

My son Eric has some vision loss, too.”

Junnila explained that, in addition to dealing with blindness, some of the clients who are helped by the Lighthouse have other disabilities, too. “Working with people with disabilities really pulls at my heartstrings,” she added.

Since coming on board, Junnila has added several helpful programs to Lighthouse, including Safe at Home with Vision Loss, the Teen Transition Program, and Technology and Me. Last year, the Lighthouse served 1,700 people across the state of Minnesota, and Junnila hopes to reach many more.

The Junnila family resides in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood with their dogs, Deacon and Quavo. They enjoy hiking, biking and spending time at their cabin an hour north of Duluth. “Being out in the woods really speaks to me,” Junnila said.

One young man’s story

Austin Horstmann visits the Lighthouse almost every day to take advantage of the many services available to him. He has been blind his entire 18 years. At the Lighthouse, he participates in the orientation and mobility training, where he learns to navigate public spaces, along with the techniques of daily living sessions.

Horstmann volunteers at the Great Lakes Aquarium and mows lawns to earn money, pushing the mower as a friend helps him steer and navigate.

While Horstmann has no vision, he retains an almost encyclopedic memory of cars and tractors. When asked about some of the misconceptions of the blind, Horstmann said, “A lot of people say you can’t do this, or you can’t do that. But I can tear an engine apart right in front of you.”

Spreading the word

The Lighthouse offers hope to many people in the form of support groups, occupational therapy sessions, Braille training, adjustment to blindness training, and many other resources for individuals who have lost the ability to see. With a bit of assistance and training, the blind can do many of the same things as sighted people, including cooking, reading, playing cards, riding the bus and more.

While the Lighthouse isn’t directly connected with any other medical networks, they have the ability to bill medical insurance, and doctors can make referrals there. And, while the Lighthouse is a great place for people to receive services, many of their offerings are also done right in the person’s own residence.

Junnila wants to spread the word about services offered by the Lighthouse, and tell people that there is hope. “We know there are so many people out there we can help,” she said. “One in three working-age adults with vision loss has an increased risk of depression or falling. So much of that is preventable. By connecting with more people, we are literally saving and transforming lives.”

For more information, please visit lcfvl.org.