Kirk Adams

Kirk Adams is the President and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. located in Washington State. The mission of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. is to create and enhance opportunities for independence and self-sufficiency of people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities. The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. currently employs over 350 individuals, 220 of whom have a visual disability.

Adams, the Lighthouse’s first blind president, lost his vision at age five due to bilateral retinal detachment. He attended the Oregon School for the Blind as a day student before entering the public school system in fifth grade. As a young man, Kirk excelled in both academics and athletics ─ participating in track, wrestling, and cross-country skiing. In 1980, he climbed Mt. Rainier with famed climber Jim Whittaker. A Phi Betta Kappa Whitman College graduate in Economics, Kirk worked as a securities broker for Puget Sound Securities prior to entering the not-for-profit sector.

Prior to joining the Lighthouse in 2000, Adams spent fifteen years in the non-profit sector. He has held various management positions during his career, including Director of Philanthropy, Director of Public Relations and Resource Development, and General Manager of Administration. He has his Masters in Not-For-Profit Leadership from Seattle University and a Certified Fundraising Certificate from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2005, Adams completed the Business Management Training Program at Darden University of Virginia. Kirk has over fifteen years of board experience and currently serves on the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind.