Christopher Perry: Reflections from My First 100 Days

Reflections from My First 100 Days as President & CEO

By Christopher Perry

My first 100 days as President & CEO of Guiding Eyes have been both energizing and deeply meaningful. I’d like to take a moment now to share with you a glimpse behind the scenes.

From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the warmth, the dedication, and the heart that our employees bring to their work every single day. A high priority during my first days was getting to know the people who bring our mission to life. I visited and toured all of our facilities and held listening sessions where our staff generously shared their perspectives, passions, and ideas, which really illuminated our strengths as an organization, our challenges, and our opportunities. Their dedication to our mission is truly extraordinary. Because of them, and, of course, because of our remarkable dogs, Guiding Eyes continues to create opportunities for individuals to live more independent, confident, and fulfilling lives.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some of our volunteer puppy raisers, who devote a year-and-a-half of their lives to raising our dogs, and I’ve connected with some of our donors to understand what resonates with them most about the services that we provide. Our guide dogs and our comprehensive services are all provided free of charge to our many clients, so we are deeply thankful for the dedication of all of our many volunteers and supporters. Without their commitment, their generosity, and their unwavering belief in what we do, our work would simply not be possible.

I’ve also had the pleasure of spending time with students at our Yorktown Heights campus and connecting with many of our graduates, including during one of our Guiding Eyes Quarterly calls with graduates across the country. Hearing directly from our students and graduates has been incredibly valuable. Their insights help me to better understand the real-world challenges that they face and how we can continue to support them in thoughtful, meaningful ways.

I’ve learned so much about the science and care behind our genetics and breeding program, which takes a thoughtful, data-driven approach to cultivating the traits that make for a successful guide dog. I’ve also gained a deeper appreciation for the rigor of our training process. Our dogs complete an incredibly comprehensive, 4 to 5-month training program, and only those who meet our exacting standards graduate as guides, because the responsibility they carry leaves no margin for error. And sometimes, as we know, a dog simply wants to be a dog, not a guide, and we certainly allow for that by providing alternative pathways to service, such as working with law enforcement – or becoming a pet!

When it comes to the process of matching guide dogs with their new handlers, I’m inspired by the extraordinary care we take to create a truly personalized partnership for each graduate. We consider not only pace, but lifestyle, environment, preferences, and more, beginning with home visits before a placement is even made. While this approach may take more time upfront, it lays the foundation for a successful match and many years of stable, uninterrupted service.

There have already been many memorable moments for me thus far. I vividly remember visiting our Patterson Canine Development Center, where our dogs are born and spend their first eight weeks being gently introduced to the world of humans with early training and socialization. A staff member placed a newborn Labrador named Felice in my arms, and in that moment, I felt profoundly connected to the very beginning of a guide dog’s journey. Just four weeks later, I witnessed Felice confidently defeat a myriad of challenges and artificial distractions as she underwent her Pup Test, an early assessment we use to determine the suitability of a dog to proceed with guide dog training.  I also participated in a blindfold walk with one of our guide dogs and some of our trainers through downtown White Plains, near our Urban Training Center. As I navigated busy city streets, supported by our staff and guided by the assertive dog, I gained a deeper appreciation for the real-world challenges our clients face every day.

Another highlight was spending a full day working alongside our frontline kennel technicians at our Yorktown Training Kennel. Being directly involved in ministering to the hygienic, medical, and nutritional needs of our dogs during their many months of training gave me tremendous respect for the skill, care, and dedication required in this work. All of these experiences have deepened my understanding of our operations and reinforced my admiration for our staff’s commitment to our mission.

Looking ahead into 2026, there is much to be excited about at Guiding Eyes. We are presently exploring thoughtful and forward-looking ways to enhance our capacity, expand our services, and ensure that we are able to support and serve even more people living with vision loss. We have also launched a new employee recognition program – the Kauth Awards – named in honor of our founder, Donald Kauth. Through this program, employees, graduates, and volunteers are able to nominate Guiding Eyes staff members for recognition, and I will personally present these awards each month. One of my goals is to foster a culture of respect, appreciation, and gratitude for the difficult and meaningful work our employees do. This program is designed to celebrate those who go above and beyond in serving our mission and to strengthen the connection among our employees, students, graduates, and volunteers.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is, at its core, a community rooted in love. I am deeply humbled to be part of this vibrant and caring community of employees, students, graduates, volunteers, and supporters who so powerfully embody our mission. Working in the nonprofit sector is truly a calling, and leadership in this space means serving at the deepest level – not only our students and graduates, but also the many employees and volunteers who breathe life into our mission every day. I look forward to continuing to listen, learn, and work together to achieve the greatest possible impact for the people we serve.