Every year, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) engages its many divisions and units in professional development to encourage the growth and sustainability of the organization through the Leadership Institute. This gathering, typically in Alexandria, Virginia, is an amazing opportunity to connect with professionals from across the U.S. and Canada who are deeply committed to special education and to learn about the diverse efforts that our collective units are working on. In early July 2016, Nicole Johnson, Division Secretary and I, President-Elect attended on behalf of DVIDB, not only to participate in the training opportunities but to share our Division’s unique perspective within the larger CEC organization. Although there were many valuable aspects of the Leadership Institute, we would like to summarize 5 gems or “take-aways” from the gathering that specifically pertain to our own growth and viability as a Division within this larger community and to reflect how our organization contributes to the fields of visual impairment and deafblindness as a whole.