NEWS
CONTACT: RACHEL BROCKWAY(602) 957-8881 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
ARIZONA COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF AND THE HARD OF HEARING
ELECTS THREE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(Phoenix, Ariz.) – The 14 members of the governor-appointed Commission of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) have elected their 2014 officers. Sherry Appleby of Yuma will serve as chair; Sue Kay Kneifel of Phoenix as vice chair; and Raymond Baesler of Youngtown as secretary.
Her second time serving as an officer, Appleby is involved with the Hearing Loss Association of America –Yuma Chapter, and has been dispensing hearing aids for more than 30 years as a Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist. In this position, Appleby will preside over all Commission meetings, maintain communications through the Commission and bring concerns to the full attention of the board.
Kneifel is a rehabilitation counselor for the Deaf and statewide coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Arizona Department of Economic Security - Rehabilitation Services Administration. Serving on the Commission since 2011, she will be responsible for coordinating public comments in meetings and supporting the chair. She is a member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and the statewide coordinator of the Deaf professional group.
This is the first term as a board officer for Baesler, who has been involved with the Commission since 2009. He is also active with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and is a communication and world language faculty member at Glendale Community College. His main duties as secretary are to track all meeting minutes and keep record of agendas.
Established in 1977 to improve the quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing residents, ACDHH serves as a statewide information referral center for issues related to people with hearing loss and aspires to be a national leader in communication access, support services and community empowerment throughout the state. The purpose of the organization, and its commissioners, is to ensure, in partnership with the public and private sector, accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing to improve their quality of life. Other commissioners include Stephanie Adamovich, Robert Baber, Elizabeth Booth, David Curry, Tina Duresky, Robert Hill, Robert Kirschbaum, Kathy Ann Roadlander, Chris Schneck, Maureen D. Sydnor and Juliann Wasisco.
For more information on ACDHH or to learn about the current Board of Directors, visit www.acdhh.org.
-30-