Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Elects Three to Board of Directors

The 14 members of the governor-appointed Commission of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) have elected their 2015 officers.  Sherry Appleby of Yuma will serve as chair; Sue Kay Kneifel of Phoenix as vice chair; and Raymond Baesler of Youngtown as secretary.

Now in her second consecutive term as chair, Appleby will preside over all Commission meetings, maintain communications through the Commission and bring concerns to the full attention of the board. She has been on the board of directors for the previous three years and is also 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.

Kneifel, on the Commission since 2011, is serving her second term as vice chair, is the statewide coordinator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at the Arizona Department of Economic Security – Rehabilitation Services Administration. 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).

This is also the second 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 staff sign language interpreter 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, ElizaBeth Garcia, Marv Lamer, Natalie Ludwig, Kathy Ann Roadlander and Chris Schneck.  ACDHH currently has three vacancies for deaf representatives.  Interested candidates can apply online at http://azgovernor.gov/bc/Application07.asp or for more information contact Melinda Villela m.villela@acdhh.az.gov or 602-542-3383.

For more information on ACDHH visit www.acdhh.org.