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Governor Kaine Announces Appointments to State Boards and Commissions
– Appointments include Board of Education and Olmstead Board members –

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the appointment of Dr. Thomas M. Brewster of Falls Mills to serve on the State Board of Education. Brewster is an assistant professor of education at Concord University in West Virginia. He previously served as principal at Pocahontas High School in Tazewell County, and has over ten years experience in public education.

Governor Kaine also made the following appointments to other state boards and commissions:

State Lottery Board

• James M. Wofford of Suffolk will serve as a member on the State Lottery Board. Wofford is currently general manager of the MacArthur Center in Norfolk. He was previously vice-president of operations for Tidewater Hotels & Resorts in Virginia Beach.

Board of Trustees, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

• Renard A. Charity, Jr. of Richmond will serve on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Board of Trustees. Charity is currently senior vice-president of marketing long-term care for Genworth Financial. He currently serves on the Richmond Renaissance Executive Committee and the United Way Campaign Committee.

Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Commission

• Mark C. Christie of Ashland will serve on the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Commission. Christie is currently chair of the State Corporation Commission, a body he has served since 2004. He previously served as President of the State Board of Education, and as counselor and director of policy in the Office of the Governor.

Board of Medical Assistance Services

• Manikoth G. Kurup of Mineral has been reappointed as a member of the Board of Medical Assistance Services.  Kurup is currently a surgical consultant for Virginia Medicaid and First Health Services.  He was previously employed with Richmond Memorial Hospital for 18 years.
• Rose C. Chu of Falls Church has been reappointed as a member on the Board of Medical Assistance Services.  She has been a healthcare consultant for over 20 years.

Board of Commissioners, Vint Hill Economic Development Authority

• Christopher H. Johnson of Warrenton will continue to serve as chair on the Board of Commissioners for the Vint Hill Economic Development Authority, a position he has held since 2000. Johnson is an attorney with Johnson & Pump, an international commercial legal practice, and director and chair of Air Serv International.
• The Honorable Birge S. Watkins of Warrenton will serve as commissioner for the Vint Hill Economic Development Authority. Watkins is currently the vice-chairman for Landmark Atlantic Holdings, LLC and an at-large elected member of the Warrenton town council, a position he has held since 2002. He has previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Dorothy L. Wood of Warrenton will serve as commissioner on the Vint Hill Economic Development Authority. Wood is a local developer and businesses owner, and was employed for 25 years at Vint Hill during its operation as an Army communications base.

Breaks Interstate Park Commission

• William “Fearl” Colley of Dickenson will continue to serve as commissioner for the Breaks Interstate Park Commission, a position he has held since 1998. Colley has previously served three terms as Commissioner of Revenue for Dickenson County and has 18 years experience in the coal industry.

United Nations Day in Virginia

• Dawn M. Lawson of Springfield will serve as chairman of United Nations Day in Virginia. Lawson is currently a program analyst for the Defense Information Systems Agency.

Board of Conservation and Recreation

• Jennifer C. Wagner of Washington County will serve on the Board of Conservation and Recreation. She currently serves on the Appalachian Sustainable Development Board of Directors.

Olmstead Board

The Olmstead Board, created by Executive Order 2 (2006), monitors laws and studies barriers and challenges concerning community integration of Virginians with disabilities and reports their recommendations to the Governor. The Olmstead Board consists of 11 members with disabilities, including one current resident of a state mental health facility, one current resident of a state mental retardation training center, and one current resident of a nursing facility; four family members of Virginians with disabilities; and six members who provide services to Virginians with disabilities or who advocate for such persons or services.

• Carter Harrison of Cartersville was elected chair of the Olmstead Board. Harrison is a public policy coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association, a world leader in Alzheimer research and support. Harrison is also vice-president of the Virginia Coalition for the Aging. He was first appointed to the board in 2004, which was previously a committee, and has served two terms.
• Joan Manley of Lexington was elected vice-chair of the Olmstead Board. Manley is an independent living specialist for the Valley Association for Independent Living and founder and former director of the Rockbridge Area Transportation System. She served as chair of the Olmstead Initiative’s Oversight Advisory Committee from 2004-05 and is a Virginian living with a disability.
• Linda F. Wyatt of Roanoke was elected secretary of the Olmstead Board. Wyatt is a retired elementary school educator after over 30 years teaching in the Roanoke City public school system. She also served as a Roanoke city councilwoman for 10 years and is a family member of a Virginian with a disability.
• Keith Kessler of Woodbridge is founder of the Disabled Action Committee, an organization of advocates for people with disabilities seeking change through voting. Kessler has served on the board since 2005 and is a Virginian with a disability.
• Doris M. Ray of Falls Church is the advocacy and outreach coordinator with the ENDependence Center of NOVA. Ray actively participated on the Olmstead Task Force from 2002-03 and was first appointed to serve on the board in 2005. She is a Virginian living with a disability.
• Byron M. Stith, Jr., of Richmond is an outreach manager with Vocal Network. He was first appointed to the board in 2005 and is a citizen with a disability.
• Charles S. Brown of Arlington is currently assistant general counsel with the National Science Foundation. Brown is also first vice-president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers and national treasurer for the National Federation for the Blind. He was first appointed to the board in 2004 and is a Virginian living with a disability.
• Kelly Allen Hickok of Richmond is a community advocate for Resources for Independent Living, Inc., an organization advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. Hickock is a citizen with a disability.
• Ed Turner of Richmond is a sub-project director for the VCU Medical Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Project. He has previously served on the State Independent Living Council and the Virginia Board for Rights of Virginians with Disabilities. He is citizen with a disability.
• H. Craig Fabian of Midlothian is an independent computer consultant and has over ten years working with people with spinal cord injuries as a peer educator. He is a Virginian living with a disability.
• John Contreras of Salem is a former licensed counselor. He is currently a Virginia nursing home resident.
• Eric D. Edmonds of Williamsburg is a resident of a state mental health facility.
• James Proels of Fairfax is a resident of a mental retardation training center.
• Clarissa “Chris” Riely of Midlothian is the executive director of Arc of Virginia, an organization that advocates for and supports individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities and their families. Riely has previously worked as executive director for the Alzheimer’s Association.
• Nita Grignol of Richmond is director of the Office for Catholics with Disabilities for the Diocese of Richmond. Grignol serves as the president of the Arc of Virginia Board. She has served on the Olmstead Board since 2002 and is a family member of a Virginian with a disability.
• Patricia E. Bennett of Vienna is the co-founder and first president of the Parents and Associates of the Institutionalized Retarded of Virginia and a former board member of Arc of Northern Virginia. Bennett was first appointed to the Olmstead Board in 2005 and is a family member of a Virginian with a disability.
• Lana L. Hurt of Cross Junction is a project coordinator and former executive director for the Arc of North Shenandoah Valley, a membership organization that supports and improves the lives of those with intellectual and development disabilities. Hurt is a family member of a Virginian with a disability.
• Debra M. Ruh of Hanover is president and CEO of TecAccess, a company that employs diverse professionals, most with disabilities, and specializes in accessibility, Section 508, and Section 255 compliance solutions. Ruh is a member of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the family member of a Virginian with a disability.
• Mary Lynne Bailey of Richmond is vice-president of legal and government affairs for the Virginia Health Care Association, a membership organization that provides nearly 300 licensed nursing and assisted living facilities with education, advisory, and counseling services. Bailey has served on the board since 2004.
• Rev. L. William Yolton of Alexandria is parish associate at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church and works with mental health advocacy. Yolton has previously served on the Local Human Rights Committee of the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute and the Mental Health Planning Council. He has served on the board since 2005.
• Kirby Wright of Danville is director of R.C. Right – C & K Group Homes. Wright has 37 years experience in Pittsylvania county public schools and was first appointed to the board in 2005.

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