Governor Gregoire Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

For Immediate Release: June 22, 2007

Citizens appointed from Cowiche, Port Townsend, Renton, Seattle, West Richland, Winthrop and Yakima

OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire today announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:

Washington Arts Commission
Monte Bridges of Renton has been reappointed to a term effective July 29, 2007, ending July 28, 2010. Dr. Bridges is the superintendent and chief executive officer of the Puget Sound Educational Service District, serving 380,000 students and 35 school districts. He is the chair of the Arts Education Subcommittee.

Cindy Hill Finnie of Port Townsend has been reappointed to a term effective July 29, 2007, ending July 28, 2010. Ms. Finnie is a market distribution leader for Allstate Insurance. She has been a member of the Board of Directors for Centrum, an organization supporting art and creativity in all forms, since 1998 and served as the board president from 2000 - 2005.

Katherine Jones of Winthrop has been reappointed to a term effective July 29, 2007, ending July 28, 2010. Ms. Jones is the executive director for the Methow Arts Alliance. She represents the art community on the Okanogan County Economic Alliance and was the vice president of the Washington Arts Alliance from 2004 - 2006.

The Commission promotes the growth and development of the arts within Washington, advises state agencies and officials on matters pertaining to the arts and administers appropriations set aside for acquiring works of art for public buildings.

State School for the Blind Board of Trustees
Annabelle Fitts of Seattle has been reappointed to a term effective July 2, 2007, ending July 1, 2011. Ms. Fitts recently retired after serving over thirty-three years as a special needs educator for the visually impaired. She is a member of the Association for Educators and Rehabilitation Workers for the Visually Impaired and is a driver for weekend activities coordinated by the Department of Services for the Blind.

James Kemp of Cowiche has been appointed to a term effective July 2, 2007, ending July 1, 2012. Mr. Kemp is a retired educator. He served on the board of the Lion Sight Foundation and, as the district sight chair, received three International Sight Chairman awards.

The Board serves the educational needs of visually impaired and blind students across Washington and develops a comprehensive curriculum to maximize and develop students' skills to live, work and be capable, contributing, independent citizens.

Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission
Abdul Alkezweeny of West Richland has been reappointed to at term effective July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Dr. Alkezweeny is a retired research professor of atmospheric science from the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska. He also taught at the Center for Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Alkezweeny serves as the public member of the board.

Mark Koday of Yakima has been reappointed to a term effective July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Dr. Koday is the dental director for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic and worked for the U.S Public Health Service in the area of Indian Health Services. He is a member of the New Hope (HIV/AIDS) Clinic Advisory Board. Mr. Koday is an adjunct professor in the School of Dentistry at the Oregon Health and Science University and an affiliate with the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Washington. He is the chair of the Commission.

The Commission regulates the competency and quality of dental professionals by establishing, monitoring and enforcing qualifications for licensure, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms and discipline.

Gambling Commission
John Ellis of Seattle has been reappointed to a term effective July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2013.
Mr. Ellis has been appointed to serve as the chair of the Gambling Commission. He is a lawyer with the law offices of John R. Ellis and served in the Washington State Attorney General�s Office holding several positions, including Deputy Attorney General, Senior Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant Attorney General. He was on the Asbestos Litigation Committee and the National Antitrust Task Force for the National Association of Attorney Generals and the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Section of the Washington Bar Association.

The Commission licenses, inspects, investigates and audits organizations, businesses and individuals participating in authorized gambling activities.

State Board of Health
Frankie Manning of Seattle has been reappointed to a term effective July 2, 2007, ending July 1, 2011. Ms. Manning works for Puget Sound Health Care System as the associate director of nursing service for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She founded Family Clinic Service for Women and Children and was a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Nurse Corps.

The Board is the primary entity for state health policy development and is required to produce a biennial report outlining the state's health priorities.

Housing Finance Commission
M.A. Leonard of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Ms. Leonard is the northwest region vice president for the National Equity Fund. She has worked for the Washington Community Development Loan Fund, the Seattle Housing Authority and Lane County Housing and Community Services Agency. She is a member of Common Ground, the Bank of America Rural Advisory Committee and the Washington Housing Trust Fund policy advisory team.

Mario Villanueva of Yakima has been appointed to a term effective July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Mr. Villanueva is the director for the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services. He was the vice-chair of the Washington Low Income Housing Network, a member of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance Board and has served on the Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the Farm Worker Subcommittee.

The Commission issues revenue bonds and participates in federal, state and local housing programs to make additional funds available to help provide low to moderate income housing across Washington without the use of public funds or state credit.

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