President Bush Names
New Members to the Board
(2/20/04) |
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In
February, President George W. Bush named Pamela Dorwarth of Sarasota,
Florida, and Gary L. Talbot of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the Access Board.
The President also reappointed Denis Pratt
of
Kennebunk, Maine. |
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Dorwarth is an active member of various government and community organizations. She has worked on accessibility issues relating transportation, building codes, and voting through appointments to several state entities, including the Florida Department of Transportation, the Department of Community Affairs, and special task forces. She also has served on county advisory boards on accessibility compliance, city planning, public transportation, and women’s issues, and has been a member of nonprofit organizations devoted to community and human services, disability rights, and education. She has received many awards recognizing her service to the community. Dorwarth has previously worked as a teacher, in the legal services field, and in the airline industry. |
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Talbot is a vehicle system engineer with General Motors (GM) who
previously managed GM’s Mobility Center. The GM Mobility Center engineers
and develops vehicle features and options specially designed for customers
with disabilities and seniors. Talbot currently co-chairs the GM Affinity
Group for Persons with Disabilities, which consists of employees and
retirees with and without disabilities who provide suggestions for
improving access to facilities, transportation, communications, and
employment opportunities for people with disabilities. As part of this
work, the GM Mobility Center with the GM Affinity Group conducts research
on customer needs and preferences for vehicle adaptations. Previous to
his career at GM, he worked as a nationally certified automotive
technician. Talbot, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the
University
of Michigan, is active in various trade and civic organizations. He is
chair of the Adaptive Devices Standards Committee for the Society of
Automotive Engineers and is on the board of directors of the Ann Arbor
Center for Independent Living and of Deaf and Hearing Impaired Services,
Inc. He also serves as an officer for the Knights of Columbus Council
8989. |
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Pratt, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, is a licensed
architect who specializes in accessible design and universal design. He
has over 30 years of diversified experience on a wide range of privately
and publicly funded building projects. His clients include state
agencies, municipal governments, school districts, hospitals, non-profit organizations, businesses and home owners,
large corporations, among others. Since 1992, he has been employed by
Alpha One, an independent living center that provides technical assistance and training on making public facilities and housing
accessible. Founded in 1980, Alpha One also provides guidance on
complying with the
ADA and access
regulations issued by the State of Maine. Access services include
compliance surveys, plan reviews, worksite evaluations, workshops, and
other services. At Alpha One, Pratt has been involved in hundreds of
access design consultations, projects, and presentations. Before joining
Alpha One, he was employed as a project architect for a small
architectural firm in southern Maine. Pratt was also previously employed
by the Maine State Housing Authority and the State of Maine Office of
Energy Resources. He was first appointed to the Access Board in 2003. |
The new members will be sworn in at a meeting of the Board to be held March 10, 2004. The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal agencies and to directly represent the public. Half its members are representatives from most of the Federal departments. The other half is comprised of members of the public appointed by the President to four-year terms, a majority of whom must have a disability. The new appointees succeed public members Marilynn Porter and J. Richard Thesing who were appointed to the Board by President Clinton. |
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