Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Jana Hilleren Garcia, Steve Glynn, Melissa Malen, and Fannie Primm to the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF).

Jana Hilleren Garcia, of Benson, currently serves as a FLES Coordinator (Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools) for the West Central Integration Collaborative. She is appointed to a position for an education representative and will serve a four-year term which ends January 4, 2010. Garcia fills the seat formerly held by Beverly Sullivan.

Steve Glynn, of Mendota Heights, currently serves as the president of Glynn Building Products Company. He is appointed to a position for a business representative and will serve a four-year term which ends January 4, 2010. Glynn fills the seat formerly held by Gary Floss.

Melissa Malen, of St. Paul, is a consultant and coach at Malen Consulting. She is appointed to a position for an education representative and will serve a term which ends January 7, 2008. Garcia fills the seat formerly held by Angela Judd.

Fannie Primm, of Minneapolis, is a former teacher and the current chief executive officer at Vanguard Realty. She is appointed to a position for an education representative and will serve a four-year term which ends January 4, 2010. Primm was first appointed to the MAEF board in December 2004.

The Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) identifies and presents awards to outstanding students, educators, and supporters of education. MAEF provides teachers with educational tools such as the Classroom Quality Program. MAEF also administers the Education Quality Leadership Academy and offers workshops and training sessions to help school leaders improve school performance. MAEF is governed by a 21 member board of directors appointed by the Governor.