Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Charles M. Denny, Jr., and Dr. Anne M. Murray to the Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group. This working group was created by the 2009 Legislature (Laws of Minnesota 2009, Chapter 159, Section 110) to examine the array of needs of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, services available to meet those needs, and the capacity of the State of Minnesota and current providers to meet these and future needs.

Denny, of Minneapolis, is the retired president, CEO and chairman of ADC Telecommunications, Inc. in Minneapolis. He has been an Alzheimer’s disease caregiver since 1994 and has served as the interim co-executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota. Denny also continues to be active in the community, serving on a number of boards and councils.

Murray, of Edina, is a practicing geriatrician, internist and neuroepidemiologist at Hennepin County Medical Center. She is also an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota (U of M) with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Neurology, and the Fesler-Lampert Chair on Aging recipient at the U of M. She has a long-standing research interest in the epidemiology of dementia, and has extensive research experience in the development of protocols to assess dementia, cognitive impairment and structural brain abnormalities. Murray earned her M.D. from the University of Minnesota, completed her internal medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic, and also holds a M.Sc. epidemiology degree from Harvard School of Public Health.

The 20-member Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group includes appointments made by the Minnesota Board on Aging, who will coordinate the working group’s efforts, and two members appointed by the Governor. The working group is required to submit a report and its recommendations to the Governor and the legislature by January 15, 2011. The working group expires when the report is submitted.