Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Robert W. Johnson, Pamela Lillehei, and Kimberly Tyler; and the reappointment of Edward Butterfass, Judith Friesen, Laurie Hassett, Mark Hughes, Kathleen Peterson, Kenneth Rodgers, Rev. David Lee Sams, John Schumacher, Barbara Stensland, Joani Werner, and Kathleen Wingen to the Council on Disability.

Butterfass, of Watkins, owns and operates a dairy farm in Meeker County. He serves on the Heartland Community Action Board, volunteers with Fence Line – a group affiliated with the AgrAbility Project which assists people with disabilities employed in agriculture, and is a past president of the Meeker County Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Butterfass, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2005, is reappointed as a representative of Region 6 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Friesen, of Madelia, has been the Brown County Assessor since 1992, and previously held positions as an appraiser with Brown County and the Madelia City Assessor. She is a past chair of the Minnesota Association of Assessing Officers Education Board and a former board member of the North Central Regional Association of Assessing Officers. Friesen, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2008, is reappointed as a representative of Region 9 to a term that expires on January 2, 2012.

Hassett, of Red Wing, is a program director with Lutheran Social Services where she manages the overall operation of six group homes for adults with disabilities in the Red Wing community as well as a semi-independent program for adults with disabilities in Goodhue County. Previously, she assisted individuals with disabilities with the Interstate Rehabilitation Center in Red Wing, and with the Vasa Children’s Home in Red Wing. Hassett, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2008, is reappointed as a representative of Region 10 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Hughes, of Shoreview, is vice president of Hughes Construction, and a receptionist with Fleet Management. His community activities include serving on the St. Paul Mayors Committee for People with Disabilities, and he is the executive producer of “Disability Viewpoints”, a local cable television show on the Minnesota Channel.

Hughes, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2001, is reappointed as a representative of Region 11 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Johnson, of Fergus Falls, is the community services director with Productive Alternatives, where he helps persons with disabilities gain employment in the community. He is a member of the regional Adult Mental Health Initiative, chaired the Vikingland Community Support Program for 10 years, and served on the Governor’s Council on Assistive Technology. Johnson replaces Brian Wagner on the Council on Disability as a representative of Region 4 and is appointed to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Lillehei, of Breezy Point, is a substitute teacher and English as a second language tutor with the Pequot Lakes Schools. She has a professional background in human resources, where she created and revised employment position descriptions with particular attention to federal disability requirements, and has served as the disability representative on the V.A. Medical Center’s Equal Employment Opportunities Council. Lillehei has a master’s degree in industrial relations, and has had extensive mediation training. Lillehei replaces Russell Pihlstrom on the Council on Disability as a representative of Region 5 to complete a term that expires on January 3, 2011.

Peterson, of Warren, coordinates services for deaf and hard of hearing students through Disability Services for Students at the University of North Dakota. Services include interpreting, real time captioning and post-production captioning. She is a member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and has provided sign language interpreter services for area churches. Peterson has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services with an emphasis in deafness. Peterson, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2002, is reappointed as a representative of Region 1 to a term that expires on January 3, 2011.

Rodgers, of Minneapolis, has a professional background as a registered nurse, and has an associate’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. He served two terms as president of the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, served on the membership committee of the National American Council of the Blind (NACB), chaired the host committee for the 2007 NACB convention in Minneapolis, and has been a member of the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Access Advisory Committee. Rodgers, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2005, is reappointed as a representative of Region 11 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Sams, of Redwood Falls, is a retired Episcopal minister, was a rehabilitation counselor with the State of Minnesota for 12 years, and has 35 years of experience working with persons with disabilities. His community activities have included serving on the Southwestern Center for Independent Living and Rural Enterprises for Acceptable Living. Sams has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Mankato State University. Sam, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2001, is reappointed as a representative of Region 8 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Schumacher, of New Prague, is a chef, author of eight cookbooks, licensed auctioneer, and – with his wife, Kathleen – owns and operates Schumacher’s Hotel and Grill 212 in New Prague. They have owned Schumacher’s Hotel since 1974. He has achieved all these accomplishments in spite of having dyslexia. Schumacher, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2008, is reappointed as a representative of Region 9 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Stensland, of Bemidji, is the area director for northern Minnesota with Lutheran Social Services, where she supervises services for persons with disabilities. Previously, she co-owned an eight-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally challenged for 14 years. Stensland, a licensed social worker and a qualified mental retardation professional, has a bachelor of science degree in special and elementary education from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Stensland, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2004, is reappointed as a representative of Region 2 for a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Tyler, of Hibbing, has been the executive director of the Center for Independent Living of Northeastern Minnesota in Hibbing for 18 years. She is a member and past president of the Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living, and has served on numerous community commissions, boards and committees, including the Elder Services Network, and Transition Task Force. Tyler has graduate level certification in school psychology, chemical dependency counseling and behavior analysis. Tyler replaces Joanne Olson on the Council on Disability as a representative of Region 3 for a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Werner, of Arden Hills, is an area work incentive coordinator with the U.S. Social Security Administration in St. Paul, where she serves as a regional expert on employment support for social security disability programs. She has over 24 years of experience and has a special interest in working with youth with disabilities. Her community activities include serving on the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living Board. Werner, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2005, is reappointed as a representative of Region 11 to a term that expires on January 7, 2013.

Wingen, of St. Cloud, is the volunteer attorney program coordinator with Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. in St. Cloud. Her previous positions have included serving as executive director of the Central Minnesota Center for Independent Living, Inc., and the handicap services director with Tri-County Action Programs, Inc. in St. Cloud. Wingen, who has been a member of the Council on Disability since 2005, is reappointed as a representative of Region 7 to a term that expires on January 2, 2012.

The Council on Disability advises the Governor, state agencies, the Legislature, and the public on matters pertaining to public policy and the administration of programs, services, and facilities for persons who have a disability. The Council consists of 16 members, including at least one member from each of Minnesota’s state development regions, who serve three-years terms and are appointed by the Governor.