Saint Paul -- Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the reappointment of Elise Knopf and the appointment of Timothy Jaech to the Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (MCDHH).

Elise Knopf, of Minneapolis, is Program Coordinator at the Minnesota Employment Center for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, a non-profit agency. She previously served as Interim Division Director and Refugee Case Management Coordinator at CSD of Minnesota. Knopf also served as a Case Manager for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Knopf received a B.A. in History and Women's Studies from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. She also received a M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. Knopf is appointed to an at-large seat on the Commission and will serve a three-year term which ends January 1, 2007. Knopf was first appointed to the MCDHH in 2003.

Timothy Jaech, of Faribault, previously served as a School Administration Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. He retired from this position in June 2003. From 1992 to 1996, Jaech served as the Superintendent for the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan, Wisconsin. He also twice served as a Principal at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, California.

Jaech received a B.S. in Education for the Deaf from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. He also received a M.A. in Administration and Supervision in Education from California State University, Northridge. Jaech is appointed to the Commission seat for a representative of the Southeast Advisory Council and will serve a term which ends January 2, 2006. He fills the seat formerly held by Doug Marquardt.

The Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (MCDHH) serves as the principal state agency advocating on behalf of deaf, deaf-blind, and hard-of-hearing Minnesotans and working to ensure they have equal access to the services, programs, and opportunities available to others. The Commission is made up of 15 members appointed by the Governor.