Governor Abbott Appoints Six To Governor’s Committee On People With Disabilities
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Nancy Miloy Clemmer and Richard Martinez and reappointed Aaron W. Bangor, Heather C. Griffith-Dhanjal, Phoene “Faye” Kuo and Marco A. Treviño to the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities for terms set to expire February 1, 2018. The committee recommends changes in disability policies and programs and supports a network of committees on people with disabilities, issues awards to promote greater awareness, and promotes compliance with disability related laws.
Nancy Miloy Clemmer of Austin is the owner of Academic Strategies, LLC, which provides families with special education advocacy services. She recently retired from education, where she served as a middle school counselor as well as a high school and elementary teacher. She is a member of the Public Policy Committee and former member of the Wellness Committee for the Texas Counseling Association. She is also a mentor at Kealing Middle School. Clemmer received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas State University and a Master of Arts in counseling from Prairie View A&M University.
Richard Martinez of San Antonio is a grant manager and compliance coordinator for VIA Metropolitan Transit. He is a former government relations officer for the Texas Department of Transportation and assistant to the border commerce coordinator for the Secretary of State Office. He also worked for several U.S. Secretaries of Transportation, the Executive Office of President George H. W. Bush and U.S. Congressman Henry Bonilla. He is a graduate of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Alex Briseño Leadership Development Program and former parish council member and Archbishop’s Appeal Chair for St. Elizabeth Catholic Church. Martinez received a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M International University.
Aaron W. Bangor, Ph.D. of Austin serves as chair of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. He is the Lead Accessible Technology Architect at AT&T. He is a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. He is also a board certified Human Factors Professional and a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. He serves on national and international committees regarding the usability and accessibility of technology and received numerous patents relating to accessibility. Bangor received a Bachelor of Arts in economics, Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering, Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in human factors engineering from Virginia Tech.
Heather Griffith-Dhanjal of Fort Worth is an occupational therapy practitioner. She is chairwoman of the Fort Worth Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities and a volunteer for MyRide in Tarrant County. She is also a policy resource panelist for the City of Fort Worth’s Master Thoroughfare Plan and a member of the AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities Planning Committee for the City of Fort Worth. She is a past member of the consumer advisory team for REACH, Inc., a resource center on independent living and the American Occupational Therapy Association and past membership coordinator for the Association for Worksite Health Promotion. Griffith received a Bachelor of Science from Texas Woman’s University.
P. Faye Kuo, J.D. of Austin is the chief legal officer for Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. She is a member of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Disability Advisory Committee, Subcommittee for Video Programming, Relay and Equipment Distribution and the Subcommittee for Emergency Communications. She is a past member of the FCC Advisory Committee for Diversity and the State Bar of Texas Disability Rights Committee. She is also a past board member of the Greater Austin Foundation for the Deaf and a past member of the American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights. Kuo received a Bachelor of Science from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School.
Marco A. Treviño of Edinburg currently serves as vice chair of the committee and is a licensed clinical and mental health social worker for the United States Veterans Affairs–McAllen Outpatient Clinic. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) since 2005 and is a former member of the Steering Committee of the NASW Texas Chapter Rio Grande Branch. Treviño received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in social work from University of Texas–Pan American. He is also a board-approved supervisor.