Commission Board
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The video opens with a solid gray background and “Louisiana Commission for the Deaf” in all caps and thick white font. The Louisiana Department of Health logo appears below. A Black male with curly black hair and facial hair appears on screen, and he is wearing a white button-up top in front of the same gray background. He is using American Sign Language. Various words appear on the screen that he repeats in ASL. At the end of the video, a website link is shown in large white font with a blue background: www.ldh.la.gov/lcd. The Blue 20 animated logo appears on the screen and fades to black. End of video.
The commission board, in accordance with RS 46:2351, consists of qualified and knowledgeable members with experience which enables them to represent the concerns, needs, and recommendations of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing persons. This board is established as a separate and distinct body to support the work of the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf and to advocate on behalf of d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing communities and their families.
Parking Information
- Street parking may be available around the Capitol. Parking may also be found in front of the Claiborne Building at 1201 N 3rd, Baton Rouge, La 70802
Commission Board Public Meetings
Louisiana Commission for the Deaf meets quarterly to help guide program efforts and activities. Commission members include d/Deaf and hard of hearing representatives, parents of d/Deaf children, and representatives from related state organizations.
2023 LCD Commission Board Meetings will take place on the following dates from 9:00am – 1:00 pm. These meetings are open to the public.
To view meetings via livestream, please visit https://house.louisiana.gov/H_Video/HD/HCR4
Minutes from previous meetings can be found here.
Live Meeting Captioning can be found here.
Upcoming Meeting for year of 2023:
- January 20, 2023
- April 21, 2023
- July 21, 2023, postponed to August 18th at 9 am – 1 pm (More info to come)
- October 20, 2023
Additional Meetings
- Not yet to be announced
Other Information
- Member Roles and Responsibilities
- How to Become a Commissioner: In order to apply to serve on a board or commission you must first fill out this application. Once it is completed, send an email to Ms. Roz Moore at Roz.Moore@la.gov to ensure she has it on record. These positions are appointed by the Governor. If you are elected, you will be notified by the Louisiana Boards and Commissions Office.
- Learn more about LCD
Current LCD Commissioners
Dr. Natalie Deglado
Chairperson
Deaf Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2022
Jay Isch
Vice-Chairperson
Deaf Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2016
Dr. Ashley Argrave-Smith
Secretary
Professional Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2020
Senator Sharon Hewitt
President of the Senate
Designee since 2020
Representative Scott McKnight
Speaker
House of Representatives
Designee since 2021
Melissa Bayham
LA Workforce Commission
Designee since 2019
Sherry Powell
Department of Children & Family Services
Designee since 2022
Davondra Brown
LA Department of Health
Designee since 2022
Cammy Gaspar
Parent of Deaf Child
Appointed by Governor since 2022
Vacant
Louisiana School for the Deaf
Denise Crochet
LA Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf President
Designee since 2022
Jimmy Challis Gore
LA Association of the Deaf
President since 2019
Brad Wellons
Hard of Hearing Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2020
Bambi Polotzola
Director Governor's Office of Disability Affairs
Designee since 2022
Sajata Varner
Office of Behavioral Health
Designee since 2022
Megan Wimberly
DeafBlind Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2022
Marissa Ramos
Professional Representative
Appointed by Governor in 2022
Lynne Gomez
Department of Education
Designee since 2022