HHS News Release

The President today announced his intent to appoint Dr. Jeffrey Akaka, Dr. Glenn T. Fujiura and Jose R. Rodriguez to the President's Committee on Mental Retardation (PCMR).

Dr. Jeffrey Akaka, of Pu'unene, Hawaii, is currently Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, a position he has held since 1996. Since 1992, he has served as a Community Psychiatrist for the Diamond Head Community Mental Health Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also serves as Psychiatric Consultant for the Disability Determination Branch of the State of Hawaii Department of Human Services. Dr. Akaka currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Oahu Alliance for the Mentally Ill and as President of the Reverend Abraham Kahikina Akaka Ministries Foundation. Dr. Akaka received a B.A. in Biology from Case Western Reserve University and a M.D. from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Dr. Glenn T. Fujiura, of Darien, Illinois, is currently an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Disability and Human Development in the College of Health and Human Development Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Fujiura work has focused on the demography of disability and its implications for domestic service policy, and
on evaluation of long-term care services. Current research involves analysis of trends in the epidemiology of disability in America, economic demography of disability in developing nations, and the intersection of disablement and poverty. He is a 1999 National Rehabilitation Association Switzer Scholar. Dr. Fujiura received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a Ph.D in Education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Mr. Jose R. Rodriguez, of Taos, New Mexico, is currently Executive Director of Taos County Arc, a non-profit organization serving children and adults who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities. Mr. Rodriguez has worked at Taos County Arc since 1977 as Lead Instructor/Assistant Director, and has been Executive Director since 1984. Mr. Rodriguez has been active in many state advisory committees including Chairman of the Statewide Adult Services Task Force and Legislative Co-Chair of the Association of Developmental Disabilities Community Providers (ADDCP). Mr. Rodriguez was also a Board member of the National Conference of Executives of Arc U.S. Mr. Rodriguez received a B.A. in Special Education from New Mexico Highlands University.

The President's Committee on Mental Retardation is an advisory Committee. The members of the PCMR provide advice to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on issues relating to mental retardation.

From: The White House: Office of the Press Secretary

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