Lance Robertson Elected Chair of the U.S. Access Board, Karen Tamley Chosen Vice Chair

From the U.S. Access Board:

On March 14 the U.S. Access Board elected Lance Robertson as its new Chair. Robertson represents the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the Access Board. Board member Karen Tamley was chosen Vice Chair.

"I truly appreciate this opportunity to help lead the Board in the critical and essential work that it does to advance accessibility for people with disabilities," Robertson stated. "I look forward to working with Board and staff members in the year ahead and being part of such an expert and dedicated team."

Robertson is Assistant Secretary for Aging at HHS and heads its Administration for Community Living. Before joining HHS last August, he served as Director of Aging Services at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Oklahoma State University where he co-founded the Gerontology Institute and served as the executive director of the nation's largest regional gerontology association.

Tamley joined the Board in 2015 as a member representing the public. As Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, she leads numerous disability policy and compliance initiatives in transportation, city infrastructure, emergency preparedness, housing, schools and technology, and other areas. She also oversees the delivery of independent living services to city residents.

The Access Board is an independent Federal agency that provides leadership in accessible design under the ADA and other laws. The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal agencies and to directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities. Half of its members are representatives from most of the Federal departments, and the other half is comprised of public members appointed by the President.