AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Benda W. Lee to Governing Board of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) for a term set to expire on January 31, 2021. Additionally, the Governor appointed Ruben “Dan” Brown, Jr. and Julie R. Prause and reappointed Michael P. Hanley for terms set to expire on January 31, 2023. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired serves as a special public school in which students who are blind, deaf-blind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and the professionals who serve them.

Brenda W. Lee of Brownwood is an educational consultant for vision teachers at the Education Service Center, Region 14 in Abilene. She is past president and conference chair of the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, former committee co-chair for the International Association for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Lee is also a member of the West Texas Cluster for Blind and Visually Impaired which provides services for all of West Texas through six education service centers. Lee received a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Howard Payne University in Brownwood and a Master of Arts in special education from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ruben “Dan” Brown, Jr. of Pflugerville is a senior quality assurance engineer for blindness technologies at Pearson. He has presented several times for the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the International Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired Conferences. He also presents regularly at the California State University-Northridge International Technology and Person’s with Disabilities Conference. Brown attended the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and The University of Texas at Austin.

Julie R. Prause of Columbus is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired for Columbus Independent School District. She also serves, Weimar ISD, and schools in the Fayette Gonzales Special Services Cooperative (Schulenburg, Flatonia and Waelder ISDs). She is a member and former president of the Texas Association of Educators of the Blind, member and former chair of the International Association of Educators for the Blind and a member of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association. She is also a director of the Columbus Historical Preservation Trust and former director of Children’s Liturgy and Catechism teacher at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Prause received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baylor University and Master of Education in Special Education from Texas Tech University.

Michael P. Hanley of Leander is the senior district executive for the Capitol Area Council Boy Scouts of America serving Eanes and Lake Travis Independent School Districts. He is also a licensed auctioneer in the State of Texas and a member of the National and Texas Auctioneers Associations. He is a member of the Finance Committee at TSBVI, program chair of the Westlake Rotary Club, and member and program chair of the Metropolitan Breakfast Club in Austin. He served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves. Hanley received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond Louisiana.