10/22/2021
The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission is pleased to announce the Governor has appointed two new Commissioners to the Commission. Biographies of the Governor-appointed Commissioners:
Jean Draths
Glenview, IL
Term Expires 11/14/24
Jean Draths is originally from Madison, WI and attended St. Norbert College in DePere, WI. She worked as a paralegal until the birth of the first of her four children. Jean comes from a hearing loss family and received her first set of hearing aids in her early thirties. Her hearing continued to decline and ultimately received bilateral cochlear implants. Jean has been an active member of the Chicago North Shore Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America serving as Program Chair for many years and, presently, Vice President. She recently retired after over 30 years of working in a retail position and is now devoting much of her time to hearing related issues. She has become an ardent advocate of hearing loops, successfully persuading her local library and Church to install hearing loops.
John R. Jun
Minooka, IL
Term Expires 11/14/24
John was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and is hard of hearing from birth. He attended St. Gall Grade school and graduated from St. Rita High School. Graduate of Northern Illinois University with B.S. in Elementary and Special Education, where he continued received a M.S in Educational Administration. He has a M. A. from Northwestern University in Speech and Hearing and post graduate studies in Special Education finance at Illinois State University. John has over 50 years of experience and support of the deaf and hard of hearing community, as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, administrator of deaf and hard of hearing programs, part time university instructor of deaf education at Illinois State and Northern Illinois, and as a director of special education. In post-retirement he continued as an administrative consultant to deaf and hard of hearing programs with both public and private schools and served as Superintend of the Mississippi School for the Deaf. He served on the numerous boards and study committees: Best Practice Committee for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Teacher Certification, Advisory committee to the Illinois School for the Deaf, Advisory Board to the Regional Education Center, Steering Committee of the Educational Interpreters Certification committee and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Steering Committee of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. Also, served on professional committees with the Department of Rehabilitation and ITAC. He also served as a school board member of the Minooka Consolidate District 201 and Trustee of Village of Minooka. Currently, he serves on the Illinois Deaf Blind Advisory Board. He continues to be and active member of the American Society for Deaf Children, Hearing Loss Association of America, Association of Late Deaf Adults, Illinois Teachers of the Hearing Impaired, Illinois Supervisors of the Hearing Impaired, and the Illinois Administrators of Special Education. In his home community, John is an active member of the Minooka LIONS club, Joliet Moose and Elks, St. Mary’s Church Administration committee and has served on the Joliet Diocese Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advisory board.
New Commissioners Jean and John will join with the rest of the Commissioners at the next Quarterly IDHHC Remote Commission Meeting scheduled to be held on Friday November 5, 2021. The Governor’s Office is still accepting applications to serve as Commissioners on the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. To become a Commissioner, visit www.appointments.illinois.gov and click on Nominate Yourself. Under PART A: Board or Commission Sought, please select “Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission” as the Board or Commission Name. Complete as appropriate and submit the appointment application.
#}