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Department of Disabilities

Governor's Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay

About GABTR

The Governor's Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay (GABTR) provides Maryland Relay with vital feedback and insight on the issues that affect Relay users, including quality and trends in Relay services, technology and community outreach.

To apply for a position on the Governor's Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay, please download, complete and submit the Board application form - DOC - 118.5 KB​​​. 

​*Board members continue serving until a successor is appointed.

Upcoming GABTR Meeting 

  • To Be Announced

This online event is open to the public. Join us on Facebook.com/MarylandRelay711 for a virtual viewing of the GABTR meeting.​​

Advisory Board Members

 

PhotoNamePositionRepresentation
Portrait of Al Sonnenstrahl, an older man with glasses, a gray goatee, and a black striped shirt, smiling against a warm red background.
Alfred SonnenstrahlChairDeaf/Hard of Hearing
Headshot portrait of Steven Cooper, a man with thinning hair, wearing a suit and tie, smiling against a warm wooden wall.
Stephen CooperVice-ChairLimited Speech
 Martelle A. WashingtonBoard MemberHearing Impaired
Studio portrait of Deirdre Lynch, a Black woman with short dark hair, wearing a purple top and a pearl necklace, smiling with her chin resting on her hand.
Deidre LynchBoard MemberLimited Mobility
Close-up portrait of Lori Berrong, a woman with curly hair, cat-eye glasses, and statement earrings, looking to the side against a red brick wall.
Lori BerrongBoard MemberMaryland State Government
Headshot portrait of Kenneth Putkovich, an older man with white hair, a white beard, and tinted glasses, smiling in front of green trees.
Kenneth PutkovichBoardSenior Citizen
Headshot portrait of Alex Simmons, a man with short brown hair, wearing a black collared shirt, smiling against a mottled gray backdrop.
Alex SimmonsBoard MemberMaryland State Government
 Anibelka Henriquez SquiresBoard MemberHearing Impaired
 Astrid JonesBoard MemberHearing Impaired
Headshot portrait of Shannon Minnick, a woman with short stylishly swept-side hair, wearing a terracotta orange blouse and necklace, smiling warmly against a blurred background.
Shannon MinnickBoard MemberLimited Mobility
 Claudine PaxtonBoard MemberMaryland Commission on Disabilities
 Tanea BrownBoard MemberGovernor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
 VacantBoard Member Hearing Impaired


Meeting Archives

2026

 

Annual Reports