(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad announced today that he has appointed Mary Gannon to the Public Employment Relations Board.

Gannon's term on the Public Employment Relations Board begins Monday, January 4, 2016 and ends April 30, 2016.  Gannon, who resides in Des Moines, will be eligible for a full four-year appointment in April at the conclusion of her partial appointment announced today.

The Public Employment Relations Board is a three member body and is responsible to administer the collective bargaining statute by determining appropriate bargaining units and conducting elections; adjudicate prohibited practice complaints fashioning appropriate remedial relief for violations of Chapter 20; adjudicate and serve as arbitrators regarding state merit system grievances; provide mediators, fact finders and arbitrators to resolve impasses in negotiations; and collect and disseminate information concerning wages, hours and other conditions of employment of public employees.

Gannon's appointment is subject to Iowa Senate confirmation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) released the following statement today after the President signed S. 1461 into law. Loebsack joined with Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) to introduce the House version of the legislation, which prevents Medicare's enforcement of unreasonable and inflexible direct supervision rules for outpatient therapy services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other small, rural hospitals. This legislation was introduced this summer, passed the House and Senate this fall and was signed into law on December 18^th.

"I am pleased that the President has signed this important legislation into law to ensure all Iowans have access to high-quality health care no matter where they live," said Congressman Loebsack. "Critical Access Hospitals play an important role in rural communities by providing access to primary, emergency, and acute care services. I have visited multiple CAHs across my District that have struggled to meet the direct supervision requirement, and by becoming law, this legislation will provide them with certainty that they deserve."

Item to Note:

·       There are 1,332 CAHs across the country, 82 in Iowa.

Examples of direct supervision rules for outpatient therapy services: 

·       Application of cast to a finger

·       Blood transfusions

·       Application of a splint to a finger

·       Demonstration and/or evaluation of a patient utilizing a nebulizer or metered dose inhaler

·       Alcohol and/or substance abuse (other than tobacco) structured assessment and brief intervention (such as advising of health risks and counseling for 15-30 mins)

·       Pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise of one hour per session - up to two sessions per day

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced in their Monday morning press conference that Gov. Branstad has signed Executive Order Eighty-Seven that will combat cybersecurity threats in Iowa.  Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds were joined by the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Mark Schouten and the State of Iowa's Chief Security Information Officer Jeff Franklin.

"As co-chair of the Council of Governors, I know how important cybersecurity is to our state's posture.  With this in mind, I am issuing Executive Order Eighty-Seven which will direct our state agencies to draft a State of Iowa cybersecurity strategy and update Iowa's emergency response plan to better deal with the physical consequences of a cyberattack against the state's critical infrastructure," said Gov. Branstad.

Lt. Gov. Reynolds added, "The State of Iowa has already been working to improve its cybersecurity for quite some time.  However, we know that cyber threats are constant and growing and we must be diligent in doing what we can to protect our state.  Today's executive order will solidify the foundation and work that is being conducted to protect the state against these threats."

In December of 2014, Governor Branstad formed a State cyber working group to expand on the work that was being done at the national level.  That group, comprised of state agencies and key federal and private partners, looked at ways to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber threats in Iowa.  State of Iowa agencies involved in the group were the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Iowa National Guard, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Iowa Communications Network.  In addition, the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, private industry and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center participated in the group.  The results from this group's work are the foundation for this executive order.

Executive Order Eighty-Seven can be read in its entirety here.

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(ELGIN, IL - December 21, 2015) Judson University celebrated as 135 undergraduate and graduate students graduated during the 74th commencement held at two ceremony times on Saturday, Dec. 12. Graduates from the School of Business and Professional Studies (Masters and Adult Undergraduate) received their degrees during the 10 a.m. exercise. Graduates from the School of Art, Design and Architecture, the School of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education, and the School of Business and Professional Studies (Traditional Undergraduate) received their degrees during the 2 p.m. exercise.

Among those receiving their degrees were Zachary O'Connell from Davenport with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications: Graphic Design.

The dynamic keynote speaker for both ceremonies was Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love, senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Community Church International in Crystal Lake, Ill.

During his address, Bishop Love told the new graduates that it is expected that they might be grappling with the weight of three questions today: Who am I? Why am I here, and where am I going?

Yet, he urged them to define their "who-ness" based on God's word and not by external sources.

After reading 2 Cor. 5:17, he advised this excited group to: "Walk in your kingdom identity, and your character will get developed and you will discover how your talents and abilities are being shaped."

If they follow this path, Bishop Love assured them that in the final analysis, they would move from negative "I am" statements that question worthiness or capability to more confident ones that are "reshaped based on who God says you are."

Bishop Love drew from personal experience in ministry. In 1978, he accepted the call to ministry, and in the subsequent years was instrumental in growing Trinity from a home-based Bible study to what is now a 50,000-square-foot campus on more than four acres. It also includes numerous ministry partners locally and abroad.

"When you walk in your purpose, your passion gets inspired and your vision gets increased," said Bishop Love, who holds a bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon College and a Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology from Emmaus Bible Institute & Seminary.  "Get in touch with who God says you are," he concluded. "Walk with Him, and He will make room for your giftedness."

Several graduates were honored with awards for service and campus leadership.

In the morning exercise, Communications Management and Management and Leadership graduate Angela Lundin of Rockford, Ill., was recognized with the Student Service Award-Adult Professional Studies Undergraduate, which recognizes the graduating adult student who has best exemplified sincerity and dedication to Christ, excellence in academic achievement and promotion of the goals and mission of Judson University. Lundin maintained an exceptional GPA during her three years at Judson; demonstrated leadership skills with cohorts; and she serves as a site leader for the annual community service event, Rockford Sharefest, which has included beautification efforts in downtown Rockford as well as renovations at more than a dozen Rockford Public School buildings.

Master of Business Administration graduate Bernie L. Richardson Jr. of Melrose Park, Ill., received the W. R. Meadows Inc. Award, which is presented to the Master of Business Administration student deemed by the School of Business and Professional Studies dean and faculty to have demonstrated the values that have been foundational to W.R. Meadows success: quality, service, integrity and family. In the MBA program, Bernie learned to more fully integrate his work and faith life, and in the process, became more fully committed to develop his ability to be a man of great faith and service to others.

During the afternoon commencement, Master of Education in Literacy graduate Calvin Braker of West Dundee, Ill., received the Road to Damascus Award, which recognizes a student with the most dramatic transformation in the way he or she embodies literacy education. Braker, it was said, was one who brought significant passion and intentionality to classroom practice.

Psychology graduate Maryjane Reilly of Joliet, Ill., was awarded the Student Service Award-Traditional Undergraduate for her generous spirit, character and leadership. Reilly is no stranger to the Judson campus or its activities, as she has served as a resident assistant in Ohio Hall, led a women's small group, served as manager for the women's volleyball team, a class mentor for GEN 101 and a manager for the Judson Improv team. She is a member of the psychology honor society, Psi Chi; has gone on a post-term mission trip to Peru; and works with her local church as a leader for junior and senior high students.

Marketing, Management and Communication Studies graduate Ethan Adams of Springfield, Ill., received the university's highest recognition for scholarship, the President's Scholar Award. This award honors the graduating senior in the traditional program who has demonstrated distinguished academic achievement in the context of a Christian liberal arts program and adhered consistently to Judson ideals. Adams, who is graduating one semester early with a triple major, has been on the Dean's list every semester, graduated summa cum laude from The Honors Program, completed two internships, a practicum, studied at Oxford University for a semester, and helped to establish a Shark Tank competition on campus and won the entrepreneurial competition as a contestant this past November.

Judson University is a fully accredited, private Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions. Judson offers degrees in more than 65 different majors/minors for traditional, graduate, and adult students. Judson University ranks consistently among the Top Tier of Regional Colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report and was recognized recently as a "Christian College of Distinction" for the 2015-2016 academic year. With an academically challenging environment and encouraging spiritual community, Judson shapes lives that shape the world.

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