(DES MOINES) - Gov. Branstad today announced appointments to fill Iowa's boards and commissions.

The following appointees' term begins on May 1, 2013, unless otherwise noted.

Iowa Banking Division

James Schipper, Superintendent, Osceola

Iowa Board of Parole

Jim Felker, Hiawatha

Shelia Wilson, West Des Moines

Iowa Board of Regents

Robert Cramer, Grimes

Dr. Subhash Sahai, Webster City

Craig Lang, Brooklyn

Iowa Lottery Authority

Terry Rich, Chief Executive Officer, Urbandale

Iowa National Guard

Major General Timothy Orr, Adjutant General, Johnston

Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission

Richard Arnold, Russell

Iowa Utilities Board

Libby Jacobs, West Des Moines

Nick Wagner, Marion

Transportation Commission

Loree Miles, Dallas Center

Tom Rielly, Oskaloosa

Accountancy Examining Board

David Loy, Cedar Falls

Ying Sa, Des Moines

Laura Walker, Newhall

Commission on the Status of African Americans

Rita Davenport, Boone

Commission on Aging

Quentin Hart, Waterloo

G. Willard Jenkins, Waterloo

Neil Wubbena, Osage

Alcoholic Beverages Commission

Jason Wilson, Johnston

Architectural Examining Board

Kolby DeWitt, Sioux City

Emily Forquer, Afton

Commission of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

Steve Hou, Des Moines (term begins March 1^st)

Athletic Training Board

Shaun McCarthy, Iowa City

Christopher Wiedmann, Des Moines

Iowa Autism Council

Alyson Beytien, Dubuque

James Curry, Des Moines

Steve Johnson, West Des Moines

Matthew O'Brien, Davenport

Board of Barbering

Charles Wubbena, Waterloo

Board of Behavioral Science

Erik Oostenink, Des Moines

Jill Struyk, Des Moines

Sarah Thomas, Nevada

Commission for the Blind

Joseph Van Lent, Des Moines

Iowa Boiler and Pressure Vessel Board

Robert Brecke, Cedar Rapids

Timothy Fehr, Iowa City

Amy Iles, Hastings

Iowa Capital Investment Board

Natalie Lischer, Des Moines

Child Advocacy Board

Elaine Sanders, Sioux City

Wayne Schellhammer, Urbandale

Jeanne Sorenson, Lake View

Shannon Unternahrer, Washington

Board of Chiropractic

Jason Wall, Dyersville

Iowa State Civil Rights Commission

Tom Conley, Urbandale

Lawrence Cunningham, Urbandale

Lily Lijun Hou, Urbandale

Douglas Oelschlaeger, Cedar Rapids

Commission of Community Action Agencies

John Johnson, Marshalltown

Brian Lauterbach, Alden

Robyn Ormsby, Ankeny

Board of Corrections

Richard LaMere Jr., Anamosa

Rebecca Williams, Cedar Rapids

Cosmetology Arts and Sciences Board

Richard Sheriff, Des Moines

County Finance Committee

Janine Sulzner, Anamosa

Patricia Wright, Mason City

Credit Union Review Board

Jeffrey Hayes, Cherokee

Tahira Hira, Ames

Scott Zahnle, Ames

Commission of Deaf Services

Mark Hersch, Dallas Center

Robert Vizzini, Cedar Rapids

Board of Dentistry

Steven Bradley, Cascade

Thomas Jeneary, LeMars

Kaaren Vargas, North Liberty

Board of Dietetics

Janet Johnson, Cedar Rapids

Drug Policy Advisory Council

Jennifer Miller, Marshalltown

Early Childhood Iowa State Board

David Arens, Windsor Heights (term begins March 1^st)

Alice Atkinson, Iowa City

Richard Clewell, Davenport

Tracy Erlandson, Onawa

Economic Development Authority

Theodore Crosbie, Earlham

Larry Den Herder, Sioux Center

Delia Meier, Eldridge

Board of Educational Examiners

Dan Dutcher, Waukee (term begins March 1^st)

Ann Lebo, Grundy Center

Mary Overholtzer, Tingley

Andrew Pattee, Charles City

Jay Prescott, Urbandale

Anne Sullivan, Cedar Falls

Richard Wortmann, Bloomfield

Electrical Examining Board

Kyle Barnhart, Atalissa

Theodore Meiners, Cedar Rapids

Kathryn Kunert, Des Moines

Lisa Petersen, Oto

Elevator Safety Board

Siobhan Harman, Des Moines

Kristine Kesterson, Williamsburg

Wayne Sims, Des Moines

Iowa Emergency Response Commission

Christopher Enyeart, DeWitt

Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board

Bryan Myers, West Des Moines

Howard Stewart, Marshalltown

Environmental Protection Commission

Cynthia Greiman, Garner

Alan Koch, Johnston

Robert Sinclair, Williamsburg

Joanne Stockdale, Okoboji

Eugene Ver Steeg, Inwood

Iowa Finance Authority

Jeffrey Heil, Haverhill

Joan Johnson, West Des Moines

Shaner Magalhaes, Coralville

Flood Mitigation Board

Lorraine Glover, Waterloo

Arnold Honkamp, Dubuque

Amy Kaleita, Ames

John Torbert, West Des Moines

Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund Board

Duane Madoerin, Webster City

Curtis Sindergard, Rolfe

Iowa Great Places Advisory Board

Barbara Determann, Early

Greg Fisher, West Des Moines

Emily Meyer, Cedar Rapids

Linda Washburn, Hastings

Health Facilities Council

Roberta Chambers, Corydon

Connie Schmett, Clive

Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (HAWK-I) Board

Ruth Evans, Muscatine

Bob Skow, Dallas Center

Board of Hearing Aid Dispensers

Jaime Secory, Urbandale

Jerry Smith, Boone

Higher Education Loan Authority

Edward Rogalski, Davenport (term begins March 1^st)

Council on Human Services

Arnold Honkamp, Dubuque

Guy Richardson, Jefferson (term begins March 1^st)

Kim Spading, Coralville

Interior Design Examining Board

Kevin Clark, Des Moines

Julie Ann Quebe, Cedar Rapids

Investment Board of the IPERS

Wayne Walter, Decorah

Dennis Young, Waukee

Commission on Judicial Qualifications

Sandra Blodgett, Clear Lake

Landscape Architectural Examining Board

Erica Andersen, West Des Moines

Christopher Seeger, Boone

Law Enforcement Academy Council

Brian Gardner, Cedar Rapids

Randy Krukow, Spencer

Melinda Ruopp, Marshalltown

Megan Weiss, Des Moines

Massage Therapy Board

Christina Michael, Earlham

Rhonda Reif, Burlington

Board of Medicine

Dr. Robert Bender, Clive

Dr. Julie Carmody, Clive

Ann Gales, Bode

Dr. Allison Schoenfelder, Akron

Mental Health and Disability Services Commission

Richard Crouch, Malvern

Betty King, Cedar Rapids

Sharon Lambert, Buffalo

Gary Lippe, Dubuque

Brett McLain, Ames

Rebecca Peterson, Clive

Marilyn Seemann, Woodward

Mental Health Risk Pool Board

Eugene Meiners, Templeton

Marjorie Pitts, Spencer

Board of Mortuary Science

Kimberly Doehrmann, Williamsburg

Barbara Teahen, Cedar Rapids

Commission of Native American Affairs

D. Suzanne Buffalo, Tama

Joe Coulter, Iowa City

Larry Lasley, Tama

Karen Mackey, Sioux City

Kelly Montijo Fink, Hiawatha (term begins March 1^st)

Dirk Whitebreast, Tama

Natural Resources Commission

Marcus Branstad, West Des Moines

Phyllis Reimer, Crescent

Board of Nursing Home Administrators

Karol Dammann, Manning

Patricia Hoffman-Simanek, Cedar Rapids (term begins March 1^st)

Michael "Jay" Jenison, Ankeny (term begins March 1^st)

Lanny Ward, Indianola

Board of Nursing

Nancy Kramer, Independence

James Seymour, Woodbine

Chad Ware, Walker

Board of Optometry

Thomas Hayden, Newton

Tamie Stahl, Cedar Falls

Commission of Persons with Disabilities

Matt Connolly, Des Moines (term begins March 1^st)

Iowa Comprehensive Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Fund Board

Timothy Gartin, Ames

Board of Pharmacy

Sharon Meyer, Urbandale

Judith Trumpy, Ames

Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy

Denise Behrends, West Des Moines

Todd Bradley, Oelwein

Erin Hytrek, Moville

Board of Physician Assistants

Melissa Gentry, Ollie

Keith Guess, Keokuk

Susan Koehler, Des Moines

Joseph Molnar, Charles City

Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Examining Board

Michele Chalfant, Webster City

Board of Podiatry

Tara Decker-Brock, Dubuque

Gregory Lantz, Cedar Falls

Denise Mandi, Winterset

Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council

Craig Cretsinger, Spencer (term beings March 1^st)

Scott Lindgren, Solon

Maggie Tinsman, Bettendorf

Steven Wolfe, Coralville

Board of Psychology

Melinda Green, Solon

Joan Skogstrom, Urbandale

Real Estate Appraisal Examining Board

Vernon "Fred" Greder Jr., Mason City

Greg Harms, Grundy Center

Real Estate Commission

Dennis Stolk, Riverdale

Board of Respiratory Care

Lawrence Lilla, Ames

School Budget Review Committee

Gina Primmer, Council Bluffs

Leland Tack, Johnston

Board of Sign Language Interpreters and Transliterators

Bill Ainsley, Des Moines

Susan Tyrrell, Hiawatha

Board of Social Work

Amy Courneya, Ames

Valerie Huntley, Saint Charles

Jody Weigel, Cedar Rapids

State Soil Conservation Committee

Paula Ellis, Donnellson

Susan Vance Hjelm, Lake Park

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology

Diana Hanson, Johnston

Kent Weaver, Clive

State Board of Tax Review

Jill Sanchez, LeClaire

Technology Advisory Council

Timothy Peterson, Des Moines

Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission

Richard Bruner, Ventura

Title Guaranty Division Board

Patricia Schneider, Des Moines

Daniel Sueufferlein, North Liberty

Commission on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control

Robbyn Graves, Dyersville

David Vander Horst, Pella

Board of Veterinary Medicine

Dewayne Rahe, Dyersville

Vision Iowa Board

James Davidson, Burlington

Mark Murphy, Cherokee

Carrie Tedore, Dubuque

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The first Mississippi Valley Blues Challenge will be held July 5, at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The first of three bands will start at 3 PM and each will perform 20?minute sets with 5 judges making a decision on which band is the best.

Bands within a 175 miles radius of the Quad Cities will be eligible to compete, but before a band can progress to the final round at the festival, they must first surmount a preliminary round on April 28, at The Muddy Waters, Bettendorf, IA, to decide on the top three bands for the final competition at the festival.

The winner earns the right to compete in the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, January 21-January 25, 2014. The prize package also includes cash, travel expenses, and the opportunity to perform July 6, 2013 at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, Iowa.

The deadline for applications is April 20.  All interested bands can find applications at www.mvbs.org.

The Mississippi Valley Blues Society will present guitarist extraordinaire Bobby Messano on Sunday, March 10th, at The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf IA) at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10, only $8 for Mississippi Valley Blues Society members.

Messano, hailing from New Jersey, is best known for touring for a year as Steve Winwood's guitarist as well as being the only guitarist with a featured solo on a Clarence Clemons' (Bruce Springsteen's sax player) release. He also was the lead guitarist for Frankie and The Knockouts and recorded with Peter Criss (of Kiss). Messano's latest release, in 2012, That's Why I Don't Sing The Blues, even made it through to the first round of a Grammy nomination.

We'll be catching Messano on his way to Nashville to record his new, but yet-to-be-named CD on March 19, which will feature Deanna Bogart (who will then tour with Messano as part of his band), Ivan Neville, Shaun Murphy, Jimmy Hall (the harp player for Wet Willy and Hank Williams Jr.) and maybe even Mr. Winwood himself?Messano said he's still working on that.

Don't miss your chance to catch this blues-rocker in his first appearance in our neck of the woods.

Hundreds of Qualified Buyers to Receive Up to $24,000 in Financial Assistance 

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today continued his commitment to supporting working families in Illinois by announcing the first ever state-sponsored homebuyer expo and proclaiming 2013 as the "Year of Home Ownership." The governor also announced that hundreds of qualified homebuyers will be able to receive thousands of dollars in financial assistance for down-payments and closing costs through state-supported programs, including a new three-pronged initiative called SmartMove Trio.

"A home is the foundation on which we build our families and our communities," Governor Quinn said. "By encouraging home ownership, we can create jobs and grow our economy. We're working hard to keep the Illinois housing market on the road to recovery by doing everything we can to help Illinois families buy or stay in their homes."

The State of Illinois Homebuyer Expo will take place on Saturday, March 23 at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and will be hosted by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the state's housing finance agency. IHDA offers a variety of loan programs that combine affordable mortgages with up to $10,000 cash for down payment and closing costs.

SmartMove Trio is IHDA's latest offering and is one of the best packages ever offered in the agency's history. Available for a limited time, SmartMove Trio offers first-time homebuyers that meet certain requirements an affordable 30-year fixed rate mortgage, up to $6,000 cash for down payment and closing costs and a federal income tax credit worth up to $18,000 over the life of the loan.

Interested buyers can apply for IHDA's mortgage programs, including SmartMove Trio, at the homebuyer expo. Lenders and housing counselors will be on hand to advise homebuyers of the best loan for them. Registration at www.ihda.org is required.

IHDA's SmartMove program made homeownership a possibility for the Carter family in Chicago. Married for 24 years with two children, Jonathan and Melinda Carter were able to afford their first home, which they moved into this Valentine's Day. Both are pastors, and Jonathan also has a full-time job in computer technology at a not-for-profit.

"IHDA's program was such a blessing," Jonathan Carter said. "The down payment assistance made it possible to buy our home. Other lenders were asking for $15,000 or $25,000, and we don't have that kind of money."

January 2013 home sales in Illinois were up 31 percent over last year, according to the Illinois Association of Realtors. When people buy homes, Illinois' economic recovery advances. For example, the sale of 500 homes supports 250 full-time jobs and generates almost $20 million in economic activity.

"Governor Quinn has demonstrated strong leadership in sustaining homeownership in Illinois," IHDA Executive Director Mary R. Kenney said. "Under his administration, IHDA has focused on foreclosure prevention to keep people in their homes, rehabilitating vacant properties to create valuable homebuyer opportunities and is now increasing opportunities for homeownership."

For those who have been considering buying a home, now is the perfect time to take action. Register for the Expo today at www.ihda.org.

About the Illinois Housing Development Authority

IHDA is a self-supporting state agency that finances the creation and the preservation of affordable housing across Illinois. Since its creation in 1967, IHDA has allocated more than $11.6 billion and financed approximately 225,000 affordable units across the state.