The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf spent a portion of its meeting reviewing proposed minimum qualifications for a permanent executive director and agreed to let the executive committee refine language-proficiency assessment during the hiring process.

Commissioners reviewed a draft job description that lists minimum qualifications including a bachelor's degree in fields such as deaf studies, ASL/English interpretation, public administration or related fields, or a substitute of six years of relevant full-time work in lieu of a bachelor's degree. The draft also calls for a minimum of four years of full-time professional work with deaf, deafblind or hard-of-hearing populations, strong communication and organizational skills, and proficiency in American Sign Language or other commonly used communication methods.

Commissioner Megan Wimberley suggested the document use consistent degree language ("bachelor's, master's, doctorate") and proposed that the board research specific ways to measure language proficiency. Commissioner Wimberley later withdrew her motion to require board-level research and instead left measurement and assessment of ASL or other communication-method proficiency to the executive committee that will conduct candidate interviews. Chair Dr. Natalie Delgado affirmed she would verify proficiency for finalists during the search process.

Interim Director Broussard told commissioners the executive committee (chair, vice chair and secretary) typically participates in interviews and will recommend candidates to the full board. Commissioner Wellens supported leaving assessment details to the hiring committee so the administrative rule language does not have to be repeatedly amended; he noted that overly prescriptive requirements can slow the approval process for creating a non-civil-service executive position.

The board did not adopt final salary language at the meeting and deferred final action until after further review. Commissioners also said staff would circulate the full proposal for review; no formal vote on the job description was recorded during the session.

Separately, commissioners received an update that an interpreter ad hoc committee has been formed; members named included Chair Crosby, Leslie Knowles (Louisiana Registry of Interpreters president), and several interpreters and a parent representative. The ad hoc committee will deliver a full proposal in January, the commission was told.

The discussion closed when Commissioner Wimberley withdrew her motion and the meeting took a break for a strategic-planning presentation.