Gallaudet Announces New Appointments to its Board of Trustees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gallaudet University today announced the appointment of two new members to the university’s board of trustees.

James F. X. Payne is a senior vice president and general manager national security and cyber infrastructure at Telcordia Technologies. Payne has served on Gallaudet’s Board of Associates since 1996 and was named its chair in 2009. Payne is a longtime telecommunications industry representative to the federal government and has provided guidance on key issues as a member of the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, the Council on Competitiveness, and the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Payne serves on the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association, and a cyber advisory board for the University of Maryland University College. He also earned the prestigious Federal 100 industry award in 1996 and 2000 for significant achievements in federal information technology. Mr. Payne received his B.B.A from Georgetown University and his M.B.A from George Washington University.

Claudia L. Gordon, Esq., is special assistant to the director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Prior to her current position Gordon held the position as senior policy advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and early in her career served as a staff attorney for the National Association of the Deaf. Gordon served as a lecturer in Gallaudet’s Department of Social Work. She has been awarded the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Gold Medal and the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities, among other awards. She received her B.A. in political science from Howard University and her Juris Doctorate from American University’s Washington College of Law.

The Gallaudet University Board of Trustees consists of three public members who currently serve in Congress, and 18 non-public members who are each appointed to three-year terms and can serve for up to four terms.

“The credentials and experience that Mr. Payne and Ms. Gordon bring to the board of trustees are extensive and far-reaching,” said Board of Trustees Chair Benjamin J. Soukup. “On behalf of the entire board of trustees, we look forward to their perspectives and insight as the board continues with its implementation of the long-range Gallaudet Strategic Plan, and to help ensure the sustainability and viability of the university for future generations of deaf and hard of hearing students.”

“We look forward to the combined talents of Mr. Payne and Ms. Gordon in the areas of business, technology, government and advocacy, as well as their significant experience in working with key decision makers in the federal government here in Washington, D.C.,” said Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.