Marissa Sanders is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf Education Studies and is finishing her Master’s degree in Deaf Education, both from the University of Minnesota. In 2005 she contracted with the WV Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) to develop the agenda and curriculum for the state’s first Youth Disability Caucus. In addition to her full-time job, she has worked part time as an Interpreter at Montgomery College and other community venues in the Washington DC area from 2006-2009.

Prior to coming to the Commission, Marissa served as Director of Training for the DBTAC: Mid-Atlantic ADA Center and also worked for several Centers for Independent Living, primarily working with youth and training initiatives. She is a member of several professional organizations including the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), the Fair Shake Network, the National Council on Independent Living, and the American Association of People with Disabilities and has also served on the Board of Directors for various organizations.

You may reach Marissa at 304-558-1031, 304-932-0687 (VP), or 866-461-3578 (V/TTY) or by email at Marissa.J.Sanders@wv.gov.

Holly Courtney is the Project Director for the West Virginia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She was born and raised in Moundsville, West Virginia and attended Fairmont State University. She graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a minor in Education. She lived in Colorado for a short period of time then moved to Michigan where she taught at the Michigan School for the Deaf for about 4 years. She taught Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, and High School grade levels. She was an assistant coach for the Girls' Varsity Basketball Team and was also a head coach for the Girls’ and Boys' Varsity Track teams. She enjoyed coaching. After Michigan, she returned to West Virginia to be close to her family. Holly is currently living in Fairmont and will be working out of an office in Fairmont for a few months before she moves to Charleston. She has been married for six years and they have a daughter who is almost eighteen months old.

You may reach Holly at Holly.L.Courtney@wv.gov.

Kari Preslar is the secretary for the Commission. She is a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism, Presbyterian School of Christian Education with a Master’s degree in Christian Education, and has attended West Virginia State University. Prior to joining the Commission, she worked as the director of Christian Education at the Teays Valley Presbyterian Church and as the administration for the Children’s Theatre of Charleston.

           Her interests include photography, writing, and travel and she is an active volunteer with local theater and church organizations. She is taking signing classes at West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services in Institute.

You may reach Ms. Preslar at 304-558-1675 or 866-461-3578 (V/TTY) or by email at Kari.J.Preslar@wv.gov