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SALT LAKE CITY –  The Public Service Commission's Telecommunications Relay Specialist for Relay Utah is Mary Beth Green.

The free Relay Utah 7-1-1 service provides a Communications Assistant (CA) who "relays" communication between Utah’s 220,000 deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-disabled individuals using text telephone (TTY) or other hearing assistive phones and hearing individuals using standard voice telephones. As a Telecommunications Relay Specialist, Green will:

Help evaluate and recommend the best relay service provider for Relay Utah. The service contract, held by Sprint, is currently in a regularly scheduled review;

Deliver informational presentations about available hearing assistive equipment and the Relay Utah 7-1-1 service at colleges and universities, senior centers and other civic centers throughout the state; and

Work as a liaison at the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, located in Taylorsville.

Individuals interested in Relay Utah services can contact Green at mbgreen@utah.gov or at 801-530-6638 (V/TTY).

Green became deaf at age 12, and has since received a cochlear implant. She attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the nation’s only higher education deaf institution, where she majored in English. She graduated from the Computer Technology Program in Berkeley, Calif., in Web design and database management. Prior to joining the Utah Public Service Commission, Green worked as a website and database consultant. She has also held IT and computer specialist positions for the City of Berkeley and the engineering/architect firm Black & Veatch.

"Mary Beth is the ideal person to continue leading the effort of informing deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing Utahns about the availability of hearing assistive equipment and services to help them connect with each other," said Julie Orchard, commission secretary. "Over the last year we have had a tremendous increase in the number of calls requesting information about Relay Utah, assistive equipment, and outreach events. We look forward to watching those numbers climb."