Gov. Sonny Perdue has appointed an Alpharetta resident to a new state board that's to protect the rights of people who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Carla Shird was named Wednesday to the Georgia Commission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf Persons. The state Legislature created the commission last year.

The seven-member panel is to be the state's primary advocate for the hearing impaired. One of its main jobs is to advise the governor, Legislature and other state entities on the use of federal and state funds for the hearing impaired. Another job is to review state programs and recommend possible changes to state law dealing with the hearing impaired.

Shird, 32, is a mental health counselor and a certified deaf interpreter with a bachelor's degree from Howard University. She also has a master's degree from Gallaudet University, which is known for its teaching of hearing impaired students and research into issues related to deaf people.