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Today, Lt. Gov. Patty Judge has appointed five individuals -- three of them women -- to her Commission on Wellness and Healthy Living.

Dr. Seldon Spencer of Ames, a neurologist who launched an unsuccessful bid against U.S. Rep. Tom Latham in 2006, will serve as chairman of the commission. He will be joined by Art Silva, Sioux City businessman and member of the Mercy Medical Center Board of Trustees; former state legislator Maggie Tinsman of Bettendorf; Cedar Rapids resident Sharon Yearous, former head of the Iowa School Nurse Organization; and Marion County Public Health Director Kim Dorn.

"Our state faces many challenges," said Judge, a former nurse, in a press release. "No issue has greater impact on the lives of Iowans than health care. It is time we start talking about living healthy lives and ways we can improve wellness ahead of developing problems that require a doctor's care."

She applauded the diversity of the five-person team she has assembled and emphasized her hopes that their differing perspectives would produce innovative results.

The commission plans to hold hearings throughout the state this summer before presenting recommendations to the state this fall.