SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Katherine Aguilar Perez-Estolano, 45, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the California High Speed Rail Authority. Perez-Estolano is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development and co-founded Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors LLC in 2011. Perez-Estolano was executive director of the Urban Land Institute’s Los Angeles District Council from 2008 to 2011, vice president of Forest City Development from 2005 to 2008 and executive director at the Transportation and Land Use Collaborative of Southern California from 2000 to 2005. Perez-Estolano was deputy mayor of the City of Pasadena from 1998 to 2000 and transportation manager for the City of South Pasadena from 1996 to 1998. She earned a Master of Arts degree in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Perez-Estolano is a Democrat.
Mary Lehman, 49, of Palm Desert, has been appointed to the California State Athletic Commission. Lehman has been a civil appeals attorney at the Law Offices of Mary A. Lehman since 1995. She was an attorney with Gray Cary Ware and Freidenrich LLP from 1991 to 2002. She was a professional boxer from 1999 to 2002, ranking as high as number nine in the world for her weight class. Lehman earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lehman is a Democrat.
Martha Shen-Urquidez, 50, of Oxnard, has been appointed to the California State Athletic Commission. Shen-Urquidez has been CEO of USAsia since 2007. She was cross-cultural affairs expert for the Beijing Olympics Organization from 2006 to 2008, senior protocol officer with the California South Bay Economic Development Partnership from 1994 to 2001 and court appointed arbitrator at the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles from 1994 to 1999. Shen-Urquidez was a judge pro tem for Los Angeles County from 1994 to 1998, attorney and training expert with multiple police departments in Southern California from 1989 to 2004 and an attorney in private practice from 1986 to 2005. She served as a credentialed boxing judge from 2000 to 2001. Shen-Urquidez earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Shen-Urquidez is a Republican.
Perla Soria, 27, of Lindsay, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board, where she has been a member since 2013. Soria has been education funding manager at Paramount Farming Company since 2011. She was a migrant instructional services counselor with the Lindsay Unified School District from 2009 to 2011 and assistant coordinator for the GEAR UP program at Cerritos College in 2009. Soria was a guidance counselor with the Bellflower Unified School District from 2008 to 2009 and a graduate program assistant at the University of Southern California from 2007 to 2009. She held multiple positions at the University of California, Berkeley from 2003 to 2007, including outreach assistant and executive officers’ assistant. Soria is a member of the Lindsay Unified School District Board of Trustees and the American School Counseler Association. She earned a Doctorate of Education degree from California State University, Fresno and a Master of Education degree in school counseling from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Soria is a Democrat.
Grace Calderon, 66, of Tulare, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board, where she has served since 2011. She was a family service worker at the Tulare County Office of Education from 1970 to 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Calderon is a Democrat.
Daniel Hackey, 64, of Porterville, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board. Hackey has been a public relations specialist for the Tule River Indian Tribe since 2007. He was the human resources and marketing director for Eagle Mountain Casino from 2000 to 2007 and bingo department manager for the Colorado River Indian Tribes Resort, BlueWater Resort and Casino from 1999 to 2000. He was human resources director at Fortune Bay Resort Casino from 1990 to 1999 and a missile technician for the United States Navy from 1970 to 1990. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hackey is a Democrat.
Gregorio Gomez, 41, of Farmersville, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board. Gomez is vice mayor of the City of Farmersville. He has held multiple positions at Tulare County since 1995, including database administrator and user support specialist, analyst and technician. He was an inventory associate at Best Buy from 2003 to 2005 and assistant detailer at Red Carpet Car Wash from 1993 to 1995. He is an executive board member of State Employees International Union Local 521 and Tulare County Association of Governments. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Gomez is a Democrat
Michelle Prater, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed marketing and public relations manager for the California Exposition and State Fair. Prater was environmental sustainability and marketing manager at Best Buy from 2010 to 2012 and was senior business manager of strategic alliances at Maloof Sports and Entertainment from 2001 to 2010. She worked in freelance communications for TAMALON Meeting and Events from 1995 to 2001 and convention services manager at Red Lion Hotels from 1992 to 1995. Prater was also a public relations and advertising assistant at Heying and Associates from 1990 to 1991. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $83,160 annually. Prater is a Republican.
Carrie Wright, 37, of West Sacramento, has been appointed programs manager for the California Exposition and State Fair. Wright has held various positions at the Western Fairs Association since 2008, including marketing director and programs director. She was owner of Carrie Wright Designs from 1999 to 2008. Wright was curator of non-competitive exhibits at the California Exposition and State Fair from 1998 to 2005. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $74,400 annually. Wright is registered declined-to-state.
Reginald Pagaling, 59, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the California Native American Heritage Commission. Pagaling is an enrolled member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and a tribal elder. He has devoted his time to re-establishing the traditional maritime culture of the Tribe since 1996, and has also served as chairman of the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee of Santa Barbara County since 2010. Pagaling was tribal education program coordinator for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians from 1993 to 1996. He was public relations manager for the Chumash Casino Resort from 1991 to 1993 and was cultural resources coordinator and Native American monitor at the Tribal Elders Council of Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians from 1988 to 1990. Pagaling built the Tomol “Muptami of Kalawashaq,” a traditional Chumash plank canoe, and co-organizes the annual Tomol crossing from Channel Islands Harbor to Santa Cruz Island. Pagaling is a member of the Chumash Maritime Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pagaling is a Democrat.