SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
April Lopez, 46, of Yorba Linda, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Lopez has been owner at Stadium Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Rehabilitation since 1998. She was named Woman of the Year by California State Senator Lou Correa in 2013 and is a board member of Cops 4 Kids. Lopez earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Southern California University of Health Sciences. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lopez is registered decline-to-state.
Kecia Weller, 49, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Weller has held multiple positions at People First of California, including advocacy director since 2011 and state advocacy reporter from 1996 to 1999. She was a teacher’s assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles Extension Pathway Program from 2008 to 2010 and was coordinator of self-advocacy at the Westside Regional Center from 1998 to 2010. Weller has been the Los Angeles representative for the People First of California board of directors since 2006 and has been a county supervisor appointee on the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities since 2002. She served on the Santa Monica Disability Commission from 2002 to 2012. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Weller is registered decline-to-state.
Jonathan Lyens, 31, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to Area Board V of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2012. Lyens was an employee relations representative for the City and County of San Francisco from 2011 to 2013. He was a fiscal and policy assistant in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Public Policy and Finance from 2007 to 2011. Lyens was a resource assistant at the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco in 2007 and an instructor assessor and consultant at Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. in 2006. He is vice president of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center board of directors. Lyens earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the East Carolina University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lyens is a Democrat.
Dianne Millner, 64, of Oakland, has been reappointed to Area Board V of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Millner has served as deputy city attorney and special counsel for the City of Oakland since 2000. She was an assistant city attorney for the Port of San Francisco from 1997 to 2000. Millner was a legal editor at Continuing Education of the Bar, California from 1994 to 1997 and a partner at Steefel Levitt and Weiss from 1991 to 1997. She was a founding partner at Ocampo Millner and McGee from 1980 to 1990 and was an associate at Pillsbury Madison and Sutro from 1975 to 1980. Millner earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Millner is a Democrat.
Edward Flaiz, 45, of Stockton, has been reappointed to Area Board VI of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2012. Flaiz has held multiple positions at Regal Cinemas since 2000, including floor supervisor and floor staffer. He worked at Food 4 Less from 1994 to 1999 and Marie Callender’s from 1992 to 1993. Flaiz is a Mayor’s appointee to the Stockton Task Force for People with Disabilities. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Flaiz is a Republican.
Arthur Valdez, 58, of Stockton, has been reappointed to Area Board VI of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2012. He was a teacher at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton from 1983 to 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Valdez is registered decline-to-state.
Donna Atteberry, 65, of Mountain View, has been reappointed to Area Board VII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Atteberry has been a procedure writer and editor at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company since 2005. She was a technical writer and editor at Cool Cat Communications from 2000 to 2004, a technical writer at Spherion Corporation from 1999 to 2000 and a technical editor at Centigram Communications Corporation from 1997 to 1998. Atteberry was a disability insurance administrator at Matrix Self Insurance Resources from 1991 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Atteberry is a Democrat.
Rebecca Donabed, 32, of Tulare, has been reappointed to Area Board VIII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Donabed served as a volunteer at Resources for Independence, Central Valley from 2010 to 2011 and at the State of California National Core Indicator in 2010. She was a life quality assessment volunteer at the State of California Life Quality Assessment Project from 2006 to 2009 and was a volunteer office clerk at the Tulare Salvation Army from 2004 to 2005 and at the Center for Independent Living in 2003. Donabed is a member of the Visalia Disability Advocacy Team and graduated from the California Partners in Policymaking program in 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Donabed is a Republican.
Michael Bird, 66, of Costa Mesa, has been reappointed to Area Board XI of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2012. Bird was department chair and professor at the Cypress College Hotel Restaurant and Culinary Arts Department from 1994 to 2010 and was a career technical educational instructor at the Central County Regional Occupational Program from 1993 to 1995. He was an operations manager at Destination Properties from 1990 to 1992 and held multiple positions at Wrather Hotel Supply Company for the Disneyland Hotel and Biltmore Hotel from 1981 to 1989, including director of purchasing and general manager. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bird is registered decline-to-state.
Jordan Wright, 26, of Fontana, has been reappointed to Area Board XII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2012. Wright has been a private consultant since 2012. He was a regional political organizer for SEIU Local 1000 from 2011 to 2012 and an executive team leader at Target from 2008 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wright is a Democrat.
Julie Austin, 57, of Oceanside, has been reappointed to Area Board XIII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Austin has been an independent special education and disabilities advocate since 1997 and an advocate for the developmentally disabled community since 1995. She was the owner and general manager at Brengle Terrace Animal Hospital from 1993 to 1994 and a retail sales associate at Aquarium Supplies Unlimited from 1991 to 1993. Austin held multiple positions at Zoecon Industries Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and Pet Supplies from 1988 to 1991, including regional sales manager. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Austin is a Democrat.