SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Fahizah Alim, 63, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of communications for the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Alim has been communications director for California State Senator Curren Price since 2009. She served as communications director for California State Senator Roderick Wright from 2008 to 2009 and for California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas from 2007 to 2008. Alim held multiple positions at the Sacramento Bee from 1980 to 2006, including senior writer, columnist and staff writer. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $95,004. Alim is a Democrat.
Julia Ansel, 44, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed chief of the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau at the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Ansel has been a private professional fiduciary at Ansel Fiduciary Services since 2012. She was an intern at Lisa J. Berg and Associates Inc. in 2012 and consultant at Creative Computer Services from 2010 to 2011. Ansel was a project manager and financial analyst at Agilent Technologies from 1999 to 2002 and a trust investment officer and trust investment associate at Northern Trust Bank from 1994 to 1999. Ansel earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami, School of Business Administration. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $57,218. Ansel is a Democrat.
Tad Egawa, 45, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant commissioner, legal affairs at the California Department of Real Estate. Egawa has been a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice since 2009. He was of counsel and shareholder at McDonough Holland and Allen PC from 2007 to 2009, assistant general counsel at The Ryland Group Inc. from 2004 to 2007 and associate attorney at Jeffer Mangels Butler and Marmaro LLP from 1999 to 2004. Egawa was associate attorney at Tuttle and Taylor from 1998 to 1999 and associate attorney at Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton LLP from 1996 to 1997. Egawa earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $126,588. Egawa is a Republican.
Amber Pairis, 38, of La Jolla, has been appointed assistant secretary for climate change at the California Natural Resources Agency. Pairis has been climate change advisor at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife since 2008. She was a science and research liaison at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies from 2006 to 2008 and a conservation biology curriculum developer at the Antioch New England Institute from 2002 to 2004. Pairis was a land protection ecologist at the eastern regional office of the Nature Conservancy in 2002 and held multiple positions at Antioch New England University from 2000 to 2002, including lab director, teaching assistant and assistant primary investigator. She held multiple positions at the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research and the National Marine Fisheries Service from 1997 to 1999, including biological research technician and research assistant. Pairis was a volunteer invasive species research technician at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1996 to 1999. She is a Switzer Fellow and received the Switzer Environmental Leadership award in 2002. Pairis earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in environmental studies from Antioch New England University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $87,216. Pairis is a Democrat.
Lori Sinsley, 48, of San Francisco, has been appointed deputy executive director for strategic planning and media at the California State Energy Resources and Conservation Development Commission. Sinsley has been principal at All Things Green PR since 2012 and was communications director at the Environmental Defense Fund from 2008 to 2012. She was an independent marketing and communications consultant from 2006 to 2008 and senior manager of corporate communications at VeriSign from 2005 to 2006. Sinsley was manager of public relations and marketing communications at MessageLabs from 2003 to 2004 and senior marketing communications manager at Cable and Wireless Worldwide from 2001 to 2003. She was senior public relations manager at Exodus Communications Inc. from 2000 to 2001, account director at Weber Shandwick in 1999 and account supervisor at FleishmanHillard from 1997 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $103,608. Sinsley is a Democrat.
Heather Hooper, 42, of Danville, has been appointed to the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board. Hooper has been vice president of retirement strategies at Loring Ward since 2011. She was chief operating officer at NextStep Defined Contribution Inc. from 2009 to 2011, vice president of human resources at BenefitStreet from 2005 to 2009 and director of real estate, franchise and contracts administration at Schurman Fine Papers Inc. from 2004 to 2005. Hooper was a human resources consultant at Lam Research Corporation from 2003 to 2004 and manager of immigration, programs and services at Commerce One from 2000 to 2003. She was a human resources and visa and immigration specialist at Veritas in 2000 and a legal assistant at Baker Law Corporation from 1995 to 1999. Hooper is a member of the National Association of Plan Advisors and the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hooper is a Democrat.
William Sokol, 67, of Oakland, has been appointed to the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board. Sokol has been a lecturer at San Francisco State University since 1995 and has worked in multiple positions at Weinberg Roger and Rosenfeld since 1976, including senior partner and staff attorney. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sokol is a Democrat.