SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Michael Hirt, 47, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Naturopathic Medicine Committee, where he has served since 2010. Hirt has been president of Michael Hirt MD APC and a physician at the Center for Integrative Medicine since 2002. He was clinical faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine from 1997 to 2012, adjunct professor at the California State University, Northridge Department of Kinesiology from 2001 to 2008 and adjunct clinical faculty at Yo San University from 1997 to 1998. Hirt was an emergency physician at the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center from 1996 to 1998 and resident physician at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center from 1993 to 1997. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Harvard Medical School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hirt is a Democrat.
Lou Monville, 42, of Riverside, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2006. Monville has been vice president at O’Reilly Public Relations since 2003, where he was director of public affairs from 2001 to 2003. He was director of public affairs at Stoorza Communications from 1998 to 2001 and director of the Inland Empire Office of the Governor from 1996 to 1998. Monville is a member of the California State University, San Bernardino Foundation Board of Directors. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Monville is a Republican.
Steven Kapp, 27, of Culver City, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Kapp has been a graduate student intern at the University of California, Los Angeles Tarjan Center since 2012, a guest lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles since 2011 and graduate student in the University’s Department of Education since 2009. He was a research assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills for Young Adults from 2009 to 2010 and a supervisor at the New Roads School Spectrum Program summer session in 2009. He is a member of the Society for Disability Studies, the Cognitive Development Society, the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Los Angeles Chapter. Kapp was the science committee chair of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network from 2011 to 2013, a youth advisor for the California Health Incentives Improvement Project from 2010 to 2012 and was founding president of the Alliance of Students with Disabilities in 2008. Kapp earned a Master of Arts degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Pursuant to statute, this position is nominated by the Senate Rules Committee and appointed by the Governor. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Kapp is registered without party preference.
Elaine Linn, 43, of Folsom, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Linn has been senior communications consultant at Elaine Linn Creative Strategies since 2006. She was vice president at Perry Communications Group Inc. from 1999 to 2006 and senior account manager at the Dolphin Group Inc. from 1992 to 1999. Linn was a research assistant at Benchmark Research in 1992. She is a member of the National Down Syndrome Congress and the Down Syndrome Information Alliance. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Linn is a Republican.
David Forderer, 44, of San Jose, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities as the Area Board VII representative, where he has served since 2012. Forderer has been a disability consultant on the Los Altos United Methodist Church Board of Trustees since 2005. He was vice president of the San Andreas Regional Center Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012 and was a secretary at the center from 2008 to 2012. He was an advisor for disabled students and member of the accessibility commission at San Francisco State University from 2000 to 2002 and was disability advisor to the San Francisco State AmeriCorps program from 1999 to 2001 and to the Pacific News Service from 2000 to 2001. Forderer was advisor to the San Francisco State University student body association president from 1998 to 2000 and a disability advisor to the San Francisco Giants in 1998. He has been vice chair of Area Board VII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities since 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Forderer is a Democrat.
Carmela Garnica, 57, of Blythe, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities as the Area Board XII representative, where she has served since 2013, and to Area Board XII of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2012. Garnica has been program director at Escuela De La Raza Unida since 2000, where she was executive director from 1980 to 1998. She served as site supervisor at Campesinos Unidos from 1998 to 2000. The compensation for the appointment to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities is $100 per diem, and there is no compensation for the appointment to the Area Board. Garnica is a Democrat.
Martha Johanson, 50, of Milpitas, has been reappointed to Area Board VII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2013. Johanson has been founder and president of the Johanson Healing Institute since 2013. She was co-founder of Building Martin’s Miracle from 2005 to 2012 and a Spanish immersion educator at Forest Glen Elementary School from 2003 to 2004. Johanson was District 6 interim director of Pupil Personnel and guidance counselor at the New York City Board of Education from 1997 to 2000, an early intervention coordinator at Graham-Windham from 1996 to 1997 and a teacher and coordinator at Project Reach Youth Inc. in 1996. She was a consultant for the Children’s Television Network from 1995 to 1996 and for Migrant Head Start of Central Indiana in 1995 and a Spanish immersion teacher at the Park Tudor School from 1993 to 1995. Johanson earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical Christian counseling from Cornerstone University, a Master of Science degree in school counseling from Indiana University and a Master of Education in education administration from the Universidad Inca Garcilaso de Vega. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Johanson is a Republican.