SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Elizabeth Abbott, 67, of Davis, has been appointed director and patient advocate at the California Health and Human Services Agency Office of the Patient Advocate. Abbott has been director of administrative advocacy at Health Access California since 2006. She was regional administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 1995 to 2003, where she was associate regional administrator from 1992 to 1995. Abbott served in several positions at the U.S. Social Security Administration from 1968 to 1992, including district manager, area administrative assistant, assistant district manager, operations supervisor and claims representative. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $120,000. Abbott is a Democrat.
Tara Dias-Andress, 43, of Granite Bay, has been appointed deputy secretary for legislative affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Dias-Andress has been legislative director in the Office of California State Senator Lois Wolk since 2011. She was legislative director in the Office of California State Senator Patricia Wiggins from 2006 to 2010, legislative director and consultant in the Office of California State Senator Liz Figueroa from 2004 to 2006, legislative aide in the Office of California State Senator Debra Bowen from 2000 to 2004 and legislative assistant at N.M. Inc. from 1997 to 2000. Dias-Andress is a member of the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $109,008. Dias-Andress is a Democrat.
Matt Henigan, 33, of Los Angeles, has been appointed deputy secretary for sustainability at the California Government Operations Agency. Henigan has served as the sustainable energy engineer at the City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment since 2011 and held multiple positions at Sustainable Works from 2004 to 2010, including senior account executive and water programs manager. He served as an energy assessor at EcoMotion in 2008 and was manager of the Heal the Bay Speakers Bureau Program from 2004 to 2005. Henigan is a member of the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition Board of Directors. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $130,008. Henigan is a Democrat.
Teala Schaff, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of external affairs and communication at the California Department of Technology. Schaff has been communications director for California State Senator Noreen Evans since 2011. She was press secretary and senior consultant for California State Senator Ellen Corbett in 2011, press secretary for California State Senator Gloria Romero from 2009 to 2011 and an account supervisor at Ziegler Associates from 2007 to 2009. Schaff was a public affairs and communications consultant at the California Cable and Telecommunications Association in 2007 and account supervisor for Porter Novelli Inc. from 1999 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $99,504. Schaff is a Democrat.
Scott Wyckoff, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed general counsel at the California Department of Business Oversight. Wyckoff has served as supervising deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2008, where he was a deputy attorney general from 1999 to 2008. Wyckoff was an associate attorney at Cuneo Black Ward and Missler from 1998 to 1999 and assistant to the government affairs director at the Oregon Education Association from 1993 to 1994. He served as chief of staff for representative Sharon Wylie from 1992 to 1993 and legislative assistant for representative Hedy Rijken from 1990 to 1991 at the Oregon House of Representatives. Wyckoff is a member of the Sacramento Law Foundation’s Operation Protect and Defend program and the Law and Public Policy Academy at C.K. McClatchy High School. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $144,252. Wyckoff is a Democrat.