SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Tamara Colson, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant general counsel at the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Colson has been chief prosecuting counsel at the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control since 2011. She was an adjunct professor at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law from 2010 to 2011 and special assistant inspector general at the Office of the Inspector General from 2006 to 2011. Colson was an administrative law judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings from 2005 to 2006 and deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 1999 to 2005. Colson was an associate attorney at Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann and Girard from 1997 to 1999 and judicial extern at the Third District Court of Appeal in 1995. She held several positions at the Junior Statesmen Foundation from 1991 to 1995, including director of the symposium on California Government and Politics and alumni program coordinator. Colson is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association and the Junior Statesmen Alumni Association. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $149,472. Colson is a Republican.
Priscilla Evan Gerberding, 59, of Rocklin, has been appointed deputy director of external affairs at the Department of Housing and Community Development. Gerberding has been an assistant director of marketing at the California Housing Finance Agency since 2002. She was a director of communications at the State Personnel Board from 1998 to 2002 and a television specialist at the California State Lottery from 1995 to 1998. Gerberding was a promotion writer and producer at KCRA Television from 1990 to 1995 and at KCNC Television from 1986 to 1990. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $94,224. Gerberding is a Democrat.
Pat Perez, 57, of Elk Grove, has been appointed division director, Office of Mine Reclamation at the California Department of Conservation, where he served as acting supervisor of the Oil Gas and Geothermal Resources Division in 2014. Perez served in several positions at the California Energy Commission from 1980 to 2012, including deputy director, assistant executive director for economic recovery, climate change liaison, electrical generation systems specialist and fuel specialist. This positon does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Perez is a registered without party preference.
Jack Garner, 70, of Gold River, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where he has served since 2005. Garner served as bureau chief at the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 1990 to 2005, city manager at the City of Martinez from 1985 to 1990 and chief of police at the City of Martinez Police Department from 1979 to 1985. He served in several positions at the City of Palo Alto Police Department from 1967 to 1979, including captain, lieutenant and sergeant. Garner is a member of the California Police Chiefs Association and the California Peace Officers Association. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Garner is registered without party preference.
Marisela Montes, 60, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where she has served since 2012. Montes was a consultant at the California Prison Industry Authority from 2011 to 2012 and served in several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2006 to 2009, including deputy director of the Division of Adult Institutions and chief deputy secretary of adult programs. She was deputy director of administration at the California Department of Transportation from 1999 to 2006 and served in several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 1984 to 1999, including chief of correctional planning and research, deputy director of parole and community services and associate warden at California State Prison, Solano. Montes was an assistant personnel manager at the California Department of Social Services from 1981 to 1984 and an associate personnel analyst at the State Personnel Board from 1980 to 1981. She was a postsecondary education specialist at the California Postsecondary Education Commission from 1977 to 1980 and an assistant director at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Educational Opportunity Program from 1975 to 1977. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Montes is registered without party preference.
John Peck, 57, of Sutter Creek, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where he has served since 2009 and was a deputy commissioner from 2007 to 2009. Peck served in several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2001 to 2007, including correctional captain and conservation camp liaison. He was correctional captain at Ironwood State Prison from 2000 to 2001 and served in several positions at the California Correctional Center from 1998 to 2000, including correctional lieutenant and camp commander. Peck was a correctional lieutenant at Calipatria State Prison from 1991 to 1998 and at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison from 1989 to 1991. He was a correctional sergeant at Deuel Vocational Institution from 1988 to 1989, where he was a correctional officer from 1983 to 1986 and served as a correctional sergeant at Avenal State Prison from 1986 to 1988. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Peck is a Democrat.
Brian Roberts, 61, of Santee, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where he has served since 2012 and was a deputy commissioner from 2006 to 2012. He served in several positions at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department from 1975 to 2006, including commander, captain, lieutenant, sergeant and deputy. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Roberts is a Republican.
Amarik Singh, 42, of Placerville, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where she has served since 2012. Singh served as special assistant inspector general at the California Office of the Inspector General from 2007 to 2012 and was deputy district attorney at the Kern County District Attorney’s Office from 2005 to 2007 and at the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2005. Singh earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Singh is a Republican.
Terri Turner, 59, of West Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings, where she has served since 2011 and was a deputy commissioner from 2008 to 2011. She served in several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 1987 to 2007, including assistant regional parole administrator, adult parole supervisor, manager at the Edward Veit Community Correctional Center and parole agent and was a youth counselor at the California Youth Authority from 1983 to 1987. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Turner is a Democrat.
Robert Dresser, 72, of Sacramento, has been reappointed member and chair of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, where he has served as member and chair since 2011. He served as enforcement counsel at the Contractors State License Board from 2007 to 2011 and general counsel at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 2002 to 2007. Dresser served as chief counsel and interim director at the California Department of Information Technology from 2001 to 2002, an administrative law judge at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board from 1992 to 2001 and held several positions at the Agricultural Labor Relations Board from 1975 to 1992, including senior board counsel. Dresser earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation as chair is $138,867. Dresser is a Democrat.
Karen Nelson, 33, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, where she has served since 2014. Nelson has been chief operations officer at the American Leadership Forum, Mountain View Chapter since 2014. She was director of youth and community engagement at People Reaching Out in 2014 and director of programs and business administration at the American Leadership Forum from 2011 to 2014. Nelson was director of events, sponsorships and foundation at the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce from 2005 to 2011 and event manager at the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce from 2004 to 2005. Nelson is a member of YMCA of Superior California Board, a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Mountain Valley Chapter and a member of the Drexel University Sacramento Alumni Association. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Drexel University Sacramento. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Nelson is a Democrat.