SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Claudia Crist, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director of policy and programs at the California Department of Public Health. Crist has been deputy director of health care delivery systems at the California Department of Health Care Services since 2014. She held several positions at Sutter Health from 2000 to 2014, including revenue cycle process leader, assistant administrator, regional director of training and development, system director of clinical auditing, manager of clinical auditing and senior internal auditor. Crist was a multicultural health and healthcare delivery systems lecturer at California State University, Chico from 2013 to 2014, a charge nurse at Mercy General Hospital from 1999 to 2000 and a staff registered nurse at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 1999 to 2000. She was a charge nurse at Southern Inyo Hospital from 1998 to 2000 and a staff registered nurse at Lancaster Community Hospital from 1997 to 1998, where she was a clinical laboratory assistant from 1993 to 1997. Crist is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the California Association of Healthcare Leaders. She earned a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $152,808. Crist is not registered to vote.
Susan Fanelli, 52, of Orangevale, has been appointed assistant director at the California Department of Public Health, where she has been deputy director of the Emergency Preparedness Office since 2012 and has served in several positions at the office since 2006, including acting deputy director and assistant deputy director. Fanelli served in several positions at the California Department of Health Services from 2002 to 2006, including staff services manager in the Program Support Section, associate governmental program analyst in the Office of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance and staff services analyst. She was director of information services at the Institute for Fiduciary Education from 1996 to 2001, president, owner and instructor at Capitol Seminars and Consulting from 1993 to 1996, vice president and editor at Capitol Weekly from 1988 to 1993 and legislative staff manager at Logitech from 1986 to 1988. Fanelli earned a Master of Arts degree in political science and public service from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $131,244. Fanelli is registered without party preference.
Brandon Nunes, 41, of Carmichael, has been appointed chief deputy director of operations at the California Department of Public Health. Nunes has served as principal program budget analyst at the California Department of Finance since 2010, where he has held several positions since 1999, including staff budget analyst, supervisor of financial and performance evaluations and financial and performance evaluator. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,536. Nunes is registered without party preference.
Sarah Brooks, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director for health care delivery systems at the California Department of Health Care Services, where she has been chief of the Managed Care Quality and Monitoring Division since 2014 and served as chief of the Program Monitoring and Medical Compliance Branch from 2012 to 2014. She was an assistant director of policy at the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems from 2007 to 2012 and was a fiscal and policy analyst at the Indiana Legislative Services Agency from 2003 to 2007. Brooks was a graduate student researcher at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare in 2003 and at the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Industrial Relations from 2001 to 2002. She was a project manager at the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare from 2000 to 2001. Brooks earned a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $132,984. Brooks is a Democrat.
Rachel Arrezola, 31, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of communications and planning at the California Department of Managed Health Care. Arrezola has been deputy director of legislative and public affairs at the California Department of Community Services and Development since 2011. She was chief deputy press secretary in the Office of the Governor from 2009 to 2011, where she served in several positions from 2006 to 2009, including deputy press secretary, assistant press secretary and press assistant. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $99,360. Arrezola is registered without party preference.
Torene L.M. Schwab, 49, of Davis, has been appointed deputy director of the Legal Division and chief counsel at the California Department of Social Services, where she has served as assistant chief counsel since 2010 and was senior staff counsel from 2001 to 2010 and staff counsel from 2000 to 2001. She was an associate attorney at McDonough, Holland and Allen from 1995 to 2000 and at Burger and Plavan from 1993 to 1995. Schwab is a neighborhood organizer for the City of Davis Neighbors’ Night Out. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $156,828. Schwab is a Democrat.
Daniel C. Kim, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed director at the California Department of General Services. Kim has been chief deputy director of operations at the California Department of Public Health since 2011. He served as deputy director at the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance from 2002 to 2011, budget and legislative affairs manager at the San Francisco Department of Human Resources from 1998 to 2002, management consultant at Price Waterhouse from 1996 to 1998 and fiscal and policy analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 1994 to 1996. Kim earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $167,360.64. Kim is a Democrat.
Rosa Gomez, 46, of Pleasant Hill, has been appointed assistant deputy director of the Specialized Services Division at the California Department of Rehabilitation, where she has served as a staff service manager since 2012 and has held several positions since 2008, including rehabilitation supervisor and senior vocational rehabilitation counselor. She was a social work intern at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center from 1997 to 1998 and program director of Progressive Research and Training for Action’s Alcohol, Drug and Disability Technical Assistance Project from 1997 to 1998. Gomez was a program director at the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions Information Center from 1995 to 1997, a substance abuse counselor and care coordinator at Continuum HIV Day Services from 1993 to 1995 and a case manager at Eclectic Communications Inc. from 1992 to 1993. Gomez earned a Master of Social Work degree from San Jose State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $80,844. Gomez is a Democrat.