SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Abigail Lynette Browning, 37, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief of the Office of Private Sector Non-Governmental Organization Coordination at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, where she has served as assistant chief of the Office of Private Sector Non-Governmental Organization Coordination since 2015. She was an international business specialist at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development from 2013 to 2015. Browning was an associate for international affairs at the California Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2013, an executive assistant at OMI Government Relations from 2005 to 2007 and a graduate student legislative assistant at the California Seismic Safety Commission from 2001 to 2004. She earned a Master of Arts degree in government from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $90,000. Browning is a Democrat.
Stephen Michael Lerner, 50, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant commissioner of legal affairs at the California Bureau of Real Estate. Lerner has been a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2011. He was of counsel at Murphy, Austin, Adams, Schoenfeld LLP from 2010 to 2011, a shareholder at McDonough, Holland and Allen from 2000 to 2010 and an associate at Bacalski, Byrne and Koska from 1998 to 2000. Lerner was a contract attorney at Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves and Savitch LLP from 1996 to 1998, sole practitioner at the Law Office of Stephen M. Lerner from 1995 to 1998 and assistant to the mayor of San Diego from 1988 to 1991. He 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 $132,348. Lerner is a Democrat.
Irene Mary Walela, 62, of Los Angeles, has been appointed deputy director of the Independent Living and Community Access Division at the California Department of Rehabilitation, where she has been acting deputy director of the Independent Living and Community Access Division since 2014 and has served in several positions since 2000, including assistant deputy director of the Vocational Rehabilitation Policy and Resources Division and staff services manager and chief of the Staff Development Section and the Workforce Succession Planning-Diversity Outreach Office. Walela was an operations manager at Kennedy Landscape Design Associates from 1998 to 2005 and a program manager at Goodwill Industries for Traumatic Brain Injury, Developmental Disability Vocational Evaluation Programs from 1997 to 1998. She was an independent vocational rehabilitation consultant from 1987 to 1997 and a vocational rehabilitation counselor and job developer at Vocational Consulting Associates from 1984 to 1987. Walela earned a Master of Arts degree in psychology and rehabilitation counseling from Sierra University, Costa Mesa. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $104,988. Walela is registered Green Party.
Tom Hallinan, 54, of Ceres, has been appointed to the California Law Revision Commission. Hallinan has been a partner at Churchwell, White LLP since 2012. He was a partner at Bush, Ackley, Milich and Hallinan from 1994 to 2012 and served as a law clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California from 1991 to 1993 and at the Judicial Council of California from 1990 to 1992. Hallinan served as a member of the 38th District Agricultural Association, Stanislaus County Fair Board of Directors from 2000 to 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hallinan is a Democrat.
Victor King, 50, of La Crescenta, has been reappointed to the California Law Revision Commission, where he has served since 2011. King has been university legal counsel at California State University, Los Angeles since 2002. He was a partner at Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith LLP from 2001 to 2002, where he was an associate from 1999 to 2001. King earned a Master of Arts degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. King is a Democrat.
Susan Lee, 53, of Tiburon, has been reappointed to the California Law Revision Commission, where she has served since 2005. Lee has served as supervising deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 1989. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lee is a Democrat.
Jane McAllister, 53, of Hilmar, has been appointed to the California Law Revision Commission. McAllister has been a partner at McAllister and McAllister Inc. since 1996. She was an associate at Damrell, Nelson, Schrimp, Pallios, Pacher and Silva from 1988 to 1996. McAllister earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Humphreys College School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. McAllister is a Democrat.